Mercer Private Wealth our insights

Through expert interviews and conversation, we aim to help families flourish in their long-term financial decision-making. To that end, we discuss the wide array of issues that influence successful financial planning.

Welcome to the Winter issue of Mercer Private Wealth’s e-newsletter, Optimist. In this edition we focus on portfolio robustness in uncertain markets.

Increased market volatility, the aftermath of COVID-19, geopolitical conflict, higher inflation, central bank tightening and supply chain disruptions have proved sizeable hurdles for the majority of asset classes in 2022. However, we head toward 2023 with more attractive valuations across the board.

December was a disappointing end to a bad year. Investors had few places to hide as traditional safe haven assets such as bonds fell in tandem with equities. The final month of the year saw negative returns for equities, commodities and slightly negative returns for bonds.

Welcome to the Fall edition of Mercer Private Wealth’s e-newsletter, Optimist.

The most effective method for reducing volatility is to ensure that your portfolio is diversified by combining as many different and non-correlated assets as is feasible. By doing so, you increase your chances of avoiding extreme lows and ideally generating a greater amount of wealth in the long run.

In these uncertain times, having a well-diversified and professionally managed portfolio that is aligned with your personal objectives and tolerance for risk will enhance your probability of financial success.

In its 2022 Federal Budget, the Government of Canada proposed a new type of investment account designed to help Canadians save towards the purchase of their first home. The account is called the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and combines the benefits of both the RRSP and TFSA.

With the sunshine and vacations that come at this time of year, summer can often give us an opportunity to reflect on our busy lives. The current events in the wider world around us have certainly given us pause for thought.

When it comes to inflation, time is not on our side. The longer a bout of inflation lasts — and the more volatile it is — the more likely it is to become ingrained into society’s collective psyche, which increases the risk of stagflation setting in.

Join us while we welcome Sandy Sereda, the Executive Director from Caregivers Alberta to discuss how can we help our loved ones while maintaining our own physical, mental and financial health.

Join our discussion on the issues associated with buying and selling a professional practice with Timothy A. Brown, CEO & broker of record at ROI Corporation.

As the name of our newsletter suggests, we believe it is important to be an optimist. As Winston Churchill once said, “Optimists see opportunities in every difficulty.” That said, we live in a time where even trying to be an optimist is proving to be difficult.

Can humans live to 150? New academic health breakthroughs have researchers and health start-ups extrapolating about the end of ageing. Is this possible, or just wishful thinking? Join us as we welcome back Dr. Daren Heyland to filter fact from fiction in the evolving world of nutrition and longevity.

Our Montreal private wealth team takes a closer look at the concept of ESG investing and how public awareness of issues such as social inequality, climate change and corporate malfeasance has pushed responsible investing discussions to the forefront.

The conflict in Ukraine has created tension and anxiety across the world. For those of us with family or friends in the region, this is doubly so. Global leaders are working to ensure that the best possible solution takes place. We are here to hope that better minds prevail, and with few casualties.

Read our global economic outlook where we explain why we think 2022 will be the year of economic recovery.

Your Investment Counsel team would like to know how the ongoing pandemic has impacted your wealth objectives. For our next conversation, let’s talk about how your outlook has shifted and how this connects to the management of your wealth.

From Alberta retiring all coal power plants ahead of schedule to the doubling of electric vehicle sales globally between 2020 and 2021, we are rapidly changing our approach to producing and consuming energy.

In 2022, you will hear more from us about the changing and varied definitions of risk. In addition to the traditional risk tolerance that all our clients are familiar with, we will also be discussing and quantifying “risk capacity.”

The massive growth in size and number of developments, investments, companies and assets flooding the crypto space indicates a new technological revolution is likely underway.

Join an introductory discussion with Michael Alguire, Director Cybersecurity Governance at ATCO Group. Michael will help us understand the evolving world of cryptocurrency and its importance for the future.

Join our Edmonton team and Doris Bonora, TEP, Q.C. from Dentons for a discussion on ‘Medical Assistance in Dying’. The conversation covers personal and health care directives, the evolving laws around MAID and the importance of having a Power of Attorney or Personal Directive.

While markets continue to vacillate with uncertainty, we at Mercer remain committed to building up in-house capabilities to support the long-term growth of our Private Wealth practice.

Although inflation has become a widely discussed topic in the press and financial news, it hasn’t materially impacted many of our lives, until now.

At Mercer Private Wealth, we are continually seeking methods to enhance and improve the effectiveness of wealth management strategies for our clients.

Join us in a discussion on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing with Will Collins-Dean, Senior Portfolio Manager and Vice President at Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) and Chairman of the firm’s Investment Stewardship Committee.

Join Dr. Daren Heyland, a critical care doctor at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Queen’s University, to discuss how medical decisions are made when people become suddenly and seriously ill.

Welcome to the summer edition of Mercer Private Wealth Management's e-newsletter, Optimist.

Join Canadian author and Chartered Professional Accountant Robin Taub and the Edmonton team for a discussion on the best ways to teach kids and grandkids about money, as well as how to discuss estate and inheritance plans with adult children.

How to use your retirement accounts to replace your paycheque.

When should you start taking payments?

Guest speaker Kathy Hawkesworth (LLB, TEP), Counsel & Philanthropy Advisor with the Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) discusses the responsibility of acting as someone's executor, as well as practical tips to prepare for this challenging role.

What does the tremendous outperformance of growth relative to value mean for the future?

Identifying tax-efficient ways to reduce the cost of giving to increase your impact with the charities you love.

Michael Nicin from the National Institute on Ageing joined us to discuss many valuable topics including new research on when to take your Canada Pension Plan along with vaccines that Canadians over 50 should consider asking their doctor about such as for pneumonia, flu, and shingles.

Estate lawyer Michael Klaray from Duncan Craig joined Marshall and Cary to discuss best practices for passing on family assets such as: How to deal with cottages, real property, or any intergenerational assets that you would like to stay in the family.

An introduction to income splitting - strategies for both working and retired Canadians.