Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd.

By: Jim Gilliland & David Schaffner

As 2011 comes to a close, investors continue to be bombarded by daily news of economic and political problems.  In the U.S., housing prices remain depressed, the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high, and the politics surrounding the upcoming Presidential election and taming the federal debt have raised questions as to the political will to fix the problems.  In Europe, debt levels are at dangerous highs and climbing, economic growth is weakening, and investors are questioning the ability of politicians to put in place an effective, timely, and long lasting solution to the Euro crisis.  Is it any wonder that investors are losing hope? Read Full Article >

Making a List & Checking it Twice

The month of December brings on challenges for procrastinators in a race to ensure the last deadlines of the year are met. To help alleviate some of the stress of the holiday season, we have compiled a list to help ensure your financial affairs are organized at year-end, so that friends, family and charities benefit, rather than the tax authorities. Read Full Article >

Death and taxes are two certain things in life.  But did you know that even if you are a Canadian citizen and a resident of Canada, you may be subject to U.S. estate taxes when you die?  If you own U.S. situs assets and have over US$5 million in total worldwide assets, or are a married couple with over US$10 million in total assets you need to be aware of the current and future U.S. estate tax implications. Most people would expect that U.S. situs assets would include U.S. real estate, but other examples from an investment perspective of U.S. situs assets that aren’t so obvious include: Read Full Article >

Financial market performance in the third quarter was dominated by slowing global economic growth.  Market volatility was driven by concerns of financial contagion in Europe, slowing growth in emerging markets and political mismanagement out of the United States.
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This week, Dexia SA, the Belgian bank, made headline news over its need for a government bailout as a result of its weakened financial state. Dexia SA, the bank, should not be confused with RBC Dexia Investor Services, the custodian. RBC Dexia Investor Services (RBC Dexia) is a joint venture partnership between RBC and Dexia SA. Investors who use RBC Dexia as their custodian should not fear the safety and security of their assets. The joint venture is profitable and a stand-alone entity from Dexia SA and RBC.

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The media has recently been reporting countless reasons why we should be fearful of another global recession and concerned about our investments. We wanted to take a moment to put the current concerns in context for our clients and explain how we are addressing risk in your portfolio.

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Eric Lam - In the last few weeks there have been a lot of headlines about Greece, full of sensational statements like “FTSE 100 drops as Greek debt crisis triggers global rout”.  So what exactly is going on in that corner of the world and why do riots in Greece matter to Canadian markets and investors?

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David Schaffner, President and CEO of Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd., appeared on BNN Monday, June 20, 2011, to discuss a recent transaction in the financial sector, as well as trends in Canadian equity markets. Read Full Article >

Jim Gilliland - The low level of interest rates helped drive a significant amount of investor interest in income funds and fixed income investments.  However, as improved signs from the economy point to an environment of increasing short term interest rates, how are these investments expected to perform?  Are investors setting themselves up for disappointment? Read Full Article >