Venturing into wild frontier markets

BRIAN MILNER  

bmilner@globeandmail.comWhile most of us focus on the market noise emanating from the developed world and the biggest emerging markets - the austerity vs. stimulus battle, the guarded pronouncements of harried central bankers, the quarterly blitzes of earnings reports and the latest mixed economic signals - a growing number of investors have set their sights on distant markets that account for only a tiny fraction of global trading volumes. Monday, May 20, 2013

European equity funds ride recent market rally

JACQUELINE NELSON  

jnelson@globeandmail.comWhat are we looking for? The debt and banking crises in Europe have contributed to volatile markets in the region over the past few years, and that has weighed on European equity funds. But while the region is still unstable, market performance has improved somewhat recently. We took a look at fund returns over the last six months. Monday, May 20, 2013

Know the nuances of fund fees

ROB CARRICK  

rcarrick@globeandmail.comThe ETF crowd will love this reality check on one of the country's favourite mutual funds.The $14.7-billion RBC Canadian Dividend Fund is a fair bit costlier to own than its seven direct exchange-traded-fund competitors, and its returns lag behind most of them in recent years. Mutual funds versus ETFs: It's the greatest rivalry in investing and it's also the most misunderstood. Saturday, May 18, 2013

Neutral balanced funds: U.S. assets tip Sentry into top slot

JACQUELINE NELSON  

jnelson@globeandmail.comWhat are we looking for?The top-performing Canadian neutral balanced fund offerings. Funds in this category invest in stocks and bonds, and they must have between 40 and 60 per cent of assets invested in equity securities. Monday, May 13, 2013

Lee-Chin's private equity gamble

JACQUELINE NELSON  

Michael Lee-Chin is best known for building AIC Ltd. into one of the largest independent mutual fund companies in the country. But after his value-investing strategy and commitment to financial assets missed out on market gains due to events such as the commodities boom that began in the early 2000s, investors left in droves. By the time AIC was sold to Manulife Financial Corp. in the throes of the economic downturn in 2009, the company's assets had fallen by 75 per cent. Thursday, May 09, 2013

A banner year for global real estate funds

JACQUELINE NELSON  

jnelson@globeandmail.comWhat are we looking for? How the best-performing real estate equity funds have performed over the past year.The screen We looked at fund returns for the year to March 31. U.S. dollar, segregated and duplicate versions of funds were excluded. Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Digging deeper on those fund trailer fees

ROB CARRICK  

rcarrick@globeandmail.comMeet a mutual fund that makes good money and yet at the same time shows why we need to reform the way investors pay for funds and advice. Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Contrarian attitude helped fund satisfy craving for yield

JACQUELINE NELSON  

jnelson@globeandmail.comWhat are we looking for? Low interest rates over the past few years have driven yield-craving investors toward Canadian dividend and income equity funds. Which funds fared the best in the past year? Monday, April 29, 2013

MFDA slaps Yoannou with a record fine

JANET McFARLAND  

Canada's mutual fund industry regulator has imposed its largest-ever fine against a former Investors Group mutual fund salesman accused of stealing almost $12-million from clients in Toronto. Friday, April 26, 2013