This month we start our episode with a recap how markets have performed year-to date.

If you've been watching your investments, you know that markets have been strong this year, but will this continue? Markets can't go up forever right?

Watch the episode to see how we answer these questions.

Next we discuss the Tower Philosophy of Money. Wealth is a tool to be used to achieve a purpose, accumulation of wealth is not the purpose itself. We hope we can help you align your financial decisions with meaningful purpose.

#financialplanning #investing #economy #wealthmindset #money #philosophyofmoney

If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.

[email protected]

[00:00:01] Market Recap and Global Index Performance

[00:00:59] Concerns About Market Bubbles and Diversification

[00:02:03] October Market Volatility and Pullback Expectations

[00:02:40] Philosophy of Money: Value Beyond Wealth

[00:03:52] Money as a Tool, Not a Goal

This is the first in a number of videos exploring investing and retirement planning strategies.

We're starting with Income Splitting. It's a simple but extremely effective way to reduce taxes currently and in retirement.

Why does income splitting work? Who does this apply to? Should I being doing this now or in retirement?

Watch the video to find out!

#financialadvice #financialplanning #retirementplanning #retirement #investing

If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.

[email protected]

Income Splitting Basics and Progressive Tax System [00:00:46]:

Explanation of income splitting, progressive tax rates, and the goal of keeping both spouses in lower tax brackets.

Asset Splitting and Equalizing RRSPs [00:02:19]:

Discussion on splitting assets in retirement and aiming for equal-sized RRSPs for both spouses.

Spousal RRSPs as a Strategy [00:02:30]:

How higher-earning spouses can contribute to spousal RRSPs to optimize retirement income and tax benefits.

Limitations and CRA Rules on Income Splitting [00:04:40]:

Clarification on what types of income can be split, age restrictions, and the importance of personalized planning.

Charitable Donations and Donating Stock [00:05:21]:

Tax-saving benefits of donating stock instead of cash to charities, including a client example.

Upcoming Videos and Donor-Advised Fund Announcement [00:06:24]

We're just 3 months past the "Liberation Day" Tariffs and despite initial concerns, the S&P 500 is up 6% and the TSX has gained 10% YTD.

To move beyond the headlines we look at specific economic indicators: US Manufacturing (one of our go-to indicators) is up. But while that is green, other indicators are flashing red, indicating a cautious yet optimistic market sentiment. It's a nuanced scenario we're navigating.

We also discuss interesting insights from a recent article on Canada’s financial industry (link below): bank-employed investment reps face significant pressure to sell products often not in the best interest of clients.

At Tower, we're independent, our duty is first and foremost our clients. Your success is our success, and we strive to build trust through direct, transparent relationships. #marketupdate #economicindicators #investmentmanagement #investmentinsights #clientfirst #financialtransparency

If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.[email protected]

Bank reps under pressure to sell: https://www.investmentexecutive.com/news/from-the-regulators/bank-reps-under-pressure-to-sell-osc-and-ciro/

Market Recap and Economic Indicators [00:00:00]

Overview of 2025 market performance, key indices, and economic indicators like manufacturing orders, jobless claims, and inflation.

Sector Rotation in Markets [00:02:21]

Shift from tech giants to industrials and how this affects overall market performance.

Bank Sales Pressure Article [00:02:47]

Summary of an article on sales pressure at banks and how it impacts client interests.

Tower’s Independence and Business Model [00:03:46]

Emphasis on Tower’s independence from banks and client-focused investment management.

Co-Investment Philosophy [00:05:32]

Tower partners invest alongside clients, using the same strategies and paying the same fees.

Personalized Client Relationships [00:06:26]

Tower’s direct, personal approach versus distant portfolio managers at banks or brokers.

In this episode, we discuss the current financial market turmoil caused by Trump Administration.

Since the end of March, markets around the world have been in free fall, and the S&P 500 is in a correction by many measures. The reason for the sudden crash is the introduction of substantial tariffs on essentially all imports into the US.

Why is the US changing the way the world trades? Is there a good faith argument for this given the turmoil it's caused? As with any complex issue, the answer is unclear, but we cover the rationale behind tariffs and their potential benefits for U.S. trade relations and Canada's internal trade improvements.

We also discuss what we are doing to manage client portfolios during these challenging times. No one likes to see their portfolio balances go down, it's difficult, but the most important thing is not to panic. Markets cannot go up forever and corrections are inevitable. A dip in the market provides an opportunity for strategic rebalancing, structuring your portfolio for solid growth in the eventual recovery.

If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from [email protected]

[00:00:00] Market Turmoil Overview

Discussion on the current turmoil in the market due to trade wars and tariffs.

[00:01:31] Impact on Client Accounts

Overview of how accounts are being managed during market fluctuations.

[00:02:10]Understanding Tariff Implications

Analysis of trade imbalances and the potential long-term effects of tariffs.

[ 00:03:23] Opportunities for Canada

Discussion on how tariffs could benefit Canada's interprovincial trade.

[00:04:05] Human Ingenuity in Markets

Emphasis on human creativity in overcoming market challenges.

[00:05:05] Strategic Rebalancing and Deploying Capital

Explanation of the strategy to rebalance client accounts amidst market changes.

[00:06:14] Investment Strategies Overview

Description of three investment strategies: Momentum, Value (Enhanced Index), and Dividend.

In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of our various investment strategies, providing a detailed analysis of their performance and offering valuable insights for investors.

The Canadian Momentum strategy did well in 2024 (~18%) but it did slightly underperform compared to the TSX Total Return index. However, the strategy is still outperforming in the longer 3 and 5 year horizons.

Our Enhanced Index strategies also did well and handily outperformed comparable target risk portfolios developed by Morningstar. This was true for both the Aggressive Growth (80/20) and Growth (65/35) iterations of the strategy.

We are happy to announce that we will likely be launching a US Momentum Strategy later this year, as our test account outperformed the S&P 500 in 2024. By analyzing two years of daily returns and incorporating a volume adjustment, we've refined our approach to maximize performance.

#momentuminvesting #investing #dividendinvesting #investmentstrategy #dividendyield

The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has significant implications for financial markets, particularly from a Canadian investor's perspective.

In this episode, Tarek and Mark explore the comparative merits of investing in real estate versus capital markets, particularly the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).

Did you know that our Canadian Momentum strategy has outperformed the TSX year-to-date through August? 🏦📈

In this episode, we discuss recent stock market trends, highlighting a potential shift from the dominance of large tech stocks, known as the "magnificent seven," to smaller-cap stocks and a broader market.

In this episode of Tower Talk, we delve into various market topics, including private equity, election year impacts, and US equity concentration.