Press Room

Mike was the author of The Wise Investor column that appeared in The Hamilton Spectator for many years.  In that column readers would email a variety of investment questions they wanted answered.  Following are just some of those many questions Mike received, and his answers.

• Can you tell me a little about options, and in particular covered call options?
• I get the impression you are very negative on mutual funds. Is this correct? And if so, why?
• I’ve heard about using moving averages to predict stock price movement. What is a moving average?
• I own Talvest Canadian Asset Allocation Fund and I see they charge a two per cent yearly management fee, yet the total fees charged are 2.61 per cent per year. Can you tell me what that extra 0.61 per cent is for?
• I have a Locked-in Retirement Account (LIRA). Is there any way I can get money out of that account?
• I have heard about an article you wrote in The Spec which contained a quiz about right-brain, left-brain investing and I have been unable to find the article. Can you reprint that quiz, and secondly, have you ever heard of the ‘disposition effect’?
• What is the benefit of using “F” class mutual fund shares in her 6-figure growth portfolio?
• What are Real Return Bonds?
• Can you provide some details on exchange traded funds (ETF’s)?
• I was intrigued by your mention of The Efficient Market Theory. Can you elaborate?
• I’ve noticed something called the Short Interest Report published in some business publications. Can you tell me what that is?
• I’ve been thinking of investing in art and don’t know where to start. Any thoughts?
• Can you tell me what causes bonds to fluctuate in price?
• Summer is over, autumn is here, and winter is fast approaching. Do stocks have seasons to?
• I see there is now a Chinese Exchange Traded Fund on the New York Stock Exchange. Can you tell me something about it?
• I hear so much about value stocks and growth stocks. Can you tell me the difference?
• I’ve been looking at adding some stock options to my portfolio and have come across something called the Black-Scholes model. Can you tell me what that is?
• I saw your show on managing money for athletes on ROBTV and since I am the mother of a hockey player I was quite interested. Unfortunately I missed some of it and was wondering if you could provide a quick recap of the telecast?
• Spousal RRSP?
• My advisor recommends that I buy mutual funds on a deferred sales charge. Can you explain what that is?
• Would you recommend hedging in the currency futures markets?
• American Depositary Receipts (ADR). Can you tell me what they are?
• What is the difference between investing in bond funds compared to investing in individual bonds?
• I keep hearing about the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Can you tell me what that is?
• One of the U.S. stocks I own came out with fantastic quarterly earnings yet the share price fell. Why is that?
• What indicators do I look at in evaluating mutual funds?
• I’ve been reading about closed-end funds. How are they different from open-end funds?
• I just finished reading ‘The Intelligent Investor’, by Benjamin Graham. Have you read it?
• What are point and figure charts?
• What are cumulative, retractable, redeemable, floating-rate preferred shares?
• I’m curious to hear your views on the market timing investigation launched by the Ontario Securities Commission against the Canadian mutual fund industry.