Investment Planning

GICs help you earn money without the worry of potential loss.

GICs provide a secure investment option that guarantees 100% of your original investment, while also allowing you to earn interest at a fixed or variable rate.

GICs are a great option if you want to invest money into short-term savings and help balance risk in your portfolio.

Mutual funds are professionally managed investments that pool your money with other investors. If you’re a small investor, this enables you to own a much wider mix of investments than you would likely be able to afford on your own.

Mutual funds help diversify risk and frequently generate higher returns than most deposit accounts or other savings vehicles.

There are many benefits to investing in mutual funds:

• Professional Investment Management. By pooling the money of thousands of investors, mutual funds provide full-time, high-level professional management that few individual investors can afford to obtain independently.
• Mutual funds invest in a broad range of securities. This limits investment risk by reducing the effect of a possible decline in the value of any one security.
• Low Cost. A mutual fund lets you participate in a diversified portfolio for as little as $1,000, and sometimes less.
• You can redeem your shares anytime you need to.
• You own just one security rather than many, yet enjoy the benefits of a diversified portfolio and a wide range of services.

Mutual fund securities are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer.

An Exchange Traded Fund (ETFs) is a marketable security that tracks a stock index, a commodity, bonds, or a basket of assets. Although similar in many ways, ETFs differ from mutual funds because shares trade like common stock on an exchange.

An ETF combines the diversification of a mutual fund with the flexibility of a stock, all with much lower fees than mutual funds.

One of the central advantages to ETFs is low fees. ETFs charge fractions of a percentage point (0.05 to 0.25% on average), while most mutual funds charge more than 2% a year.

Buying and selling ETFs is also very easy and affordable to do. There is no minimum to invest and because ETFs trade on the stock market, buying a unit is as simple as buying a share in a company.

For many investors ETFs can to be the best of both stocks and mutual funds.

A Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit (GMWB) is a type of rider or contract attached to some annuity insurance policies. It guarantees the policyholder a steady stream of retirement income regardless of market volatility.

A Discretionary Managed Account is an investment account in which you authorize us (Avanti Consultants) to buy and sell securities on your behalf. You set up the parameters you want us to follow and we execute the trades that will help you maximize your investments.

Stocks are shares you own.

Stocks are equity purchases that give you an ownership stake in a corporation or group of companies. Their value grows or decreases according to the organization’s financial performance.

You can receive money either through dividends (a cash percentage of profits paid at intervals determined by the company’s Board of Directors) or by selling your shares to realize a capital gain.

Bonds are loans you’ve made.

Bonds are different; there’s no ownership involved. They’re actually loans to a corporation or government needing to raise funds without having to surrender ownership. Like a term deposit, bonds come with a fixed rate of return over a specified period, yet can still be subject to the risk of not being repaid.

Unlike stocks, bonds have a defined term, when the bond or loan is redeemed. Stocks can be held indefinitely.

Government-backed bonds are usually deemed “safe” investments, as are corporate bonds from large financial firms, industrial corporations, public utilities and transportation companies. Sometimes bond markets rise when stock markets fall, but generally they are less affected by market volatility.

Annuities provide a dependable stream of income for your retirement. When you purchase an annuity, you’re guaranteed a specific dollar payout each month. The amount will depend on a number of factors, including the amount you invest, your age, gender, current interest rates, and the number of years for which you want to guarantee your income payments.

This income stream is virtually risk-free. These kinds of investments are attractive if you want:

• A relatively simple and convenient investment that doesn’t require ongoing decisions.
• Peace of mind that you won’t outlive the income.
• A diversified investment portfolio.

Segregated Funds are individual annuities that form part of professionally managed pool of funds much like mutual funds. (‘Segregated’ refers to the fact the investment is separated from the general assets of the insurance company.)

Because they are insurance contracts and are covered by the Insurance Act, they offer a number of distinct advantages:

• Guarantee: Depending on the segregated fund, your capital investment will be protected within a range of 75% to 100% at maturity (typically 10 or 15 years in the future).
• Creditor protection: If you run into financial problems and have to declare bankruptcy, segregated funds can offer a degree of protection for your investments.
• Estate planning: When you die, the assets in your segregated fund pass directly to the beneficiary, bypassing all or some estate taxes and probate fees.