Now that 2022 has come to a close, most of the world is still facing stubbornly high inflation, soaring interest rates, and geopolitical tensions brought on by the war in Ukraine.
Throughout the year, our readers wanted expert advice for navigating new financial territory – from determining your asset allocation strategy to how stock buybacks work (who really benefits?) and how to diversify your portfolio.
Here are our most popular stories of 2022.
1. Do Stock Buybacks Create Value? Who Benefits When Companies Buy Back Their Own Shares?
Stock Buybacks are a global phenomenon. While it’s true that buybacks fell by 29% last year during the pandemic, they bounced back to pre-pandemic levels in 2022. READ THE ARTICLE
2. How Investment Income Is Taxed in Canada
Was 2022 a good year for your investments? If you’re worried that the tax man will be taking a big piece of the pie, you’re not alone. Many of our readers wanted to know how investment income is taxed in Canada – and how much they owe on their earnings. READ THE ARTICLE
3. Who Benefits From Negative Interest Rates?
While it’s hard to believe now, 2022 kicked off with incredibly low interest rates – sometimes, even dipping into negative territory. What does it mean when interest rates are below zero? READ THE ARTICLE
4. Why You Should Use a Logarithmic Scale (Log Scale) for Stock Price Charts
There’s an old saying that goes, “If you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything.” With so much disinformation out there, it’s easy to get misled by charts and graphs if they’re used incorrectly. Here’s how to decipher popular financial charts and scales. READ THE ARTICLE
5. 5 Stages of a Financial Bubble
With housing prices falling for the first time in years and trendy cryptocurrencies getting their comeuppance – in 2022, the word “bubble” kept popping up. How do you know if we’re in a bubble? Spot the warning signs. READ THE ARTICLE
6. How Wealthsimple, Robinhood and Other “Free” Online Brokers Make Money
Zero-commission stock trading apps continued to be popular in 2022, leaving many investors wondering how so-called free brokerage firms make money. We have the answer. (Hint: nothing in life is free.) READ THE ARTICLE
7. Determining Your Asset Allocation Strategy
How do you know if you are investing too much (or too little) in a single asset class? That’s where asset allocation comes into play. Here’s how you can change your asset allocation strategy to fit your needs. READ THE ARTICLE
8. 5 Easy Ways to Diversify Your Portfolio in 2022
When it comes to financial planning, it pays to think ahead. This year proved how important a diverse portfolio can be in the face of market uncertainty. Our clever readers were looking for ways to diversify their portfolios. READ THE ARTICLE
9. How to Become a Millionaire in Canada with your TFSA and RRSP
Becoming a millionaire seems like a faraway dream, which only happens to the very lucky. But here’s a not-so-well-kept secret: Becoming a millionaire in Canada has actually never been easier. Our readers wanted to know how to leverage Canada’s tax-free investment vehicles to end up with a millionaire retirement fund. READ THE ARTICLE
10. Understanding Mutual Fees and Hidden Costs
All investments have costs, but nobody likes to be surprised with an unexpected bill. Here are some common costs and fees associated with investing you should know about. READ THE ARTICLE