In Case You Missed It...

Every year, as summer winds to a close, we dedicate an Investor News issue to the highlights of the year. In this issue, we feature notable developments of interest to investors as well as the most popular investor articles, tools and calculators of the past 12 months.

Amid the ups and downs, our Net Worth and Personal Cash Flow calculators were popular with investors checking their financial health. Many were also interested in understanding their options for converting their savings into income, planning for retirement, and learning how income tax works.

Answering Your Questions

We relaunched InvestingQuestions.ca in Fall 2020, at a time when many Canadians faced uncertainty and had questions about their personal finances and investments. The new and improved website makes it easier to submit a question to our experts or browse the hundreds of questions we've already answered.

First-Time Investors

Many younger Canadians began investing during the pandemic. From the trading frenzy sparked by the "meme stock" phenomenon to the rise of crypto assets, there were several events that interested first-time investors.

As a first-time investor, you may have many questions and unknowingly make these mistakes. Be mindful of how the fear of missing out, or FOMO, can impact your decisions.   

Protecting Your Money

Investment scams can come in many forms, but they are all linked by common elements. Most scams will try to trick you to buy a questionable investment – or one that doesn’t exist at all.

Interviews

We talked to several key figures in Canada’s financial services industry this year to discuss their work and how it impacts investors.

Laura Tamblyn Watts President & CEO, CanAge
Sarah Bradley Ombudsman & CEO, OBSI
Walied Soliman Chair of Ontario’s Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce
Wendy Berman Vice-Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission

Regulatory Updates & Initiatives

Here are some notable developments and publications from the past year:

• The OSC announced plans to implement a ban on deferred sales charge option, harmonizing the rule across Canada.
• The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), which includes the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), published final amendments to enhance protection of older and vulnerable clients.
• The CSA announced its plan to create a new, single self-regulatory organization that will provide enhanced regulation of the investment industry.
• The OSC published its 2021-2022 Statement of Priorities.
• The CSA published the CSA 2020/2021 Enforcement Report.
• The OSC published a Charter that sets out the vision, role and strategic objectives of its Office of Economic Growth & Innovation.
• The OSC Whistleblower Program marked its five-year milestone.
• The OSC published final local amendments regarding syndicated mortgages.
• The OSC’s independent Investor Advisory Panel (IAP) published its Annual Report and forward-looking Horizon Report.
• The OSC published a report on exempt market activity.
• The CSA outlined a regulatory framework for compliance for crypto asset trading platforms.
• The OSC announced action against non-compliant international crypto asset trading platforms: Polo Digital Assets, Ltd. (Poloniex), Mek Global Limited & PhoenixFin Pte. Ltd. (collectively, KuCoin), Bybit Fintech Limited (Bybit), and Aux Cayes Fintech Co. Ltd. (Aux Cayes).
• The CSA published its sixth review regarding women on boards and in executive officer positions
• The Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce delivered its final report, and the 2021 Ontario Budget outlined how certain recommendations will move forward.

Warnings & Alerts

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