Bulletins

A growing number of Canadians are interested in investing in new categories, such as cryptocurrency, but these emerging technologies and platforms are unfamiliar to most investors, giving fraudsters the advantage when they are looking for people to target. According to the RCMP, fraud involving cryptocurrency rose 400 per cent between 2017 and 2020. What had been hundreds of cases (734) in 2017 jumped to thousands of cases (7,598) in the first eight months of 2020, causing losses of almost $11 million dollars to Canadians since the onset of the pandemic.

More Canadians are choosing to be self-directed or do-it-yourself (DIY) investors than ever before.

Participating firm fees are set annually by the OBSI Board of Directors in accordance with our corporate Bylaw. 

While final fees will not be determined until approved by our board in late September and will not be invoiced until November 1, the purpose of this bulletin is to assist firms in their annual planning by sharing the likely direction of OBSI fees for 2022.

Deferred sales charges (DSCs) are fees that mutual fund investors pay to the mutual fund company if they sell the mutual fund within a certain time after purchasing it.

Canadians have good reason to fear getting scammed.

Participating firm fees are set annually by the OBSI Board of Directors in accordance with our corporate Bylaw. As a not-for-profit organization, participating firm fees fund all our operations and are set on a cost-recovery basis.

It is something none of us wants to think about – what will happen if I or someone I care about becomes ill and needs assistance with our finances?

During times of economic uncertainty, people often feel stressed about their finances. They spend more time thinking and worrying about money. Many will face unexpected expenses or loss of employment and lose the sense of security they had with their banks or firms. This may lead to concerns about being treated fairly.

Recent financial market turmoil has created an exceptionally challenging environment for financial firms and their customers. Past market downturns have demonstrated that in such difficult times, consumer complaints increase, placing an additional strain on firm resources.