Facing and addressing farm financial issues

Facing and addressing farm financial issues

Bad harvest weather. Low prices. If things look grim, it’s time to get to work

When there are financial concerns on the farm, it’s important to address them sooner rather than later, and find a way forward. Financial issues can occur in any business. Reasons for financial distress on farms can be as varied as harvest issues, crop failures, decreased market prices, cash-flow challenges or excessive debt loads. It is […] Read more

Farming and investing in the stock market: there are many similarities

Farming and investing in the stock market: there are many similarities

Both have randomness and volatility; plus, good management doesn’t always lead to good outcomes

Stock investing and farming entail variability and random chance. Both also create opportunities for profit when randomness and volatility are understood. I introduced the “bell curve” in my last column, demonstrating how portfolios have good and bad outliers, while most stocks clustered around the mean. Does this concept apply to farming? Say you farm 11 fields of canola […] Read more


Investing and the omnipresent impact of the bell curve

Investing and the omnipresent impact of the bell curve

Outstanding performance of the titanium portfolio on its first anniversary

Last year I described my “Titanium Strength Model Portfolio,” based on buying and holding strong stocks. Now it’s time to take a look at my results. How did the portfolio perform? How did it compare to market indices? What other nuggets can we glean that might aid our understanding of portfolio management? What does a […] Read more

Farm Financial Planner: Farm succession through intergenerational money lending

Farm Financial Planner: Farm succession through intergenerational money lending

Lending cash to the kids: A “family bank” can transfer assets to the next generation

A couple we’ll call Bob and Tess, both 59, have farmed in central Manitoba for four decades. Their farm has 3,000 acres, mostly in grain. Bob’s health has declined, and he feels he cannot carry on much longer. Their son, Fred, is 24. He hasn’t been farming, but he would like to supplement his income […] Read more


A background of hundred dollars scattered on the table.

Long-term U.S. successes, and blemishes

Adding U.S. stocks to your portfolio brings diversification and a chance to profit

Previously, I shared examples from my Canadian portfolio that contributed to long-term investment success. The Canadian market is just three per cent of the world market and isn’t very well diversified, with financial and resource companies dominating. This makes international diversification a key success component. My longest standing stock account is an RRSP. Many years […] Read more

The Index of Wheat on The Screen.

What moves grain futures and cash markets?

Fundamentals and futures are the underlying structure. Then add on speculators


In the next few columns, I’ll review what makes futures and cash grain markets move. I’ll touch on fundamentals, futures markets, technical and speculation. Then I’ll throw in some tariff and trade issues and add a little political mayhem, in hopes of trying to make sense of how markets act and react. Market action starts […] Read more


Evaluating your investment performance

Are you getting your money’s worth when it comes to mutual fund fee structures?

There has been a lot of negativity directed towards the mutual fund and financial advisory industries around performance and fees, partly because of the emergence of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) with lower fees. Advisors, however, rely on mutual fund fees. My bias is towards taking control with direct stock ownership. This virtually eliminates fees and, […] Read more

Your farm financial scorecard

Your farm financial scorecard

Farm financial statements can offer you a lot more than just a way to keep score

If you had time to go golfing or perhaps mini-golfing last summer, you likely filled out a scorecard to track your success (or lack thereof). Keeping score allows you to track your progress and rank yourself against your competition. The golf clubs, green fees, and your time represent a significant investment and the scorecard measures […] Read more


Investment success factors

Investment success factors

Some personal and investment-focused factors that drive investing success

In September of last year I was interviewed by the Globe and Mail, Canada’s premier business newspaper. A question that really made me think was, “What accounts for your outperformance since the 1990s?” I would like to delve into this question, dividing the answer into personal and investment factors. Personal factors for success The personal […] Read more

Bitcoin market price (USD).

I’m not quite ready for blockchain deals

On-line banking is pretty digital — money comes in, money goes out, I never see it

The next time I am buying an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia or even just dabbling in selling a half million tonnes of wheat to China I am definitely doing it through a blockchain. I’m not trusting the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce with this level of business. Why blockchain, you ask? Well for us […] Read more