More investing opportunities in alternative energy

More investing opportunities in alternative energy

A look at wind and solar energies and electric vehicles

My last column looked at potential investments in nuclear and geothermal, two viable alternative energy sources. Let’s now look at possibilities in what’s considered the alternative energy holy trinity of wind, solar and electric vehicles. These three areas have taken most alternative energy investments over the past decade. Estimates of what has already been spent […] Read more


A key reason I do my writing is to help improve financial literacy, which isn’t strong amongst Canadians. Farmers as business owners would have greater literacy than most, but there is always room for improvement. If Canadian financial literacy was stronger, I think we would elect politicians with stronger financial literacy for everyone’s benefit.

Why would a farmer be interested in stocks?

The goal is to make money and grow your asset base

Over the past five years, I hope to have convinced some to gather a nest egg in stocks, whether in a TFSA, RRSP or a taxable account. I am curious if you have started because of what I have written and how many are following the Titanium-Strength Portfolio (TSP). Please send a short email to […] Read more

How do market participants decide what to buy? 

How do market participants decide what to buy? 

Steps in the selection process

There is no shortage of jargon and theories on how to select the best stocks. This column will attempt to describe the main processes people use, and what my 40 years of experience has taught me about them. Hearsay or hot tips During the speculative buildup to The Great Depression, shoeshine boys provided hot tips […] Read more


Recessions usually don’t occur until a few years after the interest rate tightening cycle begins.

Stock market and economic outlook

Why aren’t we listening to Warren Buffett?

Warren Buffett is one of the best investors the world has ever seen. One of his most famous quotes is, “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful,” which aligns with the direction of my thoughts for the coming year. By the time you read this, some of the predictions may […] Read more

‘A pinball wizard’s got such a supple wrist’

‘A pinball wizard’s got such a supple wrist’

For many market participants, 2022 was a volatile and negative year

Strategically located a block from my high school, lurked a pool hall readily luring innocent students from their studies. While it was busiest during lunch hour and après school, business remained brisk during school hours. Must have been students on their spares! At its entrance stood a bank of pinball machines, always busy and always […] Read more


Commodities are notoriously volatile, which makes them tricky investments.

Why invest in energy?

Will “reversion to the mean” occur this time?

My last article had me questioning my sanity for investing in energy companies. The last decade has been brutal, and the political environment is brutal. Before delving into the questions, I would like to comment on a common narrative — that the invasion of Ukraine caused a European energy crisis. The narrative is highlighted by […] Read more

When circumstances change, make new plans

When circumstances change, make new plans

How to protect your farm and your loved ones as lifespans decrease and asset values rise

A couple we’ll call Luke and Mary, who are both in their late fifties, live in southwestern Manitoba. They have recently moved in together. Love may be forever, but tax and inheritance law make it essential they review their finances. Farm Financial Planner asked Colin Sabourin, a certified financial planner with Harbourfront Wealth Management in […] Read more


Outside of speculative fervor, numbers count

Outside of speculative fervor, numbers count

How tech giants Amazon and Shopify stack up against Linamar

This is the third installment of my series on comparative company analysis. For this column, I’m looking at two “hot” tech companies, Amazon (AMZN) and Shopify (SHOP) and contrasting them with an old school Canadian industrial company Linamar (LNR), which has an agricultural connection through the ownership of MacDon. My analysis was done in late […] Read more

There are very few economic circumstances the market hasn’t seen, and as the saying goes, the four most dangerous words in market lexicon are, “this time is different.”

Four market success factors

And how they affect our personal investment success

There are four key factors affecting our personal investment success — understanding market behaviour, security selection, portfolio construction and managing yourself. I will discuss two in this column and two in the next. Most discussion is around security selection, but the other factors are equally important. Understanding market behaviour The market often exhibits perplexing and […] Read more