Fun Friday media bits and bites

Advisor-centric videos and stories from the week that was.

Leo de Bever is a bit of a legend in the Canadian investment industry. If you don't recognize the name, you should. Originally born in the Netherlands, he has a Ph.D. in economics. Over a 39-year career he has worked at the Bank of Canada, spent nearly a decade at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan where he pioneered the use of quantitative risk management. He is a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of Dutch pension fund ABP. In 2008 he was appointed the first CEO of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation's when that fund was spun out of the Alberta Treasury. He is a radically sensible and solid guy. Here's a great video of him at a CFA Institute event. If you've had enough doom and gloom of late, his appearance is bit of a tonic. According to de Bever,  "The future is better than you think"... "exponential growth in transformative technologies" are gathering pace. Driverless vehicles are on their way (it will be interesting to see what these do to the insurance industry). New agriculture technologies are also promising:

This is the link: http://new.livestream.com/livecfa/Bever

This is a good read. Comments about technology from people running th up and coming young companies in Canada: 

http://www.profitguide.com/manage-grow/technology/top-technology-tips-from-the-profit-500-66177

That venerable old indicator of shipping market activity, the Baltic Dry Index, has been trending down of late. This is not a good sign. The suggestion is that the global economy is slowing. Though, the report below suggests that, because China is evolving toward a more service-based economy, global commodity flows are down (but global GDP is not, necessarilly, shrinking): 

http://marketrealist.com/2014/07/baltic-dry-index-downfall-capsize-rates/

A story about dealing with the financial stressed of those looking after kids and older parenets, the so-called "Sandwich generation":

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12775132/1/3-self-protection-tips-for-sandwich-generation-members-feeling-squeezed.html

Black Rock breaks down precisely where it is Janet Yellen and the futures market diverge:

http://www.blackrockblog.com/2014/07/24/market-fed/?utm_medium=spredfast&utm_content=Blog&utm_source=BLK_Twitter&sf28907613=1

For anyone getting into alternative investments, here is a new publication charting developments in the exempt market (which may not be as exempt as it once was...assuming rumoured changes to regulations go ahead):

http://nemaonline.ca/

The Canadian version of Wealth Professional has a new twitter account. Follow us at https://twitter.com/WPEditor1

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