Perce Dcacinen Rs ere Mutual funds: Hot choice for this year’s RRSP season GET ready for the mutual fund avalanche. With record low interest rates making GICs unappeal- ing and the stock market's stellar performance last year, you'll be seeing more mutual funds ads than ever before on the radio, in the newspapers and on TV this RRSP season. When the dusr settles, it’s expected that Canadians will have bought up more than $80 billion worth of these popular investments. But cfore being swept away, you should step back and consid- er a few basic guidelines for buying mutual funds. @ Obcy the golden rule: practice moderation in every- thing. Mutual funds — essentially pools of moncy administered on behalf of inves:ors by professional managers — should only form a part of your RRSP holdings. You should also consider bonds, Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) and a cash account to take advantage of emerging opportunities. A good financial adviser can help you decide on the Proper mix of investments for you, taking into account your age, years of future earning power and your threshold for risk. @ Consider 3 range of mutu- al funds within your RRSP portfolio, These days there seems to be a mutuel fund to meet every investor’s fancy. There are conservative funds thar put money only in “blue chip” stocks such as IBM or General Motors or gilt- edged government bonds. At the other end of the Spectrum ase precious metal or high-technology funds that make — and lose — money so fast it would make WESTCAN S&S AUTO REPAIR , 1160 West 3rd. St., N. Vancouver 987-9366 2. 'L Fax: 986-0877 (se keep basics in mind your head spin. Ethical funds have differ- ent investment criteria: for example, investing only in companies that have good environmental records or praiseworthy labor practices. ® Consider a mix of both foreign and domestic invest: ments in your RRSP portfo- lio. It’s the age-old principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket. For instance, in some years, markets in Southeast Asia, Japan and Australia outperformed the sometimes sluggish Canadian market. Canadian law allows you to invest up to 20 per cent of your RRSP in foreign stocks. B® Invest carly and often. It's a lor easier on the wallet if you invest in your RRSP all year long. It aiso makes good finan- cial sense to take advantage of the golden rule of invest- ment — something called dollar-cost averaging. This is an excellent way to maximize the return on your investment and use the ups and downs of the stock mar- ket to your advantage. It works like this: You buy $600 worth of XY stock en Feb. 28, paying $50 a share for a rotal of 12 shares. But if you make regular purchases of S50 every month of the year, the chances are there will be times when the stock is sell- ing for less than $50 a share. It, say it was $25 a share for six months, you could end up the proud owner of 18 shares instead of 12. Sometimes you might pay more than $50 a snare, but most analysts agree: in the Jong run you will end up fur- ther ahead by taking advan- tage of dollar-cost averaging. @ Invest in yourself first. Learn about the stock market and what makes it work. Many Canadians do that by enrolling in the Canadian Securities Course, Ifyou don’: have the time or energy for a course, find an investment adviser willing Bank of Montreal MANAGED FUTURES CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT SeRiES R-2 Peforms Independently of Stocks/Bonds 106% Principal Protection if Held to Maturity RRSP Eligible; Not “Foreign Content” For a copy of the Information Statement relating to this offering, call: J.P. Harrison Investment Advisor 631-2627 An investment decision should not be made without a careful review of the information Statement. @B) NESBITT BURNS Member of the Bank of Montres! Group ef Compenies Member CIPE to take the time to answer your questions. @ Know how vour invest- ment adviser carns a living: Ask your investment adviser how she or he carns a pay cheque. Some salespeople receive bonuses if they sell particular funds. Obviously the best sirua- tion is where the salesperson provides unbiased advice and puts vour needs first. Sheila Kilpatrick of the North Shore Credit Union is a financial services expert who can broker investment prea- nets such as mutual funds through affiliated Credential Securities, For further infor- mation, call 903-2323. Where do you turn With a complaint against the press? Tous... The British Columbia Press Council is an independent review board which considers unresolved complaints about newspapers. To lodge a complaint, all it takes is the cost of a letter. BC. Press Council Box 5514 Victoria, B.C. VBR 654 Tel: (604) 595-2571 Fax: (604) 595-2573 * Rollover Contest «Motocross Racing *xROBOSAURUS Check out our web site at: wwieusakidsclub.com Tickets at TicketMaster outlets including Winning Spirit and A&B Sound tions, Info Centres in major malls and participating - loca! a Eaton's stores/charge by phone 280-4444. N2EX Adults: $16 and $18 © Kids 12 and under: $13 EAL All ticket prices subject ot service charges. MOTZO 1 YEAR 50.5% 20.5% 23.1% BPI Canadian Small Companies Fund (Average annual compound return to Dec. 31/96) For your free copy of the Investor's Guide to the “Top RRSP Picks” please call: CHRIS CARVER Financial Advisor 925-5565 ™BLUE CHIP THINKING is a trademark of Midland Walwyn Capital Inc, Member CIPE binportant information regarding BPI Canadian Smalt Companies Fund is contained in the simplified Prospectus. Mease obtain one from your Financial Adviser and iead it carefully before investing, The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded tora! recurns inctuding: changes in share or unit value and reinvestment af all dividends or distributions. The returns do not take into account sales, redemption distribution or option charges payable by any security holder which will reduce returns. Unit value and yields will fluctuate. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. MIDLAND WALWYN GLUE CHIP JHINE ING 3 YEAR 5 YEAR | The North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and sponsors The Business Development Bank of Canada & The North Shore News invite you and a guest to ailend the North Vancouver Chamber of Co. «merce Business after Business Trade Show on Thursday, February 13, 1997 ¢ ai Sauamish Nation Recreation Centre 100 Capilano Road, North Vancouver (1 bleck south of Staples) 3:00 pm — 3:00 pm Meet local suppliers, Make new contacts, Free draws, Silert Auction, Complimentary hors d’oeuvres, Live music, No hast bar Spunsors | aan ra . . r*