Tower Talk: Navigating Markets

Hosted by Tarek Williams

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Latest episode

May 2026

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About the show

Show hosts Tarek Williams and Mark Maxwell use their knowledge and years of experience in portfolio management to discuss and dissect various trends and topics in the world of finance and economics. Episodes will be released monthly, subscribe to make sure you don't miss out!

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25 recent

May 29, 202614 min

Tower vs. The Banks — Who's Actually Winning?

Are the big banks really the safest place for your money? In this episode of Tower Talk, Mark and Tarek are joined by special guest Isaac Unger — a business development consultant working with Tower in the agriculture and colony space — to tackle one of the most common questions they hear from farmers and colony members: Why Tower over the banks?They dig into the numbers and don't hold back:📊 Tower vs. Big Bank balanced funds — a side-by-side performance comparison across multiple time periods that might just change how you think about where your money lives📉 How Tower held up in the last major down year — because how you perform when markets get ugly matters just as much as the good times🐕 Drop the Dogs — Tower's new monthly Momentum strategy and why it's already turning heads🌍 How Tower's three-strategy framework manages risk — Momentum, Dividends, and Fundamental Indexing working together as one cohesive portfolio📞 Curious about working with Tower? Reach out to Tarek or Mark anytime.info@towerasset.ca#investingcanada #canadianinvestors #BeatTheBank #FarmInvesting #momentuminvesting #dividendinvesting #wealthmanagement #financialadvisor #portfoliomanagement

April 13, 202619 min

Finding Opportunities in the Chaos | Q1 2026 Market Update

Markets were anything but quiet in Q1. This month we sit down to give you an honest look at what happened this quarter, what hurt, what crushed it, and where things are headed.Here's what we get into:Q1 2026 performance recap across our three strategies: Enhanced Index Aggressive Growth (Value), Canadian High Dividend, and Canadian MomentumWhy a rough month is the worst time to ditch a strategy — And when you actually should make a changeIntroducing "Dump the Dogs" — Our new momentum enhancement that's already showing a 9% spread over our standard momentum strategy year-to-dateHow a robust portfolio is built — Think of it like a ship: value as the ballast, dividends on the deck, and momentum as the sailsCanadian High Dividend strategy — Up 14% year-to-date and 38% over the last 12 months 🚀At Tower you have full transparency with 24/7 account access, and we only invest in liquid assets, which means getting your money when you need it (no penalties, no drama)We always tell you when the numbers are good — and we tell you when they're not. This is both.📞 Got questions? Reach out to Tarek or the team anytime.403-952-9696tarek.williams@towerasset.ca#InvestingCanada #CanadianInvestor #PortfolioManagement #MomentumInvesting #DividendInvesting #TSX #MarketUpdate #WealthManagement #FinancialAdvisor #Q12026 #InvestmentStrategy #CanadianStocks #PersonalFinanceCanada #ValueInvesting #FinanceCanada

October 27, 20256 min

Q3 2025 in Review: The Importance of Diversification and a Healthy Money Philosophy

This month we start our episode with a recap how markets have performed year-to date. If you've been watching your investments, you know that markets have been strong this year, but will this continue? Markets can't go up forever right? Watch the episode to see how we answer these questions.Next we discuss the Tower Philosophy of Money. Wealth is a tool to be used to achieve a purpose, accumulation of wealth is not the purpose itself. We hope we can help you align your financial decisions with meaningful purpose.#financialplanning #investing #economy #wealthmindset #money #philosophyofmoneyIf you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.info@towerasset.ca[00:00:01] Market Recap and Global Index Performance [00:00:59] Concerns About Market Bubbles and Diversification [00:02:03] October Market Volatility and Pullback Expectations [00:02:40] Philosophy of Money: Value Beyond Wealth [00:03:52] Money as a Tool, Not a Goal

September 17, 20258 min

Financial Planning 101: Income Splitting

This is the first in a number of videos exploring investing and retirement planning strategies.We're starting with Income Splitting. It's a simple but extremely effective way to reduce taxes currently and in retirement. Why does income splitting work? Who does this apply to? Should I being doing this now or in retirement?Watch the video to find out!#financialadvice #financialplanning #retirementplanning #retirement #investingIf you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.info@towerasset.caIncome Splitting Basics and Progressive Tax System [00:00:46]: Explanation of income splitting, progressive tax rates, and the goal of keeping both spouses in lower tax brackets.Asset Splitting and Equalizing RRSPs [00:02:19]:Discussion on splitting assets in retirement and aiming for equal-sized RRSPs for both spouses.Spousal RRSPs as a Strategy [00:02:30]:How higher-earning spouses can contribute to spousal RRSPs to optimize retirement income and tax benefits.Limitations and CRA Rules on Income Splitting [00:04:40]:Clarification on what types of income can be split, age restrictions, and the importance of personalized planning.Charitable Donations and Donating Stock [00:05:21]:Tax-saving benefits of donating stock instead of cash to charities, including a client example.Upcoming Videos and Donor-Advised Fund Announcement [00:06:24]

July 21, 20259 min

Mid-Year Financial Market Update and the Importance of Independent Advice

We're just 3 months past the "Liberation Day" Tariffs and despite initial concerns, the S&P 500 is up 6% and the TSX has gained 10% YTD.To move beyond the headlines we look at specific economic indicators: US Manufacturing (one of our go-to indicators) is up. But while that is green, other indicators are flashing red, indicating a cautious yet optimistic market sentiment. It's a nuanced scenario we're navigating.We also discuss interesting insights from a recent article on Canada’s financial industry (link below): bank-employed investment reps face significant pressure to sell products often not in the best interest of clients. At Tower, we're independent, our duty is first and foremost our clients. Your success is our success, and we strive to build trust through direct, transparent relationships. #marketupdate #economicindicators #investmentmanagement #investmentinsights #clientfirst #financialtransparency If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.info@towerasset.caBank reps under pressure to sell: https://www.investmentexecutive.com/news/from-the-regulators/bank-reps-under-pressure-to-sell-osc-and-ciro/Market Recap and Economic Indicators [00:00:00] Overview of 2025 market performance, key indices, and economic indicators like manufacturing orders, jobless claims, and inflation.Sector Rotation in Markets [00:02:21]Shift from tech giants to industrials and how this affects overall market performance.Bank Sales Pressure Article [00:02:47]Summary of an article on sales pressure at banks and how it impacts client interests.Tower’s Independence and Business Model [00:03:46]Emphasis on Tower’s independence from banks and client-focused investment management.Co-Investment Philosophy [00:05:32]Tower partners invest alongside clients, using the same strategies and paying the same fees.Personalized Client Relationships [00:06:26]Tower’s direct, personal approach versus distant portfolio managers at banks or brokers.

April 11, 20257 min

Trade Wars and Tariffs: What They Mean for Your Portfolio

In this episode, we discuss the current financial market turmoil caused by Trump Administration.Since the end of March, markets around the world have been in free fall, and the S&P 500 is in a correction by many measures. The reason for the sudden crash is the introduction of substantial tariffs on essentially all imports into the US. Why is the US changing the way the world trades? Is there a good faith argument for this given the turmoil it's caused? As with any complex issue, the answer is unclear, but we cover the rationale behind tariffs and their potential benefits for U.S. trade relations and Canada's internal trade improvements. We also discuss what we are doing to manage client portfolios during these challenging times. No one likes to see their portfolio balances go down, it's difficult, but the most important thing is not to panic. Markets cannot go up forever and corrections are inevitable. A dip in the market provides an opportunity for strategic rebalancing, structuring your portfolio for solid growth in the eventual recovery.If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you.info@towerasset.ca[00:00:00] Market Turmoil Overview Discussion on the current turmoil in the market due to trade wars and tariffs.[00:01:31] Impact on Client AccountsOverview of how accounts are being managed during market fluctuations.[00:02:10]Understanding Tariff ImplicationsAnalysis of trade imbalances and the potential long-term effects of tariffs.[ 00:03:23] Opportunities for Canada Discussion on how tariffs could benefit Canada's interprovincial trade.[00:04:05] Human Ingenuity in Markets Emphasis on human creativity in overcoming market challenges.[00:05:05] Strategic Rebalancing and Deploying CapitalExplanation of the strategy to rebalance client accounts amidst market changes.[00:06:14] Investment Strategies Overview Description of three investment strategies: Momentum, Value (Enhanced Index), and Dividend.

January 28, 202510 min

2024 in Review: Investment Strategies, Market Trends, and What’s Next for 2025

In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of our various investment strategies, providing a detailed analysis of their performance and offering valuable insights for investors. The Canadian Momentum strategy did well in 2024 (~18%) but it did slightly underperform compared to the TSX Total Return index. However, the strategy is still outperforming in the longer 3 and 5 year horizons. Our Enhanced Index strategies also did well and handily outperformed comparable target risk portfolios developed by Morningstar. This was true for both the Aggressive Growth (80/20) and Growth (65/35) iterations of the strategy. And finally, while it's track record is short at only 4 months, the Canadian High Dividend Strategy is also outperforming its benchmark in year-to-date returns and dividend yield. We are happy to announce that we will likely be launching a US Momentum Strategy later this year, as our test account outperformed the S&P 500 in 2024. By analyzing two years of daily returns and incorporating a volume adjustment, we've refined our approach to maximize performance. #momentuminvesting #investing #dividendinvesting #investmentstrategy #dividendyield If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you. info@towerasset.ca (00:00:35) Canadian Momentum Strategy Overview Tarek discusses the performance of the Canadian momentum strategy compared to the TSX. (00:02:20) Enhanced Index Strategies Returns Tarek reviews returns of enhanced index strategies and their comparison to Morningstar benchmarks. (00:03:40) New Canadian High Dividend Strategy Tarek discusses the new Canadian High Dividend strategy and its initial performance. (00:04:06) Market Trends in December Tarek explains the market dynamics in December and the impact of the U.S. jobs report. (00:05:24) Testing New U.S. Momentum Strategy Tarek shares insights on testing a new momentum strategy in the U.S. market. (00:06:35) Strategy Development Process Tarek describes the use of data analysis and coding to refine the new momentum strategy. (00:08:36) Future Plans for Strategy Rollout Tarek outlines plans to implement the new strategy adjustments in client accounts.

November 19, 20249 min

Trump or Dump?? How the US Election Will Affect your Investments

The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has significant implications for financial markets, particularly from a Canadian investor's perspective. Markets reacted positively to Donald Trump's election with the S&P 500 and the TSX showing solid gains in the days following the election. At the same time, valuations are at all-time highs with stock prices gaining more than earnings (potential bubble?). We delve into the nuances of market performance, economic indicators, and investment strategies in the wake of Trump's presidency. Donald Trump is inheriting a strong economy, will his policies continue this momentum? Tune in to find out. #uselection #trump #stockmarket #dividendinvesting #trading # investing If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you. info@towerasset.ca (00:22) Trump's Election Impact Discussion on Trump's election effects, highlighting significant market enthusiasm, with S&P 500 and TSX increases. (00:55) U.S. Economic Overview Analysis of strong U.S. economic indicators, including low unemployment and high GDP growth, with valuation concerns. (01:43) Market Valuations Concerns Concerns about stock prices rising faster than earnings, speculating on potential recession or market bubble. (03:16) Defensive Strategies in Investing Introduction of defensive strategies to mitigate risks associated with potential market downturns and bubbles. (04:27) Fundamental Indexing Strategy Explanation of the fundamental indexing strategy focusing on companies with strong fundamentals rather than market capitalization. (05:31) New Dividend Strategy Introduction Introduction of a new dividend strategy, highlighting its strong yield and performance since inception. (08:12) Market Concerns and Headwinds Addressing potential market headwinds from tariffs and uncertain trade negotiations affecting Canadian investors.

September 23, 20248 min

Capital Markets vs. Real Estate: The Investment Dilemma Unpacked

In this episode, Tarek and Mark explore the comparative merits of investing in real estate versus capital markets, particularly the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). With Canadian real estate prices soaring over the past few decades, many investors are drawn to the tangible nature of property investments. However, Tarek presents compelling data that challenges the notion that real estate is the superior investment choice. #realestateinvesting #stockmarket #tsx #diversification #housingmarket If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you. info@towerasset.ca [00:01:10] Data Comparison: Real Estate vs. Capital Markets. Presentation of data comparing real estate returns to TSX returns over a specified timeframe. [00:03:57] Reasons to Invest in Real Estate [00:03:52] Strengths of Real Estate Investing [00:04:57] Challenges of Real Estate Investing [00:06:29] Idiosyncratic Risk in Real Estate The risk of having a large portion of wealth tied to a single property is examined.

September 23, 20247 min

High Conviction, High Yield: The Dividend Strategy You Can't Afford to Ignore

Did you know that our Canadian Momentum strategy has outperformed the TSX year-to-date through August? 🏦📈 The TSX index has returned a healthy 11.4%, so listen to the episode to see how much we outperformed. New Dividend Strategy: We’ve developed a fresh dividend strategy focusing on high-yield, stable companies. Our goal? To ensure these dividends are sustainable and likely to grow over time. Our selected stocks boast a dividend yield more than double the TSX index’s 2.92%. This positions our strategy favorably against major high-dividend ETFs from firms like BlackRock and Vanguard. #investing #StockMarket #financialplanning #dividendstocks #dividendyield If you have questions, topic ideas or want to discuss your own investments please reach out, we'd love to hear from you. info@towerasset.ca [00:00:00] Year-to-Date Returns Discussion of year-to-date returns through August, highlighting impressive performance numbers. [00:01:49] Enhanced Index Performance Performance of an enhanced index strategy with an 80/20 equity to fixed income mix. [00:02:58] Dividend Strategy Criteria [00:05:38] Comparison with TSX Dividend Yield