Wealthsimple is one of Canada’s fastest growing and most trusted money management platforms. The company offers a full suite of simple, sophisticated financial products across managed investing, do-it-yourself trading, cryptocurrency, tax filing, spending and saving. Wealthsimple currently serves 3 million Canadians and holds over $70-billion assets. The company was founded in 2014 by a team of financial experts and technology entrepreneurs, and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. To learn more, visit www.wealthsimple.com.

Wealthsimple Advisors

Wealthsimple is one of Canada’s fastest growing and most trusted money management platforms. The company offers a full suite of simple...

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Wealthsimple Advisor Insights | Wealthsimple

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Plus: Japan • copper • future expectations

Why you shouldn’t compare your returns to the S&P 500 | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

Brigette McCabe

Why you shouldn’t compare your returns to the S&P 500

— Originally published as Investor Insights newsletter July 2025

Plus: How big should your emergency fund be?

Why cash might be your riskiest investment | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

Why cash might be your riskiest investment

Cash is handy to have around. You can use it to pay for boring, essential stuff — like your mortgage and groceries — and for super-fun things, like a shiny new jetski. It’s also smart to keep some cash in a savings account to ensure you’re able to cover unexpected expenses, like car repairs. That way, you don’t have to take on wealth-annihilating credit-card debt to get by.

Past returns aren’t a plan. SPIVA Canada shows fewer than 1 in 10 funds beat their index over 10 years. Focus on fit, fees, and discipline.

hould You Buy an Outperforming Mutual Fund? Think Again | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

Hint: Past outperformance isn’t a strategy—focus on fit, fees, and staying the course.

Should I buy a mutual fund that’s outperformed?

Let’s say you own an actively managed mutual fund that has outperformed its benchmark. Well, that’s good! But does the fund’s recent performance mean you should keep holding it? Despite what a lot of people, including some advisors, think, perhaps not. It might seem bonkers to let go of a winning fund — until you look at the data. Let’s dive in.

What the world doesn't get about alternative investments. Plus: a flow chart!

Are alternatives right for you? | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

What the world doesn't get about alternative investments

Plus: a flow chart!

There have been a lot of headlines recently about financial companies giving individual customers access to alternative investments like private equity (taking stakes in private companies) and private credit (loans to companies made outside of the banking system). Some of the coverage is positive, and some takes a more skeptical approach. As a place that’s offered alternatives since 2021, we continue to believe it is in investors’ best interests to make private-market investing more public. (If you’re wondering if alts are right for you, we put together a flow chart at the bottom of this newsletter to help you figure that out!)

Learn how to responsibly use margin to accelerate your investment goals. Discover the benefits, risks, and strategies for leveraging your portfolio with Wealthsimple's margin accounts.

How to Borrow to Invest Using Margin | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

Investing on margin —  borrowing against your existing investments in order to invest further — can seem risky and complicated. Like many financial tools, it’s not for everyone. But when used carefully, a margin account can help you grow your wealth by maximizing the amount of money you have invested.

How to Borrow to Invest: Using Margin to Accelerate Your Financial Goals

The key is understanding when it makes sense, and when it doesn’t. We’re going to walk through a scenario where using margin could work for you — and a few things to watch out for.

Once you’ve chosen the right benchmark and compared its performance to your portfolio’s, the natural next question is: So what? How good or bad is this, and what should I be doing about it?

What Should I Do If My Portfolio Is Outperforming or Underperforming? | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

What Should I Do If My Portfolio Is Outperforming or Underperforming?

Establishing a benchmark helps answer the “what” of investing — what outcome your portfolio generated relative to a relevant measuring stick. But the real insight comes from understanding the “why” behind that result, which will also help you decide what to do next (if anything).

The risk of living in interesting times. See how our portfolios performed in Q2 of 2025.

Q2 managed investing portfolio performance | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

A look at Q2 performance for our Managed Investing portfolios

We sure do live in interesting times

The expression “may you live in interesting times” sounds a lot nicer than it is, since “interesting” can mean a lot of things. Last quarter, for instance, sure was interesting.

Plus: emergency funds • Hong Kong • Jim Cramer?

Don't let the markets control your strategy | Advisor Insights | Wealthsimple

Don’t let the markets control your strategy

Life happens, which is why even a well-diversified portfolio needs an occasional oil change.

The six-month portfolio tune-up | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

Life happens, which is why even a well-diversified portfolio needs an occasional oil change

The six-month portfolio tune-up

We talk a lot about the importance of setting up your portfolio to match your long-term investment plan, making regular investments, and then getting out of the way. But being hands off on your portfolio isn't the same as being disconnected.

You want to make every dollar count in retirement, so we unpack 5 common drawdown mistakes people make, and how to avoid them.

5 retirement mistakes and how to avoid them | Wealthsimple Advisor Insights

Five Costly Retirement Spending Mistakes

and How to Avoid Them

If you’re retired or about to be, you’ve gotten through the hardest part: saving. We know you want to make sure every dollar you’ve earned will cover decades of travel, family, hobbies, and even the occasional financial curveball. In this advisor-led session, we’ll unpack the five most common drawdown mistakes we see with new retirees and show you how to turn them from pitfalls into opportunities. In this webinar, you’ll learn about:

Why you shouldn’t compare your returns to the S&P 500