Articles & Whitepapers

In today’s competitive landscape, harnessing the power of generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is no longer just an option. It is a strategic necessity for companies aiming to maintain a leading competitive edge. According to the International Data Corporation, worldwide spending on Gen AI solutions by enterprises is expected to reach US$151.1 billion by the year 2027. Whether it’s automating processes, content creation, analysing data for actionable insights, enhancing customer interactions or detecting fraud, embracing Gen AI is essential in an increasingly digital world… read more

The business value of data has never been greater than it is today. Data is now an essential part of the core operating procedures and a central element in any business model. Data is being used all around us, improving how we work, live, learn and play. Making the most of it means that businesses can easily extract innovative business ideas and customer insights to make product and operations data-driven decisions … read more

In 2022, the global economy experienced many challenges. In October, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released its World Economic Outlook report titled, “Countering the Cost-Of-Living Crisis,” in which global growth is forecast to slow from 6% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2022 and 2.7% in 2023. This would be the weakest growth profile since 2001 except for the global financial crisis and the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. … read more

Financial Technology, Fintech, is one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving areas in global business today. Fintech is utilised to help companies, business owners, and consumers better manage their financial operations and processes, by using specialised software. It has disrupted the traditional financial services sector by automating. … read more

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of life and resulted in introspection on both a personal and an organisational level. Normal routines are out the window, replaced by things we never thought would be possible, especially not in our lifetime. … read more

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which caused major disruptions to the global economy, inflation, a key economic indicator, was given more focus. From the macro level to an individual one, inflation impacts just about everything. It measures the general increase in the price of a set of goods and services over a specified period, usually one year. read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many aspects of business, including the disruption of global supply chains resulting in shortages and delays in everything from semiconductors and cars to sneakers and exercise equipment. … read more

The world is evolving, and technology has caused a massive shift in everyday activities. People communicate with each other, work, shop for goods and services and even the method of payment, have all changed. … read more

The Covid-19 pandemic is yet to become a memory. We are in the second quarter of 2021 and the world is seeing waves of Covid-19 outbreaks along with variants developing in some countries. … read more

The year 2020 will go down in the record books as quite a remarkable year worldwide for both individuals and financial markets alike. … read more

2020 was a year for the record books! The S&P 500 hit all-time highs in February, followed by one of the shortest bear markets in March – and all this due to a pandemic that impacted every corner of the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to rethink what was normal. … read more

In many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictive measures adopted by governments worldwide to curb its impact resulted in a steep economic toll alongside the tragic human capital cost. … read more

2020 has been filled with uncertainty, and the COVID-19 pandemic is the most glaring. It has rocked the global economy. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) World Economic Outlook in April 2020 predicts the cumulative loss to the world’s GDP from 2020 to 2021 will be approximately US$9 trillion, more than the combined economies of Germany and Japan. … read more

Sustainable investing is an umbrella term that describes investment strategies that allow investors to choose assets based on their ability to generate returns while simultaneously improving the planet and social outcomes. This strategy is not new but has been gaining momentum amongst both individual and institutional investors as it is increasingly considered a viable option. The three main types of sustainable investing are as follows: … read more

The United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, have been locked in a trade war for over a year where they have been imposing tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of each other’s goods. This however has the potential to tip the global economy into a recession and lead to a sharp decline in world stocks. … read more

The world is evolving and with technology at the forefront, it has been termed the digital revolution. It started with one fundamental idea the internet – and has progressed with sweeping changes brought about by digital computing and communication technology. It is all about transforming and evolving the present for a better future, which has resulted in dramatic changes to the way businesses operate and deliver products to consumers in many sectors. … read more

On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom (UK) held a referendum to decide whether the UK should leave or remain in the European Union (EU) – the economic and political partnership amongst 28 European countries. The EU was established after the second World War to foster economic co-operation and has since evolved into a “single market” allowing goods and people to move around, basically as if the member states were one country. …. read more

The global economy started off 2018 with strong, synchronised growth. However, as the year progressed, and growth trends diverged, the momentum faded. Trade-policy uncertainty and geopolitical issues as well as the prospect of resurgent infl ation negatively impacted U.S. stocks in 2018. This is quite the opposite of 2017, when U.S. stocks went up almost in a straight line. As a result, many investors were left feeling anxious about their investment portfolios. …. read more

One of the most common questions that investors seek to answer is whether to utilise excess cash to reduce debt or, conversely, use it to invest in the future while continuing steady debt repayments. On one hand, paying off your debt means reduced stress, lower risks, and a greater ability to withstand unexpected emergencies. Alternatively, investing allows you to accumulate wealth and build a reserve that can protect you and your family;…. read more

Technical indicators are mathematical calculations that can be applied to a stock’s past pattern, e.g. price or volume. They are mainly used by active traders as the computed results can alert the trader to a trend, help to predict future prices or confirm the results suggested by another technical indicator. The Study of market trends is one of the most important concepts in technical analysis. Being abel to correctly identify market trends. …. read more

The process of determining which securities should be part of their investment portfolio is usually considered by many people to be an analytical one which is guided by strategic and methodical decisions. However, this is not always the case as emotions can play a significant role in this process and can sometimes be one of the strongest influences on your investment choices. At times, your emotions can even override important. …. read more

Have you ever wondered why different investments offer varying rates of return? There are numerous factors which are taken into consideration when determining interest rates. It is essential to understand what causes interest rates to differ as it can help you, as an investor, as well as businesses, banks and insurance companies, determine which investments to purchase and which ones to sell. …. read more

Diversification is one of those frequently used investment buzzwords that can be heard in several different contexts. However, no matter the situation, it essentially equals risk management through variety, that is, not putting all your eggs in one basket…. read more

Trinidad and Tobago’s economy suffered significantly due to the decline in oil prices since 2014, and coupled with shrinking output, energy revenues have drastically declined. Revenues from petroleum plummeted by over 90% over the last two years, from over TT$19 billion in 2014 to less than TT$2 billion in 2016. This has caused major challenges for the Government, which has had to respond by implementing fiscal adjustments in order to raise… read more

The United States is one of the world’s largest economies and has the top fi nancial markets worldwide, trading trillions of dollars daily. Thus, with the 2016 presidential election carded or ovember, the question is often asked “how will the upcoming election affect the fi nancial markets?” and ultimately, “howwill this affect my portfolio?”. Based on history, the average returns in a presidential election year is 6.6% and market returns … read more

A person’s risk tolerance is extremely important to proper financial planning as risk is at the core of any investment decision. Ultimately, one cannot make any money without taking some risk and we do know that xcessive or irrational risks can be disastrous. However, our UTC Financial Advisors have indicated that they have seen numerous clients in Trinidad and Tobago who have developed investment portfolios that are so risk … read more

An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is a pooled investment vehicle with shares that can be bought or sold throughout the day on a stock exchange at a market-determined price. ETFs were first introduced in the 1990s but they started being used significantly about a decade later. Since then, ETFs have matured and have become one of the most popular investment vehicles for both institutional and individual investors… read more

The oil industry is full of economic booms and busts. Over the period of 2010 to 2014, world oil prices remained relatively stable at $110 a barrel as shown in Chart 1. However, in 2015, oil prices plunged globally by almost 70 per cent in the wake of rising oil production and concerns about global economic growth. As at February 15, 2016 crude oil stood at $29.67 per barrel, a price that has not been seen since the Great Depression (1929-39)… read more

The oil industry is full of economic booms and busts. Over the period of 2010 to 2014, world oil prices remained relatively stable at $110 a barrel as shown in Chart 1. However, in 2015, oil prices plunged globally by almost 70 per cent in the wake of rising oil production and concerns about global economic growth. As at February 15, 2016 crude oil stood at $29.67 per barrel, a price that has not been seen since the Great Depression (1929-39)… read more

Asset allocation is an investment strategy that involves spreading your funds across various asset classes such as stocks, bonds, cash and cash equivalents. The importance of dividing your money in various asset classes is to reduce investment risk. Investment risk is reduced by investing in assets that do not have the same risk and return characteristics, meaning they do not respond in the same way to the same market forces at the same time… read more

The stock market is a central location where investors come together to buy and sell shares of public companies. The best known stock exchanges are the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange while locally there is the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange…. read more

Some of you may be wondering – what is the Business Cycle and what is its relation to stocks? The Business cycle is essentially the many phases that an economy goes through over a period of time. The phases are characterized by the level or intensity of economic activity and is gauged by critical economic indicators including Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the unemployment rate, the inflation rate and the level of interest rates, just to name a few… read more

An Initial Public Offering(IPO) is essentially when a company issues stock for the first time and arises when the company decides to go from being a private company to a public company. Companies are generally categorized as private or public – a private company normally has a few shareholders and are not obligated to publish their financial accounts. The capital pool of a lot of private companies tend to be limited as it is influenced by the resources of the few shareholders… read more

A bond is similar to a loan that the buyer, or bondholder, makes to the bond issuer. Bonds are issued by companies and government bodies to fund their day-to-day opera­tions or to finance specific projects. When an investor buys a bond, he or she is, in fact, loaning money for a certain period of time to the issuer of the bond. In return for loaning funds, investors receive the principal amount back, with interest, at the time the bond comes due or… read more

While vacationing is an excellent way to de-stress and enjoy your free time, we have heard the experiences of some clients returning from a memorable vacation getaway to meet mounting debt or be harassed by financial difficulties later on in the year. However, if you are aware of the common mistakes that are made when planning and experiencing a vacation, you can apply smart financial principles to ensure that you have the peace of mind while enjoying it and staying… read more

So you’ve worked hard and you deserve a vacation! But what happens when you make last-minute decisions rather than carefully plan and budget for your vacation in advance? The result is that you’re forced to either cancel or put it on your credit card which can be stressful upon return! To avoid difficulty, a little planning now will set you up nicely for next year’s vacation. This article will help you to plan ahead and secure your finances before you travel so that you get… read more

“Mom, I need a new pair of school sneakers” or “Dad, my school bag is old and I need a new one”. Do these requests sound familiar? If they do, then the new school term is most likely around the corner. In addition to the cash spent on new books, money for extra lessons and extra-curricular activities, you can end up spending a small fortune to send your children back to school at the start of each new school term. Here are some financial tips to guide you. read more

The question of whether or not to obtain professional financial advice may be lingering on the minds of many persons who have had to deal with the reality of a fixed salary, rising expenses and wading through the maze of savings and investment options available. Since proper and consistent financial planning is the key to dealing effectively with these realities, how can the services of a Financial Advisor help you?…read more

Picture yourself at the end of your working years with family in tow and you are able to keep the lifestyle you had enjoyed during that period. You are well equipped financially to handle all your expenses, treat yourself to some fine dining at least once or twice per month, and take Mrs. Retiree on that long transatlantic cruise you promised when you were still on the job thinking that retirement will not come around any time soon….read more

A couple’s wedding day is one of the most memorable days of their life and the start of a wonderful life together. However, the average cost of a wedding can be in excess of $100,000. While some couples are fortunate and receive an abundance of financial gifts from family and relatives, many couples today pay almost all of their wedding costs out of their own pockets. Thus, we are faced with the question of can a couple really avoid debt for their wedding? Seven out of ten couples pay for their weddings with savings, but thirty percent use credit cards and loans for all or part of the cost. …read more

You have taken steps to insure your valuable assets such as your car, your home and your life, but do you have insurance on your ability to work? This type of insurance is called Disability Insurance, which is insurance that provides financial benefits to a policyholder in the event of sickness or injury that inhibits the ability to work…read more

While taking a vacation is an excellent way to de-stress and enjoy your free time, it may lead to accumulating unnecessary debt or financial difficulties later on. However, if you apply smart financial principles when planning your vacation, you can ensure that you have the peace of mind to enjoy it while staying within your budget. There are essentially eight simple tips that you can follow to control your vacation spending…read more

As the Easter holiday season rolls around and you start thinking about beach limes, trips abroad or simply, an Easter egg hunt, our Financial Advisors urge that you take some time out over the long weekend to assess your financial situation, to avoid sinking into more expenses from holiday spending. Getting yourself on sound financial footing is of paramount importance and financial security would not happen by accident, but by careful and deliberate planning. As you take some time out this Easter weekend,… read more

It happened out of pure exhaustion one day as we sat in another long line of after work traffic, counting the number of cars that had the number 5 in the license plate. My kids were in utter delight as they fought to find those plates before I did. They could not even believe we got home so fast and actually wanted to be in traffic the next day! It dawned on me that kids really don’t care what you do with them once you are right there with them. I heard a saying once, … read more