As a reality check on what investment returns to plan for over a multi-year horizon, the newly published guidelines for Canadian financial planners are recommended reading for advisors and investors alike.
This year's Projection Assumption Guidelines are effective as of April 30.
Developed and updated annually by the Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) and Institut québécois de planification financière (IQPF), the guidelines are designed for financial planners who are dealing with time horizons of 10 years or longer. The guidelines project the returns of five core asset classes, as well as the rate of inflation and an assumed cost of borrowing. (See table below.)