Investments
Invest wisely. Retire well.
Our investment philosophy
100% client-focused
Many financial institutions view group retirement services as just another channel to distribute their own mutual funds. Open Access is different. We specialize in providing unbiased and conflict-free money management.
Our client-driven investment philosophy delivers competitive performance, net of fees, over multiple market cycles.
What are our guiding portfolio management principles?
01
Investment success is half as complicated, but twice as difficult, as it seems
Simple strategies lead to powerful long-term results. However, they can be tough to stick with in the short run.
02
Look at active and passive investment strategies
Many people prioritize one over the other – we recommend a healthy mix of both active and passive investment strategies to keep your financial goals on track.
03
Strong risk-adjusted performance is key
High returns in the short-run can be completely undone by volatility. Compounding wealth requires managing both returns and risk.
04
Diversified portfolios beat market timing
Investing and betting are two different strategies. The odds favour the house.
05
Member alignment
High returns in the short-run can be completely undone by volatility. Compounding wealth requires managing both returns and risk.
Our Capital Accumulation Plan Portfolios
Dynamic asset allocation
Most money managers focus on stock picking, but the secret to investing well is determining how best to allocate savings across a diversified mix of growth and income strategies.
Companies offering diversified portfolios often adopt a ‘buy and hold’, or, in other words, a ‘set it and forget it’ approach. Open Access approaches investments differently. Our investment team actively rebalance the asset mix of every account.
Members know that throughout market cycles, they have a professional team managing their nest egg. The result is true outperformance – performance that accounts for returns as well as strong downside protection.
Active fund selection
Active fund managers or low-cost index funds – which is best? The answer is subjective and largely based on marketing tactics. Companies take a stand either way in order to support their own products.
Open Access has no in-house products to sell which enables us to provide unbiased wealth management advice to our members. Our investment philosophy is simple. Our portfolios incorporate the strategies that best align with our members’ financial goals. By blending active and passive funds together, plan participants get the best of both approaches.
The Open Access investment team works on our members’ behalf to scan the marketplace of investment strategies and select those poised for sustainable performance.
This investment process entails reviewing four key criteria:
Intellectual Capital
The experience, workload and temperament of the fund management team
Opportunity
The soundness of the investment process and philosophy implemented by the fund management team
Execution
Reviewing historical performance and fund positioning consistency relative to the investment process and experience of the team
Alignment
Assessing fees, compensation and firm culture to achieve congruence with our client’s goals
Doing Well by doing Good
All fund managers on the Open Access Investment platform are signatories of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.
As a result, our clients not only benefit from strong performance, they are also assured that their investments are aligned with promoting best practices in global Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) matters.
Latest Insights
Market Commentary – April 2025
In our latest video, Murray McLean, our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, provides a review of the first quarter of 2025 and our outlook for the balance of 2025 and into 2026. Central to this discussion is the potential for a Global Trade War and the risk of Global Recession thanks to the Trump administration’s punitive tariff policies. We discuss the risks this presents and outline how we are well-positioned to weather the current economic storm.
Market Commentary – January 2025
Join us as Murray McLean, our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, reviews 2024 and shares insights for 2025, highlighting key market trends, including declining inflation in Canada, strong U.S. growth, and the impact of Donald Trump’s re-election. Amid rising volatility and trade tensions, we are tactically reducing U.S. equity exposure while maintaining defensively positioned, well-diversified portfolios.
Market Commentary – October 2024
Murray McLean, our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager discusses how the Central Banks have won the war on inflation and are poised to materially reduce interest rates over the balance of 2024 and into 2025. We can see interest rates falling by 150-250 Bps over the next 18-36 months and have increased our exposures to Fixed Income across the portfolios. Watch our video for full details.
Market Commentary – July 2024
Murray McLean, our CIO, reports strong US equity returns of 5% in Q2 2024, driven by tech and AI optimism. Despite a 0.5% dip in Canadian equities, the Bank of Canada cut interest rates by 25 Bps, leading the G7. Our portfolios now shift from US to International equities. Watch our video for full insights.
Market Commentary – April 2024
In early 2024, optimism for interest rate cuts faded as central banks tempered expectations due to persistent inflation around 3%. This has delayed rate reductions, expected later this year, which may be less aggressive. Watch our video for a detailed overview and valuable insights.
Market Commentary – January 2024
In 2023, the investment landscape showed positive trends. For a deeper insight into the market dynamics, our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Murray McLean, provides expert commentary. Watch the informative video below for a comprehensive overview and valuable advice.
Market Commentary – 3rd Quarter 2023
Don’t miss our Chief Investment Officer, Murray McLean, discussing the Q3 2023 market challenges and the shift to a higher interest rate regime in a must-watch video for key market insights.
Market Update & Outlook – July 2023
We highly recommend watching the video that our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Murray McLean, has prepared. The video contains valuable insights on market trends that you don’t want to miss out on.
Market Update & Outlook – April 2023
You won’t want to miss the video prepared by our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Murray McLean. It’s packed with highly recommended valuable insights on market trends.
Market Update & Outlook – February 2023
Watch the video that our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Murray McLean has put together. It will provide you with valuable insights on market trends.
ESG
Watch our video to learn more about how you can invest wisely and responsibly.
January Market Volatility
In this piece, we discuss market volatility in early 2022 and our suggested strategy for navigating it.
The impact of high inflation and interest rates on markets in 2022
Watch this video to find out about the latest market updates and Open Access portfolio management.
The Search for Professional Investment Management Services
A plan member’s financial future is dependent on good financial advice. Read this article to learn more.
Winter 2022 Market Commentary
In this article, we take a look back at the 2021 investment year.
Bonds: No Time to Die
This article explores why bonds have an important role in helping you achieve your financial goals.
From FOMO to VUCA, and What an Investor Should Do About It
Over the last fifteen years, the stock market returned, on average, more than 10% per year.
Our Partnership with PIMCO
We’re proud to announce our new partnership with one of the world’s leading asset managers – PIMCO.
June 2021 Market Commentary
Portfolio Manager Ryan Sheriff shares how the markets have been performing in June 2021.
A conversation with Beutel, Goodman and Company Ltd.
Watch our new video to learn more about the Canadian equity market in 2022, current market conditions and thoughts on recent volatility.
Save on Fees – At What Cost
The appeal is straightforward. Ditch your advisor, save on fees.