CIBC Wood Gundy Established in 1988, CIBC Wood Gundy was created when the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) purchased the Wood Gundy company, a stock brokerage firm established in 1905. In 1997 it was renamed CIBC World Markets. It has basically been the investment banking arm of the CIBC and is currently one of the largest banking organizations in Canada. CIBC Wood Gundy offers financial advice to its customers, but it also offers a diverse range of financial products and services including but not limited to loans, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, managed portfolios, credit and guaranteed investments. CIBC Wood Gundy offers a wide range of insurance services as well. 1) Financial Planning – CBIC Wood Gundy provides a number of financial planning services, such as retirement planning, wealth protection, and tax planning. 2) Investment Services – CBIC Wood Gundy also provides advisement and assistance with the following investment options. - Portfolio Services – designed to help and assist individuals with the planning and construction of investment portfolios. Services are based on fees rather than commission, to facilitate more frequent buying and trading. - Stocks – advisement on stock purchases is also provided, designed to maximize investment and profit over the long term. - Options – a contract between a buyer and seller based on assets and security, and gives the holder the right to buy or sell shares and a predetermined price for a preset time period. The potential to earn more per dollar is the basic appeal of the option. - Bonds - very attractive due to their ability to provide a steady stream of income if held to maturity. Bonds are often preferable to stocks as investment opportunities. With a wide variety of bonds to choose from, such as government, foreign currency dominated, and corporate issued, Bonds can provide a generally predictable revenue stream over an extended period of time. - Mutual Funds – pooled money among investors, all with a common goal, mutual funds have become very popular due to the diversification possibilities they offer, reduced risk, and the ability to easily transfer money between funds. - Alternative Investments – Hedge funds, private equity, managed futures, structured products, all of these allow for more increased levels of diversification, reduced portfolio volatility, offering additional possibilities that were once only reserved for the very wealthy or institutionalized investor markets. 3) Insurance & Annuities – Life insurance has risen in prominence as a source of investment opportunities over the last decade or so, and CIBC Wood Gundy is at the forefront, in many cases offering higher returns than more traditional investment avenues. - Annuities – a life annuity and a term 100 life insurance policy, purchased together; benefits include a regular, lifetime income and the ability to bypass the cost of probate and estate settlement fees. - Segregated funds – these are professionally managed investments with minimal risk. Offering the ability to lock in gains and protect principal, and protection of personal assets from creditors. Since the transition to CIBC World Markets in 1997, the company has expanded into international equity and debt capital markets, making it one of the largest financial management firms in the world. CIBC Wood Gundy is a member of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada.