Canada tightens the loopholes

Savvy Canadian investment managers currently use various loopholes to distribute structured products without a prospectus. As a result, the country's regulators are exploring the possibility of raising disclosure requirements, conceivably forcing major institutions to release a prospectus for every note that offers principal protection

Financial scandals usually trigger regulatory backlash. So it's no surprise that Canadian watchdogs are currently exploring the country's structured products market in the wake of the Portus Alternative Asset Management debacle (see box, page 4). The scandal certainly put the brakes on Canada's growing hedge fund-linked structured products market, and, more importantly, the firm's demise has now triggered serious questions about existing regulation regarding the distribution and marketing of