WHAT'S NEXT? How to prepare your portfolio for what happens after the pandemic Finance For most Canadians, the COVID-19 pandemic started hitting home a little over a year ago, in March of 2020. But it seems like forever since we’ve been mask-wearing, social distancing and “stay-at-home”-ing. The cost, both in money and in human lives, has been enormous. But there is good news on the horizon. The restrictions and challenges brought on by the pandemic will eventually ease. Life will eventually return to some level of normalcy: we might be able to go out to a restaurant, for example. Or go on holiday overseas. Or go over to our friend’s place for a cup of coffee. Or simply be able to go for a walk without wearing a mask. If you’re like most snowbirds, your portfolio has probably suffered through the pandemic. But there’s good news here, too: the unemployment, stock market volatility and general economic mayhem will eventually come to an end as well. The economy will return to some level of normalcy − the stock market largely has already. But there are new risks and challenges on the horizon. Now, as we prepare for the end of the pandemic, it makes sense to spend some time looking past the pandemic and thinking about some of the more obvious risks to which your portfolio might be exposed in the months and years to follow. Here are several topics to consider, along with a number of suggestions regarding how you might respond to those risks and position your portfolio for post-pandemic success. by James Dolan CSANews | SPRING 2021 | 25
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