Building an Investment Portfolio Over Time With Sharebuilder Jan 20, 2010 Larry Darter What is Dollar-Cost Averaging Dollar-cost averaging can be an effective investment strategy for those who do not have a large amount of funds to invest at one time. As an example, a person could invest as little as $25 to $50 each month and still be able to take advantage of a wide array of investment products like stocks and exchange traded funds. In the past in was difficult for many people to invest money in the stock market because of high brokerage account minimums

I n preparation for the launch of its cell phone service later this year, Quebecor Inc.’s QBR.B-T Vid�otron division has announced the creation 600 new positions, many of them related to the new wireless venture. “These jobs will be related to the deployment of our wireless network,” a Vid�otron representative said in an interview on Wednesday. The new positions follow the creation of 600 positions in 2009, many of which went into a new customer service centre in Montreal.

T oday’s top stories from Report on Business : China, Greece fears hit markets China’s move to curb lending roiled financial markets today, hitting stocks, currencies and commodities. Global stock markets fell, the Canadian dollar plunged, and oil dropped to below $78 (U.S.) a barrel after China ordered banks to rein in lending, fearful of inflation and asset bubbles. The restrictions sparked concerns over the global recovery as China is such a growth engine

Fee income from annuity sales climbed at bank holding companies during the first three quarters of 2009, according to data from Michael White Associates LLC. Fee income from the sale of fixed and variable annuities rose to $2.0 billion through the first nine months of 2009, a gain of 2.5% from the comparable period in 2009. Commissions from the sale of those annuities also leapt in the third quarter, rising to $669.8 million and reflecting a gain of 4% from the year-ago period, according to the Michael White-ABIA Bank Annuity Fee Income Report, which was sponsored by the American Bankers Insurance Association

Unhappy in IT New York technology professionals are more dissatisfied with their payouts than colleagues in the rest of the country, according to the 2009-2010 annual salary survey published by Dice.com, a leading career site for technology professionals. In contrast to the high salaries and bonuses garnered by much of the Wall Street elite, New York IT professionals reported that their pay had remained flat over the last year, with the average salary being $86,710. Though not surprisingly, tech workers in the New York finance and banking sector earned the highest average salary — $106,344.

B anks have seized Intrawest Holdings, the owner of the Whistler ski resort that’s hosting the Olympic downhill races next month, after the resort operator missed a big debt payment, and now plan to auction the company off right in the middle of the games. Intrawest’s owner, Fortress Investment Group, lost control after missing a big interest payment to its lenders. The lenders, which include Lehman Brothers and Davidson Kempner, plan to auction off ownership of Intrawest on Feb.

C hristine Hughes, a high-profile manager at AGF Management Ltd. AGF.B-T , has left the mutual fund company just as the registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) is kicking into high gear. “After 20 years in the investment management business, Ms.