Christian Farstad - Vancouver ScotiaMcleod

We hope that anyone you may know that lives in Japan or has relatives there, are safe, and our well wishes go out to all those affected. There are no words to express the sentiments for what we are seeing on television and over the internet on this unfolding tragedy. With that, global markets continue to be focused on Japan and what effects that will have on the markets and the global economy.

We are writing to you today to remind you that although unfortunate, the stock markets have been through this before.

While events are unfolding in Japan and around the world, the markets will go through fluctuations. It is possible anyone who rushes to sell, will be sorry that they did. Doing so might make them more comfortable in the short term (relieving stress of the unknown), but that action could come at a cost (unnecessary losses).

Through the financial strategy and roadmap we have created for you, we hope you have some peace of mind, at least where your financial plan is concerned. We have absolutely no control over what the market does, but we can and need to control how we react to it.

We are monitoring your portfolio and welcome any questions you may have. Please do not hesitate to give us a call.

We have attached a piece from our ScotiaMcLeod Portfolio Advisory Group that we hope you will find valuable.

Memo from portfolio advisory group re: volatility