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Fixed-Income Investing

Income Trusts

Income trusts are one of the fastest growing segments of the Canadian investment industry. Investors have been attracted to income trusts in recent years by their high distributions.

Income trusts are often thought of as fixed-income securities because they pay a fixed distribution at regular intervals. However, income trusts are also very similar to equities because their return depends primarily on earnings of the underlying business.

There are several types of risks to consider when investing in income trusts—perhaps the most important is the quality and sustainability of earnings. If the trust does not generate sufficient cash flow to cover its regular distribution, the payment either has to be reduced or supplemented by a portion of the investor’s original investment. The latter is known as a "return of capital."

Like any other asset class, income trusts have benefits and risks that should be considered within the context of an overall portfolio.

To learn more about fixed-income investing, please continue by choosing one of the following topics:

To learn about individual RBC Funds and how they can address your investment objectives, access our Fund Updates. If you are ready to invest now, contact your advisor or explore the options available to invest with RBC Financial Group.



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03/08/2010 10:10:36