WHO WE ARE
Independent Organization & Resource
The iTrustInstitute is an independent, non-partisan and not-for-profit organization that provides research and education services to members and others.
Informed Market Participants
The iTrustInstitute was born from the interests of members in TrustInvestor, a leading independent information resource for more than 4787 members including investors, advisors, brokers, bankers, traders, financial professionals, market makers & issuers.
With popularization of the Canadian income trust market, many sensed growing need for specialized education and objective information in regard to the securities and their market.
To answer that need, TrustInvestor.com has published a guide to income trusts and the findings of a comprehensive iTrustIndex for more than five years. In 2003, it also began to produce a detailed bi-monthly Report devoted exclusively to Canadian income trusts, and to host a public forum and Guide along with daily news and market reports about income trusts.
TrustInvestor.com provides useful market perspective including detailed securities data useful for informed investment. But further work was required to provide the depth of education and range of policy-related research warranted for such an innovative form of security and valuable market as income trusts.
TrustInvestor members were persuaded of need for an Institute when the Canadian Department of Finance issued its Consultation Paper on Flow-through Entities in September 2005.
The Paper made a valiant attempt to present key questions and cursory facts to involve the public in complex policy considerations. Confusion surrounding it revealed an inherent gap between the information available in official and public domains, and the perspective required to find meaningful answers to shared concerns and interests.
Many were further convinced of requirement for the Institute when the government changed its working policy on tax rulings soon after release of the Consultation Paper. That consequences of that change exemplified the risks of decisions made without involvement or shared understanding by market participants.
Given the nature of financial markets: People with something to say, felt unheard. People wanting to learn, felt unwanted. Officials articulating desire for fair solutions to political questions were seen to be testing public confidence. Media analysts added perspective, but were also played as conduits for opinion and influence, sought out by some and shunned by others. Credible informants were muted in public debate by fears of being seen as either self-serving or foolish.
Real understanding and problem-solving in a complex environment can only come from an inclusive and iterative dialogue. The required learning process involving a broad-based constituency can best be coordinated by an independent but dedicated non-partisan organization.
The iTrust Institute brought together people from all sides of the market and was formalized in late 2005.