Canada built the ETF—now it risks losing the industry to the U.S. — How CETFA means to reverse the trend

In this episode, Pierre Daillie sit down with Eli Yufest, Executive Director of The Canadian ETF Association (CETFA), for a sharp and revealing conversation about the future of Canada’s ETF industry. Yufest gets right down to it: beyond the Canadian ETF industry's assets under management, more than $230 billion of Canadian investor capital has left the country—straight into U.S.-listed ETFs—and he’s sounding the alarm on what’s at stake if that trend continues.

With ETFs now pushing close to $600 billion in assets under management at home, CETFA is stepping up with a full-court press—launching bold educational campaigns, ramping up advocacy efforts, and pushing for smart policy changes. From regulatory risks and investor misconceptions to a tidal wave of U.S. share-class products set to flood the market, this episode digs into the real pressures threatening Canada's investment ecosystem—and the plan to keep it thriving.

What if the biggest threat to Canada’s financial future isn’t inflation or interest rates—but our own indifference to homegrown ETFs?

📌 Episode Snapshot: Newly appointed CETFA Executive Director Eli Yufest joins us to share his blueprint for growing and protecting Canada’s ETF industry. With a warning about the growing shift of Canadian dollars to U.S.-listed ETFs, Yufest outlines a two-pronged strategy: direct advocacy with regulators and an aggressive education push to reach everyday investors and financial advisors. The conversation covers looming CRM3 disclosure changes, why young Canadians are embracing ETFs, how innovation can unlock broader access, and what’s at risk if we fail to make the domestic market more competitive.

Chapters:

[00:01:00] – Meet Eli Yufest – from political campaigns to ETF advocacy [00:06:30] – What surprised Eli about the ETF industry [00:08:00] – Canada’s overlooked role as ETF innovator [00:09:30] – Why regulators and politicians are finally listening [00:11:00] – CETFA’s core mission: Grow the ETF industry [00:13:00] – The education gap: Jane & Joe Front Porch still don’t know what ETFs are [00:14:30] – Advisors: Still a huge ETF adoption lag [00:15:30] – ETF misconceptions: liquidity, costs, and innovation [00:17:30] – Gen Z, online brokerages, and the future of DIY investing [00:20:00] – The biggest threat: $230B in assets has left for the U.S. [00:22:00] – ETF share class tsunami: 1,200+ new U.S. products are coming [00:25:30] – Why Canada must act now—or lose its ETF market entirely [00:28:00] – Private equity ETFs and the democratization of access [00:33:00] – From hedge fund strategies to long-short: ETFs unlock it all [00:35:30] – CETFA’s behind-the-scenes policy influence and wins [00:39:00] – Expanding membership, strengthening industry alignment [00:41:30] – Drawing on a career in strategy and education to lead change

#CanadianETFs #ETFInnovation #InvestorEducation #CapitalFlight #FinancialAdvocacy