The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that investors need to be mindful of the Canada Revenue Agency's superficial loss rule that prohibits repurchasing a security, such as a stock or fund, within 30 days following a tax-loss sale. In a Globe special, Shirley Won writes that the rule, which applies to affiliated people such as a spouse, also precludes buying the same security 30 days before the sale. That effectively becomes a 61-day period of not owning the security. However, investors can still buy non-identical securities, such as a different stock or exchange traded fund, in the same industry sector during that period. David MacNicol at MacNicol & Associates is seeing fewer tax-loss opportunities in the United States. For clients owning money-losing securities, "We'll look at the charts to see whether we should be selling now or wait toward the end of the year," because they might still rebound, he says. "Then, we will sell but have less of a loss." Mr. MacNicol is making a shopping list of stocks that could benefit from a so-called "Santa Claus rally." Hard-hit U.S.-listed retail names such as Lululemon, Walgreens, Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Nike will get a look for potential buys, he says.