RRSP vs. CERB

Posted by & filed under Personal Tax.

Description: There have been numerous stories in the media recently letting Canadians know that they will be taxed on benefits provided by the federal government during the COVID crisis. Benefits such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) did not have tax removed at source, meaning Canadians who… Read more »

Bitcoin Bubble?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Canadian Economy.

Description: Bitcoin is soaring to new heights. Tesla has said it will soon accept the cryptocurrency as payment for its electric cars, and, as part of this strategy it has salted away $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. This is seen as part of the reason that Bitcoin has jumped 50% this year. Date:  February 8,… Read more »

Microsoft Backs Pay for News

Posted by & filed under Contemporary Business Issues.

Description: In a recent blog post, Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, brought some good news to the traditional news media. Smith’s frank statement – “But one thing is clear – the internet and social media have not been kind to the free press” – seems an apt summary for how the internet has strangled revenue… Read more »

Under Armour

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy.

Description: Despite the tough times for many businesses during the pandemic, Under Armour showed strong quarterly results in recent reporting, with revenue exceeding expectations. Under Armour, like some of its competitors in the athletic wear segment, is trying to take advantage of the workout at home boom in a time of social isolation. E-commerce sales… Read more »

Lithium Recovery

Posted by & filed under Accounting Principles.

Description: E3 Metals Corp. from Calgary is exploring a technique to remove lithium from Alberta’s old oil wells. E3 is testing methods to extract this valuable mineral, a key component in batteries for electric cars. Lithium prices are somewhat volatile, with price gains of 40% in January. With the electric vehicle market experiencing growth, E3’s… Read more »

Stakeholder Capitalism

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Corporate Social Responsibility.

Description: Stakeholder Capitalism: It’s a term coined by a key figure from the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. Stakeholder Capitalism is supposed to represent a new approach for business, one that extends responsibility beyond the shareholders. But some are questioning the nature of the commitment following news that consulting giant, McKinnsey & Company, is… Read more »

The Burnout Issue

Posted by & filed under Corporate Social Responsibility, Managerial Accounting.

Description: The Province of Quebec is reexamining its legislation for workplace injuries. The current act dates back as far as 1979, when Quebec had a much larger percentage of workers in manufacturing and industry. Some are urging the government to do better by expanding the proposed legislation to include twenty-first century issues like burnout of… Read more »

HBC Lays Off 600

Posted by & filed under Financial Accounting.

Description: The Hudson’s Bay Company, Canada’s oldest company, has announced the permanent layoff of 600 employees. With the pandemic’s negative effect on traditional retailers, and with half of its stores shuttered for now, the Bay appears to have taken this move to reduce costs. One thing that concerns HBC is that big box retailers –… Read more »

Fixing the Independence Issue

Posted by & filed under Auditing.

Description: A CBC report this past week highlighted a flaw in the system of appointments for auditors general in the province of New Brunswick. Since the Office of the Auditor General was restored in the 1960s, four of the seven auditors general went directly to the auditor’s chair from the comptroller’s position. This creates problems… Read more »

Banking Smarts

Posted by & filed under Student life.

Description: Writing in the “Globe and Mail” this past week, Kira Vermond warns young readers to not jump for a bank account simply because it offers you some upfront cash or some free electronic device. Instead, Vermond argues for students to do a careful search to see which accounts offer the best overall package of… Read more »