Description: High home prices have been bad news for many younger Canadians starting on the home ownership and career journey. But these increased costs have also created stress for older Canadians as they enter the uncharted territory of carrying a mortgage into retirement. Dan Hallett, a financial planner, says “It’s certainly not ideal,” to enter… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Canadian Economy
Looking Forward
Description: According to a recent Leger survey, younger Canadians are more pessimistic about the Canadian economy than they were last year at this time. This seems to be reflected in a willingness to hang tight in their current employment versus pursuing a new job. In looking at their personal finances, 22 percent of the respondents… Read more »
A Good Month for Jobs
Description: October was a good month for the Canadian economy with 108,000 new jobs added, exceeding projections by a factor of ten. Because more Canadians were actually looking for work last month, the unemployment rate remained steady at 5.2%. Despite the good news on the employment front, a higher number of Canadians report having trouble… Read more »
Have You Started Christmas Shopping Yet?
Description: Canadians are launching their Christmas shopping early this year, partially driven by an effort to beat higher prices due to inflation. An American survey indicates that 37% of that population plans to start earlier this year. Robert Domagala, a retail industry analyst, noted to Global News that “prudent shoppers are probably going to try… Read more »
Hey! Why are Gas Prices Still High?
Description: The price of crude oil has been dropping, with the price per barrel down about twenty per cent in the last thirty days. Then why are prices at the pump still so high, with drivers in British Columbia paying up to $2.39 per litre, the highest in North America? Part of the problem stems… Read more »
Actually, Things are Pretty Good!
Description: CBC columnist Don Pitts offered an encouraging view this week for this time of rising interest rates, inflation pressures, war in Ukraine, and SARS-CoV-2 news. Pitts points out the importance of adopting historical perspective on the economy issue, quoting University of Toronto professor emeritus Jon Cohen who says “We’re the richest anybody’s been in… Read more »
Here’s a Good News Story!
Description: Canada’s economy is back! Back to pre-pandemic levels that is, with Canada adding over 300,000 jobs in February, knocking the unemployment rate down to 5.5%, below what it was in March 2020, and close to Canada’s all-time low. Desjardins economist Royce Mendes noted that “businesses in accommodation and food services and information, culture and… Read more »
Gas Going Up
Description: It keeps on going. Going up that is: the price of gasoline. You are probably among the many Canadians giving a second look at the price on the pump when you’ve been filling your vehicle with fuel. Though gas prices dropped to almost ridiculous lows in the early shutdown phase of the pandemic, prices… Read more »
Highest in 30 Years!
Description: Inflation in Canada is now at the highest it has been in 30 years! The December Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 4.8% is a rate Canadians have not seen since 1991. While many may have noticed rising costs for fruit such as oranges and apples, or a rise in meat prices too, anything with… Read more »
Inflation! Inflation!
Description: Friday the United States released its latest inflation data, showing that prices had climbed 6.8 percent over November 2020 This places inflation at rates not seen in about 40 years. Canadian results are expected to be somewhat similar. Canadians carrying debt need to take a look at their finances in the face of what… Read more »