Will more money mean we sleep better at night, spend more time with friends and family, or contribute more to society?
There’s a story told that about a financial planner who was on holidays in Mexico. He was walking along the beach when he came to a fisherman sitting on a wharf, his feet hanging off the edge as he played guitar. “Is that your boat?” the planner asked the fisherman. “It is,” he replied. They…
Statistics Canada reported Friday that non-bank mortgage lenders held 1.7 million residential mortgages in the fourth quarter of 2018, two-thirds of which were uninsured. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2018, 1.7 million residential mortgages with a total value of $325.5 billion were outstanding, it said, adding that the uninsured mortgages outstanding contributed…
The cost of living was the number one concern for a third of all Canadians surveyed, according to a recent poll. And rising taxes contribute significantly to those costs
By Jake Fuss and Finn Poschmann The Fraser Institute A recent CBC News poll reported that the cost of living is one of the biggest issues worrying Canadians today. And yes, while trend inflation has been very low for a decade, it’s ticking up sharply. So although it’s easy to understand why Canadians are anxious…
Household net worth rose 2.7% to $11,114 billion in the first quarter, according to StatsCan
The Canadian household credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income remained at 177.6 per cent in the first quarter, as debt and income grew at similar rates. In other words, there was $1.78 in debt for every $1 of household disposable income, according to data released on Thursday by Statistics Canada. The…
Brian Hawkins of The Tiny House Movement talks about the significant advantages in store for people who downsize
Brian Hawkins is owner of The Tiny House Movement. What is the Tiny House Movement? Hawkins: The Tiny House Movement has been around for more than a decade, but it's really taken hold the last three years. It's become much more mainstream with the help of TV shows on HGTV, Netflix and the DIY network.…
Mortgage loans accounted for nearly two-thirds of total debt, followed by home equity lines of credit, credit cards and auto loans: CMHC
The level of indebtedness of Canadian households rose faster than income in 2018, according to a new report by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. “As a result, the debt-to-income ratio continued to increase over the course of the year, reaching 178.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018, a record high. According to Equifax…
Tax compliance is onerous. Foreign investment is leaving. Canadians are losing confidence in their economy
Canada's edge as a locale for foreign investment is slipping fast, but there is a way to turn the ship around without lowering tax rates. The nation can curb capital flight by lowering the cost of tax compliance. As recently as 2010-2015, Canada bettered the United States and almost doubled the Organization for Economic Co-operation…
Kelley Keehn of FP Canada talks about why we need to get involved in our financial health as much as we do our physical health
Kelley Keehn is a personal finance educator and FP Canada consumer advocate. Tell me about your background and what you do now? Keehn: I was in the financial industry for over a decade. During that time, I found that whether you have a billion in the bank or a million in the hole, everyone has money…
Franklin Templeton survey also says 22% of self-employed Canadians never intend to retire
A survey released on Wednesday says 21 per cent of Canadian young baby boomers, aged 55 to 64, have not saved anything for retirement. Franklin Templeton's 2019 Retirement Income Strategies and Expectations (RISE) survey also found 46 per cent of Canadian young boomers would consider postponing retirement and 15 per cent of Canadians expect to…
Unfortunately, they also carry considerably more mortgage debt
Do you ever wonder why millennials are the demographic that everyone talks about today? It’s all about the money. Statistics Canada published some interesting data on Thursday showing that millennials had higher incomes and median wealth than young Gen-Xers at the same age, but also considerably more mortgage debt. “The study finds that millennials –…
Don't underestimate the importance of having a plan in place for when the inevitable happens
Every day, we make financial and health-related decisions and often don’t give these decisions a second thought. But how – and by whom – would these decisions be made if we’re suddenly incapable of making them for ourselves? You can’t underestimate the importance of having a plan in place for when the inevitable happens. And it…
Customers face making a quick decision and without enough information. Can grocers fix this process?
Most of us have been asked to donate to charity at the checkout counter, especially at a grocery store. A dollar here, two dollars there adds up. The practice started years ago but appears to be growing. It’s estimated that more $35 million is raised by simply asking Canadians to donate at the cash register.…
The environmental and social costs of producing, distributing and selling food are rarely factored in. That’s about to change
The carbon tax is now a reality for all Canadians – and that means food prices will be impacted. The federal carbon pricing scheme took effect in Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Manitoba on April 1. These provinces had previously chosen not to comply with the new federal law through their own initiatives. Pricing will…
If it sounds too good or too awful to be true, hang up or delete. In the very remote case that it’s legitimate, someone will get back to you
I’m writing this on April Fool’s Day, the day we set aside to play tricks on one another. Unfortunately, many people don’t limit their tricks to one day a year – they go way beyond harmless pranks. These scammers are usually very clever people who would rather trick the rest of us out of our…
Borrowing edged up in the fourth quarter of 2018 to $21.2 billion: StatsCan
The level of debt Canadians carry continues to increase. A report released on Thursday by Statistics Canada said “household credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income increased to 178.5 per cent in the fourth quarter (of 2018), with growth in debt slightly outpacing income growth.” “In other words, there was $1.79 in…