You walk into the open house, take one look and say to yourself: This is it. It’s the house I have to live in. Where do I pay? A bidding war? I’m in. Over my years of buying houses, I never bought one that did not have that frisson moment, that thrill of finding a […]

Higher food and gasoline prices and hefty debt loads likely to be made worse by interest rate hikes will impact consumers’ buying habits going forward, say those who track retail spending. It’s going to be tough for consumers who have depended on a low interest rate environment, said TD Bank economist Francis Fong, adding that […]

Let’s just say you owed somebody a ton of money but there was no legal way to force you to pay it back. Would you? What if it was one of those evil corporate banks that make for an easy target? Did the answer just get a little easier? Not for 60% of Americans who […]

Many Canadians are finding themselves caught between the struggle to save money and repay their debts, says a survey from TD Bank. And with interest rates expected to rise this summer, clearing debts probably won’t get any easier. In the report, 38 per cent of Canadians surveyed said they had no savings at all. “I […]

Strong sales in Canada’s most expensive market helped push the average price of a home across the country up 8.9% last month from a year earlier, the Canadian Real Estate Association said. The Ottawa-based group, which represents about 100 boards across the country, said the average sale price of a home was $371,286 in March. […]

Inflation was hotter and more widespread than expected in March, figures released Tuesday showed, leading economists to predict that another strong reading in April could all but solidify an interest-rate hike in July. Statistics Canada said the annual inflation jumped to a 2½-year high of 3.3% in March, well above economist expectations for 2.8%. Core […]

Starting a new business can be a challenging period for your finances. It may be tempting to utilize some of the equity in your home to fund the startup. “Of course, the entrepreneur is an optimistic person and they’re trying to plan their business for success. They need to be aware failure is something that […]

Standard & Poor’s surprised the market with a downward revision of its long-term rating outlook on U.S. government debt. Investors responded promptly by selling stocks and sending bond yields on a rollercoaster ride, demonstrating that they are paying closer attention to the deadlock in Washington. Analysts warned the downgrade could lead to a weaker U.S. […]

Since climbing back from the depths of recession, Canada’s sound economic footing relative to the United States has been a source of national pride and self-congratulation. But as much as ever, the U.S. economy’s weaknesses become Canada’s own, an inescapable reality that could be made painfully clear in the second half of 2011. The disappointing […]

The loonie may be trading at a three-year high relative to the U.S. dollar, but a report released Thursday says Canadians still pay far more than Americans for common consumer items. The report by BMO Capital Markets’ deputy chief economist Douglas Porter said that despite the loonie’s surge to US98¢, the average price during the […]