Why holiday shoppers are balancing economic concerns with prudent shopping
It is always a trade-off between our ability to spend and the desire to spend, writes Peter Watson. This year, there are many reasons to spend less. Canadians feel pressure from the United States over repeated suggestions that we would become the 51st state, and over the damage to our economy caused by tariffs. That […]
What a Canadian Nobel Prize winner can teach us about success
A Canadian won the Nobel Prize for economics and we can learn a lot from his research, writes Peter Watson. Peter Howitt and his research partner from France published a research paper titled, “A Model of Growth Through Creative Destruction.” The Nobel committee summarized their research as showing how creative destruction drives growth. The key […]
The politics of spending: How government budgets differ from corporate ones
Peter Watson discusses how politicians prioritize power retention over responsible spending for Canada, while businesspeople focus on profit. Motivations for politicians versus businesspeople is why Canada continues to overspend, writes Peter Watson. What strategy is needed to create a budget for the Canadian government versus a budget for a large Canadian company? We will consider […]
Trump’s Tariffs Might Backfire on the US Economy
President Trump’s tariffs could be costly to his country, writes Peter Watson. In simple terms a tariff is nothing more than a tax that the United States charges on goods imported to their country. For example, if an Ontario wine producer exported their product to the US it would be sold like any other product […]
Bank of Canada Issues Financial Warning
The Bank of Canada issues a warning about our financial health, writes Peter Watson. Several warning signs indicate the financial prosperity of people living in Ontario will decline. Canada needs to Improve productivity by increasing investments in machinery, equipment, and intellectual property. A senior Bank of Canada official said last week that we have reached […]
Investment Fee Disclosure Will Improve
Investment fees are important. Fees and costs that are fair and pay for services that benefit an investor is acceptable. Fees that are too high or are charged for services not provided result in a lower investment return to you the investor and unfairly compensates your financial advisor. That is unacceptable. An upgrade to disclosing […]