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 […]
Federal Government Should Complete Your Tax Return
Our government should complete your tax return for most Canadians, writes Peter Watson. The annual ritual of completing your personal income tax return and submitting it before the end of April for many is a waste of time and effort and money. I would like our federal government to automate this process for most Canadians […]
Disappointing Federal Budget
The federal budget was disappointing, writes Peter Watson. This federal budget was a missed opportunity. But first we will start with a positive. The budget contained many strategies designed to build more housing units. These ideas were publicized in previous weeks. Affordable housing is an issue for Canadians and a political requirement if the Liberal […]
Federal Budget Outlines Financial and Political Priorities
Federal government outlines priorities in the 2023 budget, writes Peter Watson. This budget is a fiscal and political balancing act between conflicting priorities. There are many worthy causes that require funding, but after pandemic induced spending over the last few years the government must control spending. The liberals have a minority government, so they needed […]
The New Financial Challenge for Seniors – Mortgage Payments
Statistics Canada reported 1.5 million people older than 65 had a mortgage in 2021. This was an increase from 1.2 million during the previous five years. Rising interest rates will make paying off a mortgage more difficult so it is understandable that the trend for more seniors to have a mortgage will continue. That will […]
Stock Market Volatility Can Leave You Depressed
There is a reason why the normal ups and downs of the stock market can leave you depressed, writes Peter Watson. It has to do with human behaviour. People are emotional. Investors value gains and losses differently. A loss has more significance on an investor than a gain of an equal amount. For example, if […]
House Prices To Fall
Homeowners face the possibility of significant decrease in value of their house, writes Peter Watson. “Property values, already slipping, are likely to fall more than 10% in the coming year.” This quote is from a recent report from RBC Economics. Add this to other news on housing prices and the new reality is Canadians largest […]
Rising Interest Rates Ahead
The Bank of Canada continues to sound the alarm that higher interest rates are just around the corner. There are two significant reasons why. One. Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index had an annual increase of 4.8 per cent in December. This is the highest level in three decades. The target inflation rate […]
The Perfect Gift for Your Child in 2022
It’s a new year and why not give your children a gift they really deserve in 2022, writes Peter Watson. The gift: a mutual fund that invests in a broadly diversified portfolio of stocks around the world. Why is this important? It is not money, but rather the educational experience of owning an investment. The […]
Estate Planning Gone Terribly Wrong
The Rogers family public battle is a lesson on how estate planning efforts can backfire, writes Peter Watson A large part of estate planning is deciding how to allocate your wealth to different beneficiaries. For most families this means distributing your wealth to your children. The late Ted Rogers built his tech company and according […]