There’s no easy way to buy a new car. They’re expensive, and the process is stressful and time-consuming. The good news is there have never been more resources available to help buyers make informed decisions. A... read more
Paying your student loan is no fun. Every month, money that could’ve been used towards regular expenses, investments or feel-good purchases is pulled away from your account. But is there a right amount of money... read more
We on the Globe and Mail personal finance team have our favourite contacts – the people we like to talk to the most because they offer value for our readers in clarity, insight and integrity.... read more
The greatest hits in personal finance – or rather, to personal finance – this year were like punches to the face. Why linger over a year of blows? The reason is that we’re heading into... read more
Do personal finance writers ever change their minds about the right things to do? For sure. Several years back, I reversed course on young adults having credit cards before they started working. I now think... read more
For a country that worships home ownership, we have a surprisingly diverse and fast-growing population of renters. The percentage of people renting increased in every age group over the past decade, an RBC Economics report says. While young... read more
As disturbing as the past year has been in personal finance, 2023 threatens to be worse. A huge wave of interest rate increases hit this year. Next year, they really sink in. The cumulative impact... read more
At least two of the banks I deal with offer a no-cost way to check my credit score online. I say at least because I have accounts at many banks and haven’t visited them all lately. But... read more
There is no way that interest rates can rise sharply without a high degree of unfairness in how people are affected. Take borrowers and savers, for example. If you owe a lot on a mortgage, rising rates can increase... read more
Canadians’ wallets are feeling the bite on two sides: soaring prices and rising borrowing costs. We crunched the numbers to show how much more they’re paying. The financial double bite is everywhere. A stick of... read more
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced plans to erase the interest on federal student and apprentice loans as part of the government’s fall fiscal update. The move, made amid soaring living costs and the threat of... read more
Two of our biggest cities are an affordability trap for young adults. Without six-figure incomes or well-off parents, anyone in their 20s and 30s has to question whether they have a future in Vancouver and... read more
While Canadians vastly prefer to own their homes, there were always some strong points in favour of renting. Just try and make a case for renting today. The brutal dynamics of today’s housing market have... read more
The next chapter in financial inequality will be the divide between those who can afford to prepare their household finances for the coming recession and those who cannot. Keeping a stockpile of cash protects you against the... read more
Businesses in Canada can now add surcharges to bills when customers use a credit card to pay. The new rules are the result of a settlement in a long-running class-action legal battle launched by merchants against Visa and MasterCard and... read more
