Many first-time home buyers have cooled off and ceased their house hunting searches as the market levels off with interest rates still climbing.  Home prices have still not dropped down as low as some buyers were hoping for; and as we sit poised for another year, it is now anyone’s guess what will happen. Many economists say the interest rates will climb even higher especially with the Canadian prime rate inching it’s way closer to 7%.  But there are also those, like myself, who approved mortgages for clients in the early 90’s with rates at 10.75% and 11.50% who believe today’s market is a totally different economic environment.  The Bank of Canada will increase the prime rate to slow down inflation which economists believe will decline by this year’s third quarter.  Most of the current run-up in inflation now is still due to supply-chain constraints and is not believed [...]

To answer you honestly – I’m not sure. Let me tell you why. Currently no one knows for sure where inflation is headed or whether it will continue to be volatile. The three-month trend is averaging 5.8% so there is no denying that it is a force to be reckoned with in 2023. Basically, economists and analysts, have very little experience with true inflation other than what we witnessed in the late 70’s and early 80’s, when you witnessed interest rates at 18%. I will agree, that Canadians should indeed brace themselves for continued instabilities in the markets for the beginning of next year; but it seems hard to predict which way inflation, rates and the financial markets will go in the latter part of 2023. There are many bullish and persuasive commentators that took the CPI results, (Consumer Price Index) as a positive sign that we had reached [...]

Great question! – I think a lot of people are wondering this too. I don’t believe in timing the stock market; however, December and January have specific attributes that the other months of the year just don’t have. So, let’s talk about that. For those of you that regularly invest in the equity markets, you may have noticed that your portfolio always takes a bit of a hit at the end of November.  This is due to the month-end pension fund portfolio rebalancing done by large mutual fund companies and institutional managed accounts. Typically, markets are always headed into a bit of a soft patch towards the Christmas season, and we should expect a slight pullback.  Often viewed by advisors as the “sweet-month,” this is usually a good time to put money into the market to continue to build a higher return anticipated to come in the new year.  [...]

I have 3 radio shows that play across Canada with over 14 million listeners and my broadcasting partners sell ad space on my shows.  Recently, with the economic changes I have seen many sponsors leave their advertising campaigns, recoiling and reining in expenditures, to hunker down for an economic pullback.  This is surprising to me every time it happens – and I have witnessed it many times in different markets.  Everyone has lots of bravado and motivation when the going is easy, but when it gets harder, they cave, fold, and complain about “hard times.”  So, let’s look at how to increase your business presence, expand your brand and grow in a market that some say is on the cusp of a recession.  What should you do?  Should you not advertise at all to save money – or should you advertise now because no one else is, and it [...]

Hustle culture is something my demographic, (ages 45 to 55) and our parents have been used to all our lives.  Living by the motto that you can’t be successful unless you “work really hard, show up every day ready to overcome any obstacle, with a no-limits attitude, and of course, programmed for greatness.”  We quickly passed judgment on anyone who didn’t seem to be working hard, and everything in our lives had to become second to our all-mighty career.  Sound familiar?    There are tonnes of books out there pushing the hustle culture.  Suggesting you should create your own “vision board;” telling you to not limit yourself, and this one I love: “never settle for less than what you truly deserve.”  While I agree that we all should be passionate about what we are doing in life, and yes, you should try to always better your situation; I no [...]