The Bank of Canada raises the key interest rate
OTTAWA –
The Bank of Canada raised its overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase since pausing hikes in January. The central bank’s key interest rate has not been this high since April 2001.
Several factors led to the bank’s decision to raise the key interest rate, including economic growth in Canada. Gross Domestic Product exceeded expectations in the first quarter of this year, growing by 3.1 per cent.
The central bank says demand in the economy has rebounded, with surprisingly strong consumer spending. Housing market activity has picked up again…
The Family Business Succession Puzzle
Two weeks ago today we bade farewell to everyone’s favorite oedipal billionaires as the final episode of “Succession” wrapped up. The show’s immense cultural impact is due to many factors: top-class writing, heart-rending performances, and the sheer power Brian Cox could load into the letter ‘F’ all they played their part.
At its heart, the series highlights the often messy interlacing of family dynamics and 21st-century capitalism — and while we believe few viewers could truly relate to the Roys, that dynamic is deeply entrenched in real-world economics. Around 60% of the US workforce is employed by family-run businesses, and…
Smith faces a slew of financial challenges in Alberta after election victory
After faltering about a decade ago in her ambitions to lead the Wildrose Party to power in Alberta, Danielle Smith found redemption on Monday night as leader of the United Conservative Party with a majority victory in the provincial election.
Smith became premier in October after winning the UCP leadership vote in the wake of Jason Kenney’s resignation, and now has a much broader mandate after a victory over the Alberta New Democratic Party.
“To paraphrase our dear friend Ralph Klein, ‘Welcome to another miracle on the Prairies,'” Smith said to cheers from the crowd in Calgary.
The election comes…
Visa and MasterCard agreed to lower the average credit card interchange fee below 1%
The government has announced new details of an agreement with Visa and MasterCard that will see them lower the amount that they charge retailers when a customer pays for a purchase with a credit card.
Known as so-called interchange fees, they have long irritated merchants by allowing the credit card company to keep a percentage of each sale, instead of a flat fee for each transaction.
On Thursday, the government announced a deal with the two card companies that will reduce interchange fees for in-store transactions to 0.95 per cent, on average.
That means on a $100 purchase, if a…
