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5 Things Every Canadian Should Know About Their Money Today

From a rate hold to a sovereign wealth fund — here's what's moving the needle on your finances right now. 01 — DEADLINE Today is the tax filing deadline — and your refund may be a lifeline April 30 is the last day most Canadians can file their 2025 income tax return without penalty. With the cost of living still squeezing household budgets, many Canadians are counting on their refund as a financial cushion. Filing late triggers a 5% penalty on any balance owing, plus 1% for each additional month. If you haven't filed yet, the CRA's NETFILE portal is still open — act before midnight. 02 — INTEREST RATES Bank of Canada holds steady at 2.25% — no relief yet for borrowers The Bank of Canada kept its policy rate at 2.25% yesterday — the third consecutive hold of 2026. Governor Tiff Macklem cited rising inflation driven by higher global energy prices tied to the Middle East conflict, while U.S. tariffs continue to weigh on exports. CPI inflation climbed to 2.4% in Ma...

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Canada’s Population Growth and the National Bank of Canada’s Report

 

According to a report by the National Bank of Canada, Canada is caught in a “population trap” for the first time in modern history and needs to limit immigration to escape it. A population trap is when the population is growing so fast that all available savings are needed to maintain the existing capital-labour ratio, making any increase in living standards impossible. 

National Bank’s report joins the growing chorus of concern that the influx of newcomers over the past two years, many of whom are temporary workers or students, is too much for the economy to handle.

Canada’s population grew by 1.2 million in 2023, a “staggering” amount when you consider that the next biggest surge was when Newfoundland joined the nation in 1949. From a global perspective, Canada’s population growth of 3.2% last year was five times higher than the average of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations. 

The economists say that Canada currently lacks the infrastructure and capital stock to adequately absorb current population growth and improve its standard of living. The strain is most evident in housing, with National saying the shortfall has reached a record of only one housing start for every 4.2 people entering the working-age population. Government programs are underway to address this, but to meet demand and reduce housing inflation, Canada would need to double its housing construction capacity to about 700,000 starts a year.

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