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1 in 4 Canadians Can Only Afford the Minimum Payment on Their Credit Card

  Published August 24, 2026 · Canadian Money Brief A new survey from Equifax Canada puts a hard number on something a lot of us have felt creeping up all year: credit cards are doing more of the heavy lifting in Canadian budgets, and fewer people are paying them off. Of more than 1,500 Canadians surveyed, a quarter said they expect to make only the minimum monthly payment on their credit card, and another 7% think they'll fall behind entirely. That leaves just over half — 56% — who expect to pay their balance in full each month. The survey also found that 40% of respondents are spending more overall than they were a year ago, more than double the 18% who say they're spending less. Nearly 3 in 10 said they're leaning more heavily on credit cards to cover essentials like groceries and utilities, and close to a quarter are dipping into savings to keep up with everyday costs. More than a third have cut back on contributions to savings, investments, or education funds to make ro...

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Stocks close mixed as tech pares losses


On Tuesday, January 9, 2024, the US stock market closed with mixed results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) slipped 0.4% or about 150 points. The benchmark S&P 500 ( ^GSPC) fell by nearly 0.2%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC) crawled above the flatline, in a reversal of earlier losses. The tech rally wavered after a Samsung profit warning took the shine off the sector. Samsung’s update weighed on hopes for a rebound in the PC and mobile sector, a key market for its memory chips. The Korean company said it expects a 35% drop in fourth-quarter operating income, far short of estimates, as demand continues to lag.

Investors are focusing on the December consumer inflation reading due Thursday and what it could mean for the chances of easing interest rates. Two Federal Reserve officials on Monday poured cold water on Wall Street’s already fading expectations that a cut could come in the next few months. The idea that inflation is cooling underpins investors’ belief that the US economy will skirt recession. That conviction faces a crucial test on Friday, when big banks kick off the fourth-quarter earnings season.

Oil prices ( CL=F) ( BZ=F) rose just under 2%, recouping some of Monday’s near 4% fall as investors weighed the impact of tensions in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut crude prices.


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