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Federal Budget 2025: What It Means for Your Money

The 2025 federal budget introduces a mix of tax cuts, housing measures, and spending shifts that will directly affect Canadians’ day-to-day finances. While the government projects a significant deficit, the plan focuses on affordability and long-term growth. Here are eight key ways it impacts your wallet: 1. Lower Income Taxes The lowest federal tax bracket will be reduced from 15% to 14% starting mid-2025, giving middle-income earners some relief. 2. Vacant Home Measures The Underused Housing Tax will be expanded to discourage vacant and underutilized properties, aiming to free up more housing supply. 3. Student Loan Relief Repayment assistance will be enhanced, with lower income thresholds and capped monthly payments to ease the burden on graduates. 4. Consumer Protection New rules will cut down on excessive banking fees and strengthen protections for financial consumers, especially those with modest incomes. 5. Housing Affordability Programs Funding will support first-...
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Anticipation and Reaction to Fed’s Rate Decision

 


As investors braced for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision, North American stock markets experienced a mixed close. The Fed maintained its key interest rate at 5.25%-5.50%, leaving the future of rate cuts uncertain. Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dipped, while the Dow Jones and S&P/TSX Composite saw modest gains.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference offered a glimmer of hope as he dismissed the likelihood of an immediate rate hike, causing a surge in market optimism. He acknowledged the persistent issue of inflation but expressed confidence in the progress towards the 2% target.

The labor market showed signs of normalization, with job openings at a three-year low2. Meanwhile, the earnings season is more than halfway through, with a majority of S&P 500 companies surpassing consensus expectations.

In the corporate landscape, AMD’s AI chip sales forecast led to a 9% drop in its shares, while Amazon’s AI-driven cloud growth pushed its stock up by 2.2%. Johnson & Johnson plans to proceed with a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit settlement, and Starbucks faced a significant sales forecast cut.

The energy sector took a hit due to falling oil prices and a potential Middle East ceasefire, while uranium miners saw a boost from a U.S. ban on Russian imports. Canadian manufacturing activity continued to contract, reflecting ongoing economic challenges.

In summary, the market’s response to the Fed’s decision was a complex interplay of anticipation, relief, and sector-specific movements, highlighting the intricate dynamics of financial markets.

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