Thursday, July 9, 2026 Every July, a wave of federal benefit payments resets for the new benefit year — and 2026 brings one of the biggest shifts in years. Between a permanent 25% boost to the old GST/HST credit, a fresh Canada Child Benefit increase, and the largest quarterly OAS bump of the year, millions of Canadian households will see different numbers land in their accounts this month. Here's what actually changed, and what to check in your own CRA account. The GST/HST Credit Has a New Name — and a Bigger Payout The GST/HST credit has officially been replaced by the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) . It's not a new program from scratch — it runs on the same CRA infrastructure and eligibility rules — but the payment amounts are 25% higher, and that increase is locked in for five years. The first CGEB payment went out on July 3, 2026. Under the new structure: A single individual with no children can receive up to roughly $679 per year (about $170 per quart...
Global Outage Sends Markets Tumbling: S&P/TSX and U.S. Indices Drop
The S&P/TSX composite index closed lower on Friday, reflecting a broader downturn in global markets. The index fell by 36.37 points to settle at 22,690.39. This decline was part of a larger trend, as U.S. markets also experienced significant losses.
The downturn was largely attributed to a global outage caused by a faulty software update from CrowdStrike, which affected numerous companies and organizations worldwide. In the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 377.49 points to 40,287.53, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite indices fell by 39.59 points and 144.28 points, respectively.
The Canadian dollar also saw a slight decrease, trading at 72.85 cents U.S., down from 73.01 cents U.S. on Thursday. Commodity markets were not spared, with crude oil prices dropping by $2.66 to $78.64 per barrel, and gold prices falling by $57.30 to $2,399.10 an ounce.
This market reaction underscores the interconnected nature of global financial systems and the widespread impact that technological disruptions can have on economic stability.
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