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 The GST/HST Credit Has a New Name — and a Bigger Payout The GST/HST credit has officially been replaced by the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) .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...
Wall Street Futures Dip as Holiday-Shortened Week Concludes
U.S. stock index futures fell on Friday as Wall Street wrapped up a holiday-shortened week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 119 points (0.27%), while S&P 500 futures declined by 22 points (0.36%). Futures tracking the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 also fell by 92.25 points (0.42%).
Despite the dip, the S&P 500 has nearly recovered from last week's losses, driven by the U.S. Federal Reserve's projection of fewer interest rate cuts in 2025. The benchmark index is now just 1% below its all-time high reached on December 6.
Investors are now eyeing the "Santa Claus rally," a traditional stock-buying season in the last five trading sessions of December and the first two of January. Historically, the S&P 500 has climbed 1.3% on average during this period since 1969.
Trading volumes have been lower than average this week and are expected to remain subdued until January 6. The next major focus for markets will be the December employment report due on January 10.
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