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What to Do with Your Tax Refund: 5 Smart Moves for Canadians

  Tax Season · Personal Finance By MoneySavings.ca Editorial Team • May 7, 2026 • 7 min read Tax season is wrapping up across Canada, and for millions of Canadians, that means a refund cheque — or a direct deposit — is on its way. The average Canadian tax refund hovers around $1,800. That's real money. The question is: what's the smartest thing you can do with it? It's tempting to treat a tax refund like "found money" and splurge. But here's the truth — that refund was your money all along. The government was just holding it for you, interest-free. So before it quietly disappears into day-to-day spending, let's look at five moves that will make it work harder for you. $1,800 The average Canadian tax refund — enough to make a meaningful dent in debt, pad an emergency fund, or kick-start your TFSA for the year. 1 Pay Down High-Interest Debt First If you're carrying a balance on a credit card, this should be your very first call. Most Canadian credit car...

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Resilient Workforce: U.S. Jobless Claims Dip to 213,000 Amid Stability

 

The latest data from the U.S. Labor Department shows that initial jobless claims fell by 7,000 to 213,000 for the week ending February 8, outperforming economists’ expectations of 215,000. This decline is a positive indicator of a robust labor market, where layoffs remain historically low, despite ongoing economic uncertainties. 

Complementing this data, January’s employment report revealed an increase of 143,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.0%. These figures suggest that businesses are largely retaining their workforce, a factor that has enabled the Federal Reserve to pause further interest rate cuts as it assesses economic conditions. 

While some sectors are experiencing isolated job cuts amid persistent inflation and cautious corporate strategies, the overall picture points to a stable and resilient labor market. The sustained strength in job retention continues to support economic expansion, even as policymakers and businesses navigate a complex economic landscape.

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