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Monday’s CPI Could Decide Your Next Mortgage Payment

  Canada lost 68,000 jobs in September. Inflation is sitting at 3%. The Bank of Canada has to decide on October 28 which of those facts matters more, and on Monday morning one more number lands to help it choose. If you carry a variable-rate mortgage, a HELOC or a renewal this winter, that number has a price tag. Two reports pulling in opposite directions The jobs data came first. Statistics Canada reported on October 9 that employment fell by 68,000 in September, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.5% from 6.4%. It followed a drop of about 42,000 in August, which means more than half of the 181,000 jobs gained between April and July have now been wiped out. Ontario shed 20,000 positions on its own. Markets reacted within hours: the odds of a quarter-point Bank of Canada hike on October 28 dropped to roughly 25% from about 40%, according to LSEG data reported by Reuters. Inflation is telling the opposite story. The consumer price index rose 3.0% year over year in August, matching Ju...

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Trump's Tariff Tango: A Chaotic Dance of Trade Policies

The Trump administration's tariff plans have left many scratching their heads. With a schedule that seems to shift as often as the wind, businesses and governments alike are struggling to keep up. The latest development involves a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, set to take effect on March 4. This move, according to President Trump, is aimed at combating the flow of fentanyl into the United States, despite evidence suggesting that Canada is not a significant source of the drug.

Adding to the confusion, Trump has also announced reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners, scheduled for April 2. These overlapping deadlines and mixed messages have created uncertainty in international trade, a hallmark of Trump's policy approach.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to retaliate with tariffs on American goods if these measures proceed. Meanwhile, businesses on both sides of the border are bracing for economic turbulence.

The ever-changing nature of these tariffs underscores the unpredictability of the current trade landscape. As deadlines loom, the world watches to see how this high-stakes game of economic brinkmanship will unfold.

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