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Black Friday Nov. 27: Wait for It or Skip It? Canadians Plan to Spend 6.5% Less

  CANADIAN MONEY BRIEF • NOVEMBER 14, 2026 Black Friday lands on Nov. 27, and nearly half of Canadians have been holding off purchases to wait for it. But with budgets shrinking and borrowing costs higher, waiting only pays if the deal is real and the bill gets paid. Quick take: Canadians plan to spend an average of $911 this holiday season, down 6.5% from last year. Black Friday is still the day most plan around. The smart move is not to skip it or blindly chase it, but to decide before the sales what you need, what it should cost, and how you'll pay. Budgets are shrinking, but Black Friday isn't The Retail Council of Canada and Leger surveyed 2,500 Canadians between Aug. 21 and Sept. 4. The average planned holiday budget came in at $911 , down $64 from $975 a year ago. More than half of respondents (56%) said inflation or economic instability is weighing on their outlook. Yet the big sale days are doing the opposite of shrinking. 88% rank Black Friday among their top three...

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Trump Proposes $5 Million 'Gold Cards' for Path to U.S. Citizenship

 

In a recent announcement, President Donald Trump revealed a new initiative to replace the existing EB-5 investor visa program with a $5 million "gold card" visa. This new visa would provide wealthy foreign nationals with U.S. residency and a path to citizenship.

The EB-5 program, established in 1990, allowed foreign investors to obtain green cards by investing a minimum of $1 million in a U.S. business that created or preserved at least ten jobs. However, the program has faced criticism for fraud and inefficiency. The new "gold card" visa aims to address these issues by raising the investment threshold and ensuring that applicants are thoroughly vetted.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that the "Trump Gold Card" would replace the EB-5 visas within two weeks. The new program is expected to attract wealthy individuals who will contribute significantly to the U.S. economy through taxes, job creation, and investment.

Trump's proposal has sparked debate, with some praising the potential economic benefits and others questioning the ethical implications of selling citizenship. The president believes that the "gold card" visa will be a successful and lucrative program, potentially selling up to 10 million cards to reduce the national deficit.

As the program rolls out, it remains to be seen how it will impact the U.S. immigration landscape and whether it will achieve the desired economic outcomes.



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