Cost of Living

The post-WWII rules-based order has been good to Canada. International trade agreements and cooperation have brought peace and prosperity. But with Trump now tearing up the playbook, will we have to follow suit? Or can we find new partners who still want to play the old game the old way? Also, why more North Americans are willing to splurge on business class flights and why long waitlists are pushing Canadians to shop for new hips abroad.

More people listen to music on Youtube than Spotify. It's the world's biggest podcast platform and it's worth twice as much as Disney. So what does it mean when one media company commands so much of our attention? We explain why fast food restaurants are betting on hot hot hot menu items. And, the U.S. is making it harder for the world's brightest minds to work in America. Sooo maybe they wanna come here?

Today we've got a little bonus for you: the latest episode of a new CBC podcast called “See You In Court,” in which host Falen Johnson revisits the legal cases that changed Canada. The second case is one we thought Cost of Living listeners might like, because it's all about a man who fights all the way to the Supreme Court to get his money!In 1999, a Montreal businessman named Jean Marc Richard got a letter with this claim from Time Magazine: MR. JEAN MARC RICHARD HAS WON A CASH PRIZE OF $833,337! Others might clock it as junk mail and toss it, but the self-described “fighter” Mr. Richard is determined to get his promised payout, launching a court battle with one of North America's biggest publishers.Come hear how Richard v Time launched a battle over misleading advertising, and set a standard for consumer rights that is still used today.And find more cases from See You in Court here: https://link.mgln.ai/syic-drop

More than two decades ago, Ireland radically cut corporate taxes and produced an "economic miracle." Now some say Canada should look to the Emerald Isle and perform a miracle of its own. We find out why some people are learning to love Canadian Gamays and Pinot Noirs. And could a proposed takeover of Teck, one of our last mining giants, be a test of the country's newfound economic nationalism?

Only a handful of companies have gone public on the TSX in the last few years. Paul Haavardsrud explores why that's bad for investors and the economy at large. Also, we explore why so many adults are now getting mid-life braces. But, first up, is our love of big SUVs making traffic congestion worse?

About one in three marriages end in divorce in Canada. But the high cost of housing has some people doing the unthinkable — continuing to live with their ex.

This week, we dug through the vaults to find the best of your questions! Like, why does a deli roast chicken cost less than cooking one yourself? What's the deal with reverse mortgages? And do charities really make money from those giant clothing donation bins?

Canadians have hit the breaks on buying electric vehicles. But to meet the federal mandate, 10 years from now, every new vehicle sold in this country will have to be zero emission. So how are we going to get there?

Back in the spring, Trump's tariff threats had Canadians ducking for cover. We were bracing for massive job losses, inflation, even a full-blown recession. But for the most part, the economy is chugging along better than expected. So what gives?

It's not as far-fetched as it sounds. Canada needs new economic allies, and we meet a lot of the criteria for membership. So could we? Should we? Montreal political scientist, Frederic Menard, outlines the pros and cons of joining the EU.

The world of money has changed a lot since the 90s, and Rob Carrick has seen it all. From the 2008 financial crisis to the recent rise in housing prices, Rob looks back at a career as the personal finance columnist for the Globe and Mail.

Money talks. We translate. Paul Haavardsrud looks at the way money shapes our lives in ways big, small, obvious, and unseen. New episodes drop every Friday.

Social insurance numbers are like snowflakes. No two are alike. That's what makes them so valuable to the wrong kind of people. So if SINs are so important to hold close, why are we asked to share them so often?

Some of us might forget $20 in a coat pocket, but what about thousands of dollars in pension payments? It happens more often than you might think. We'll explain why Canadians lose track of their own retirement savings and how to reclaim them.

A world powered by solar energy has been on the horizon for years. But with costs dropping at a rapid pace, the renewable may be about to have its moment in the sun. So what could we achieve with all that cheap, unlimited energy?

Massive population growth in the last few years put pressure on housing and healthcare. But all those people have also been pouring money into the economy and, by some accounts, keeping us out of a recession. So does a plan for negative population growth risk steering us into the economic ditch?

Trump's tariffs have caused a lot of aggro between Canada and the U.S. But on a personal level, many of us still have friends down south. NPR host Darian Woods with the economics podcast, The Indicator, joins us to talk about covering Trump, how average Americans feel about the tariffs and the state of our cross-border relationship. Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Social insurance numbers are like snowflakes. No two are alike. That's what makes them so valuable to the wrong kind of people. With a stolen SIN, thieves can open bank accounts, take out loans — all in someone else's name. So if SINs are so important to hold close, why are we asked to share them so often?Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

John Pasalis says building more housing isn't the only solution to high home prices. It ignores an even bigger problem: investors. He explains how decades of low interest rates and tax policy have turned us into a nation of real estate speculators — and until we fix that, prices aren't going anywhere.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Back in the mid-2000s, a group of entrepreneurs rolled out a made-in-Canada electric car called Zenn. Based on the European micro-car, it became a darling on the venture exchange. But Canadian regulators were less enamoured of its low speeds and the company hit a roadblock. So what happened? And did we miss out on our piece of the EV revolution?

Growing unemployment, tariffs and flatlining GDP all point in the same concerning direction. Canada may be headed for a recession. Paul Haavarsrud talks to economist Armine Yalnizyan about the economic road ahead.

Germany has Volkswagen. Japan has Toyota. So why doesn't Canada have a car? We explore what it would take to build an all-Canadian automobile.

Trump tariffs are supposed to "Make Manufacturing Great Again." Only, robots are a thing now. So why is he scrambling up the global economy when the factory jobs he talks about are stuck in the 1970s? 

Prefab housing is getting a lot of attention as a way to solve the housing crisis. But so far, it hasn't caught on in a big way. So what would it take to transform housing construction into something closer to the auto industry?

Leaders in Canada are talking about building a lot of stuff right now: pipelines, ports, railways and highways. As one expert puts it, "We can build anything. But we can't build everything." So what should go ahead? And how much will it cost?

Sure, the internet belongs to everyone. But a handful of big companies exert a tremendous amount of control over it. Now two of them, Meta and Google, face antitrust charges in the United States. So what does this mean for the future of our online experience?

With Canada under pressure to meet its NATO commitments, the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP are making promises to increase military spending. So, could we leverage that money to spur innovation and boost the Canadian economy? 

It's not a trivial question. In fact, how people are feeling about their finances can be a key economic indicator. And right now, that indicator is flashing red. So we thought we'd fan out across the country and ask people — how's it going?

Thirty years ago, the U.S. helped create the World Trade Organization, a group of countries linked by a common set of free trade agreements. But then, starting with the Obama administration, the country turned against the WTO. This leaves a void where there should be a referee to settle trade disputes between countries. On this episode of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money, how American grievances paralyzed the WTO's dispute settlement system and what happens when the U.S. no longer wants to play by the rules it once agreed to.More episodes of The Indicator are available at: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510325/the-indicator-from-planet-money

Economist Justin Wolfers says Trump's tariffs are "madness" and — on behalf of America — wants to apologize. He tells us why the U.S. president's zero sum view of economics fails to understand the benefits of global trade.

Toronto and Vancouver can't build housing fast enough to keep up with demand. So what if Canada invested billions to turn a smaller city into their superstar rival? Could it create balance in the housing universe?

When people are nervous about the future of the economy, they often hold back. Maybe they don't buy that new fridge or take that new job in a different province. It all adds up to a potential stall in our economy. And that just makes people even more uncertain. But is there a way to break the cycle?

Back when North American free trade was still just an idea, Liberal leader John Turner opposed it. He warned that handing over the "economic levers" could lead to a loss of Canada's political independence. Brian Mulroney won the election and free trade brought Canada all kinds of prosperity. But now? Well, we explore why Turner's ideas are having an "I told you so" moment. 

Some believe there's a silver lining to our neighbour to the south suddenly turning hostile. Paul Haavardsrud talks to a couple of experts who say it's time to put the pedal to the medal — and get the economy back on track.

The U.S. wants to eat our economic lunch — to lure jobs, companies and head offices to America. The thing is, Canadian capital has been moving south for years. Can we stem the tide?

If U.S President Donald Trump goes ahead with his plan to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian exports, Canada will retaliate with its own tariffs. Trouble is, the U.S. isn't nearly as dependent on exports as we are. 

The former governor of the Bank of Canada Stephen Poloz has helped guide Canada through some uncertain times. But right now, he says his worry meter is "pretty far up there."

We've known for a long time that being too dependent on the U.S. makes us vulnerable. They're our largest trading partner, but they're not the only country in the world. So is it finally time for Canada to make more friends?

Both countries have just been given a 30-day reprieve from Trump's tariffs. So, can we work together to fend off the looming trade war with the U.S.? Paul Haavardsrud speaks with the former vice minister of trade for Mexico, Juan Carlos Baker, about what happens now. 

In a historic act of economic aggression, President Trump has made good on his promise and imposed across-the-board tariffs. And Canada has hit back.

Some of us might forget a $20 in a pocket, but what about thousands of dollars? Believe it or not, it happens! Canadians contribute to a pension then, maybe switch jobs and just forget about it. We'll explain why it's so hard to track people down and what they're missing out on. 

A U.S. economics podcast called us wanting to know how Trump's tariff threats are playing out in Canada. Paul Haavardsrud chats with NPR's The Indicator about how we're feeling, what's at stake, and how Canada could respond if tariffs happen.