Author: Sharon Babaeva

A recent bank poll found two-thirds of Canadian post-secondary students pursued learning beyond formal education to strengthen career prospects before the upcoming school year.
Job-market concerns shaped decisions for 76% of students, while top upskilling motivations included better earning potential, stronger job prospects, and personal interest.
Two-thirds said they had a financial plan for the upcoming school year, and the same share planned to invest at least part of summer earnings.
Most expected to work during the academic year, over half still worried about tuition and living costs, yet nearly four in five felt optimistic.
Another bank introduced a roommate money guide, highlighting that many students still avoid discussing shared financial responsibilities before the school year begins.

Across Canada, a recent survey found ~44% of workers were financially stressed, ~34% were coping, and only ~22% were financially comfortable overall.
If income stopped, ~41% of financially stressed workers said they could cover household expenses for no more than one month, versus ~4% among comfortable workers.
More than half of financially stressed workers, ~53%, said money worries hurt workplace performance, showing employers that financial wellness affects productivity as well as well-being.
The research suggested resilience wasn’t explained by income, wealth, or homeownership alone; debt, accessible savings, liquidity, asset mix, and flexibility also mattered.
Retirement plans, disability coverage, and accessible savings can strengthen resilience; ~75% of respondents said an employer-sponsored savings program would offer at least some value.

A tech executive's weighted-vote idea drew backlash, yet it spotlighted a debate over whether shrinking direct tax contributors can sustainably support expanding public commitments.
In 2023 tax data, ~6M adult filers paid no combined income or payroll tax; after transfers, ~15M paid nothing on net or came out ahead.
Canada relied on personal income taxes for ~37% of tax revenue in 2023, above the ~24% avg. across peer countries that year.
Federal and provincial changes pushed more tax load upward; with combined top rates above ~53% in many provinces, mobile professionals may rethink effort and location.
The argument rejected weighted voting, but urged debate over whether every Canadian should contribute something in income tax if government commitments keep expanding.

Canada homeowners should review property tax bills for factual errors or unexpected jumps, since assessment changes or inaccurate details can open the door to savings.
Across Canada, property taxes generally reflect a home's market value and the municipal rate, while reassessment timing differs by province and can affect bills.
In Ontario, reassessments stayed paused after the pandemic, but permits for additions like basements or pools still alerted the provincial assessment agency to update values.
Homeowners can appeal annually by explaining why taxes seem high and backing it up with data; factual errors and equity comparisons are common paths.
Complaints alone rarely help; strong evidence matters, and successful cases can deliver modest yearly savings or refunds approaching ~20% when a property was overvalued.

In Canada, RRSPs had to close by Dec. 31 of the year someone turned 71, often moving into a RRIF with taxable minimum withdrawals.
Those minimums were based on the account’s Jan. 1 value and age factor, starting near ~5% in early years and reaching ~20% from age 95.
A hypothetical $500K RRSP compounding at ~5% for seven years grew to ~$704K, pushing an age-72 minimum near $38K instead of $27K.
That extra taxable income could matter once CPP, OAS, workplace pensions, or investment income start, with the 2026 OAS recovery tax applying above >$95K.
Using lower-income years for partial withdrawals, pension-income splitting, a younger spouse’s age for RRIF setup, and TFSA contributions may spread taxes more deliberately.