Personal Finance

Taxes versus the Necessities of Life: The Canadian Consumer Tax Index

Posted by Jake Fuss

on Friday, 2 August 2019 9:54

  • The Canadian Consumer Tax Index tracks the total tax bill of the average Canadian family from 1961 to 2018. Including all types of taxes, that bill has increased by 2,246% since 1961.
  • Taxes have grown much more rapidly than any other single expenditure for the average Canadian family: expenditures on shelter increased by 1,593%, clothing by 769%, and food by 639% from 1961 to 2018.
  • The 2,246% increase in the tax bill has also greatly outpaced the increase in the Consumer Price Index (750%), which measures the average price that consumers pay for food, shelter, clothing, transportation, health and personal care, education, and other items….CLICK to view index

Will B.C.’s commercial real estate prices follow residential decline?

Posted by Jim Costello

on Friday, 2 August 2019 9:34

Our friends over at Hawkeye Wealth brought this one to our attention. Some interesting insights on where the money is flowing in the real estate market. -ed.

Home prices have been in a sharp retreat in Metro Vancouver, Canada’s second largest investment market, ever since the British Columbia government introduced a foreign buyer tax in mid-2016. The concern for some is that commercial property prices will be pulled down by the residential sector. Recent price history suggests that won’t necessarily be the case, however.

When I visited Vancouver earlier this year, market participants seemed to be waiting for the next shoe to drop. With single-family homes and commercial properties competing for land, the thinking is that the decline in residential prices will bring down land values, and in turn bring down commercial property prices to the same degree as residential assets.

Historically, these price series had moved together. From 2005 to 2014 each exhibited a six per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) with only a few bumps and differences between the series over time….CLICK for complete article

For more from Hawkeye, head to their twitter “@hawkeye_wealth”.

The World’s Most Innovative Economies

Posted by Ashley Viens

on Thursday, 1 August 2019 9:17

In the 21st century, innovation has become the heart and soul of economic policy. Developed and developing nations alike are in the race to leave industrialization behind, adapting instead to technology-focused, entrepreneurial societies.

Customized cancer treatment, faux meat products, and the smart home technologies are frequently positioned as ‘the next big thing’. But which countries are consistently innovating the most?

Today’s graphic comes from the seventh annual Bloomberg Innovation Index and highlights the 10 most innovative economies, and the seven metrics used to rank 2019’s top contenders….CLICK for complete article

Best Joints Ever?

Posted by The Trend Letter

on Wednesday, 31 July 2019 11:08

An aging population will always have needs that are specialized and unique, and there is every indication that new technologies will be developed to meet those needs in innovative new ways.  Baby Boomers were the largest population bulge up until 2016, and now their numbers are starting to dwindle, being slowly eclipsed by Millennials.  However, no matter which generation predominates, people will always be getting to that stage in life where medical assistance and intervention become a critical factor in maintaining quality of life.  In the USA, people over the age of 65 are forecasted to be 20% of the population by 2050, up from 15% today.

One of the frequent occurrences with the elderly is the deterioration and failure of important …Click here for full article.

Milton Friedman and Phil Donahue On Socialism v. Capitalism

Posted by MT Editor

on Wednesday, 31 July 2019 11:04