Perspectives

Jean-François Perrault, Chief Economist at Scotiabank, sheds light on the Bank of Canada’s decision to maintain interest rates at 2.25%. He breaks down the surprising resilience of the Canadian economy amidst tariffs and trade uncertainty, attributing it to factors like strong job growth and housing market boosts. Perrault provides an outlook for 2026, suggesting potential rate hikes, and discusses the impact of inflation on food and housing prices. His insights are vital for understanding future economic trends and their implications for consumers.

In this episode, we walk through the ins and outs of modern-day philanthropy with Jacqui Allard, the Group Head of Global Wealth Management and co-executive sponsor of Scotiabank’s Employee Giving Campaign. She has tips on how to simplify and maximize donations, how to figure out where to give, how giving can factor into estate planning at any level and more.  For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures    Key moments this episode:  1:14 – The role charitable giving has played in Jacqui’s life and the three pillars that are important to her when it comes to philanthropy  2:53 – What Jacqui would say to someone who might say, ‘I’m not wealthy, how can I think about giving?’  3:32 – Why it’s important to give  4:03 – How people should decide where to give their money or time  4:57 – Tips of making regular giving easier  6:55 – How philanthropy can play into overall wealth planning  8:57 – The role charitable giving can factor into estate planning  9:37 – Jacqui tells us about the Scotiabank Employee Giving campaign  11:28 – The key takeaway from this discussion 

Canada’s first Indigenous-led, Indigenous-owned investment dealer, Cedar Leaf Capital, just celebrated its one-year anniversary. So, Cedar Leaf’s CEO Clint Davis joins us to walk us through the ups and downs of the first year, the state of Indigenous economic reconciliation, what role organizations like Cedar Leaf play in that process, what the next year might hold and more.  For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures    Key moments this episode:  2:04 – What is Cedar Leaf Capital?  3:43 – How Cedar Leaf Capital came about and what made it historic  5:14 – What exactly is an investment dealer?  6:42 – Clint breaks down year one of Cedar Leaf  9:58 – Clints tells us about Cedar Leaf’s historic all-Indigenous trading desk and what that represents  12:46 – What Prime Minister Carney’s latest nation-building projects represent for organizations like Cedar Leaf and for Indigenous economic reconciliation in general  21:40 – What lessons and challenges has Cedar Leaf faced in the first year?  23:14 – Clint’s goals for the second year of Cedar Leaf Capital 

In this episode Rob McGavin, the Managing Director at Scotiatrust, gives us a primer on wills. We’ll cover the basics from exactly what a will is, why you need one and where to get it. Also, we’ll go a little deeper and explore what roles you might need to assign and who can best fill them, how often to update a will, how to avoid common family conflicts and more.  Estate planning is a very personal and complex area, with many nuances and provincial differences. This podcast is intended to address/cover high level matters, not present a comprehensive overview. Everyone’s situation is unique, so it’s important to engage your personal advisors to ensure that all aspects have been fully canvassed before making or changing any part of your estate plan.  For more on estate planning, check out our previous episode with Rob McGavin: So, what exactly is a power of attorney?  For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures    Key moments this episode:  1:42 – Starting with some definitions – what is a will?  2:09 – What is a power of attorney?  3:22 – Why would someone need a will?  4:06 – How many Canadians have a will?  4:54 – When should people think about getting a will?  6:17 – Common reasons why people don’t get a will  7:31 – What are the roles that need to be assigned when making a will?  9:21 – What exactly is an executor and what do they do?  10:55 – How to choose an executor  12:17 – What about hiring a trustee?   13:48 – Other roles that need to be appointed when it comes to a will  15:29 – Why making your wishes clear in a will is important  19:40 – Why you shouldn't assume that when you die your money will go to your spouse automatically  20:53 – Where should someone start when it comes to making a will?  22:22 – How often should you update a will?  23:40 – Why a will is just one part of estate planning   25:10 – Breaking down how taxes work when it comes to estates  27:00 – Why communication is key when it comes to estate planning  28:01 – What is the Code of Conduct for the Delivery of  Banking Services to Seniors?  29:10 – The key takeaway when it comes to wills and estate planning 

In this episode, we dive into a recent Scotiabank report that unpacks how artificial intelligence might affect markets and the economy. Co-authors Rebekah Young, Vice President and Head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics at Scotiabank, and Walid Khalid, the Director of Investment Strategy at Scotia Wealth Management, walk us through the impact AI might have on jobs and productivity, whether there’s an ‘AI bubble,’ how investors should get their head around all of this and more.  For more, read the highlights of the report or the full report here: Macro, Markets, and Machines: The Economic and Market Transformation Driven by AI  For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures    Key moments this episode:  1:34 – Rebekah summarizes what her and her co-authors were trying to accomplish with this recent paper  3:42 – How Walid looked at AI using an investing lens   7:01 – How does the emergence and rapid development of AI technology compare to previous technological revolutions?  8:41 – Is AI technology already helping productivity?   13:55 – What about the concern around AI replacing jobs? Is there any merit to that?  17:32 – What are the economic impacts that are already being felt from the increased adoption of AI?  21:09 – Some numbers around the potential impact AI may have on productivity  22:50 – Are we in an ‘AI bubble’? How does this compare with the ‘dot-com bubble’?   30:39 – Summarizing the key takeaways from the report 

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government has tabled its first budget with major spending aimed at driving economic growth and boosting Canada’s competitiveness but also cuts to various programs.   Rebekah Young, Scotiabank’s Head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics, joins us to break down the key takeaways from the federal government's spending plan, what caught her eye, and what it means for Canada’s economy going forward.   Read Rebekah’s full report on the 2025 federal budget - Balancing Boldness: Canada Tables Its Investment and Austerity Budget  For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures  Key moments this episode:  1:01 - What is the headline for the federal budget?  1:22 - What does this mean for the average Canadian – are they better off (or not) with the measures in this budget?  3:00 - Rebekah breaks down some of the big-ticket items in the federal government’s $89.7 billion in new spending, and whether these investments will spur economic growth  8:14 - Rebekah weighs in on whether the government’s expectation that the budget will unlock $1 trillion in investment in the Canadian economy is doable  11:11 - What major spending cuts are in this budget?  13:14 - Is the federal budget’s $78-billion deficit concerning or reasonable given the challenging circumstances?  16:10 - Rebekah on whether the government’s spending plan is a step in the right direction  17:32 - The three biggest takeaways from the federal budget for Canadians 

The Bank of Canada has lowered its key policy interest rate for a second consecutive time by 25 basis points to 2.25% amid ongoing weakness in the economy and as inflation pressures ease.   Governor Tiff Macklem said the current policy rate is “at about the right level” to keep inflation in check near 2% while helping the economy through this period of “structural adjustment.”  Scotiabank’s Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault returns to the podcast to break down this decision and what it says about the economy, as well as provide a preview of the upcoming federal budget and explain how it factors into the rate announcement, and much more.  To learn more about the upcoming federal budget and what to look for, read Scotiabank Economics’ report: The Cost of Ambition: Anticipating Canada’s Federal Investment and Austerity Budget.    For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures  Key moments this episode:  00:52 - JF’s main takeaway from the Bank of Canada’s decision to cut its key policy rate for a second time  02:32 - What drove the central bank’s decision to cut?  04:01 - The upcoming federal budget and how it factors into the Bank of Canada’s rate decisions  5:51 - What to expect and look for in the upcoming federal budget announcement in November  7:06 - What does this cut and the overall outlook mean for Canadians?   9:00 - What does this cut, and the central bank’s message that it will be the last cut for a while, mean for those wanting to buy a home? What does this mean for the Canadian housing market?  10:30 - Governor Tiff Macklem said that the weakness in the Canadian economy is “more than a cyclical downturn. It is also a structural transition.” JF breaks down what this means. 14:05 - JF on where the economy goes from here  16:03 JF on the main takeaways from the Bank of Canada’s decision for Canadians 

Amber Kanwar, a seasoned business journalist and host of the podcast In the Money with Amber Kanwar, discusses the unique financial challenges women face. She highlights how motherhood influences money management and the generational shifts in women's investment approaches. Amber shares insights on the risk dynamics for female investors, advocating for better engagement from financial firms. She also reflects on her transition from TV to podcasting, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and creating relatable content.

Sustainability has long been part of agriculture, by necessity and design, but what does it mean for today's modern growers? For Dr. Sally Flis, the Director of Sustainable Ag Programs at Nutrien Ag Solutions, sustainable practices can help producers be more resilient in the face of global economic uncertainty. Sally is our guest along with Janice Holzscherer, the Managing Director and Head of Agricultural Banking at Scotiabank. They’ll explore what sustainability means when it comes to agriculture, how it plays an important role in the story that modern farmers and growers tell the public and more.    For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures    Key moments this episode:  1:13 – Sally tells us about Nutrien Ag Solutions  3:06 – Some context around Scotiabank’s partnership with Nutrien  5:22 – What Sally mean by “cutting through the noise of sustainability” in agriculture  9:46 – How has the notion of sustainability evolved over the last few decades?  12:19 – What about the consumer side? Is there added pressure on growers and producers to adopt more sustainable practices?   14:13 – What is the story growers want to tell the public when it comes to sustainability?   16:37 – Final thoughts on the state of sustainability and where it’s heading in agriculture 

From the impact of the pandemic to AI, security to quantum computing, this episode two industry veterans will walk us through the state of technology in banking. Inci Akpinar, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer for Canadian Banking Engineering at Scotiabank, and Sebastian Blandizzi, the Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer for Data & Global Wealth Technology at Scotiabank, explore how far the field has come, where it might be going and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead.  For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures    Key moments this episode:  2:17 – Inci and Sebastian look back on technology in banking when they started their careers vs where it is now  7:27 – What pressures does a bank face when it comes to the evolution of technology?  10:50 – What are the next big challenges and opportunities on the horizon?  12:53 – What keeps Sebastian up at night and why that’s recently changed  16:47 – How AI has changed how Inci and Sebastian look at their work and what clients expect  22:50 – What is banking technology going to look like in the next ten years?