Perspectives

The Bank of Canada held rates steady, again, for the fifth consecutive time to no one’s surprise (but disappointing perhaps for homeowners and others anxiously awaiting a cut).  Its latest decision came even though the latest data from January shows inflation in Canada is slowing and is within the central bank’s target range of 1% to 3%, but not quite at its target of 2%. Still, Governor Tiff Macklem said that while it’s clear the central bank’s previous moves are working, it’s too early to cut the benchmark rate.  Scotiabank’s Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault is back to break down the latest decision, what the Bank of Canada needs to see in order to start cutting rates and when a rate cut is likely at this point.  Key moments this episode: 00:56 — What have we learned from this latest announcement?  1:43 — What numbers fed into this rate decision? 3:08 — Why has it been so hard to get to that Bank of Canada inflation target? 4:50 — If shelter costs are the most stubborn part of inflation, how much can the Bank of Canada move the needle? 7:12 — Breaking down the conundrum around how inflation and shelter costs are related 8:26 — What other risks could drive up inflation? 10:05 — When might we see rate cuts? 12:05 — What would need to happen for the Bank of Canada to begin interest rate cuts? 13:24 — How does government spending factor into the Bank of Canada’s upcoming decisions? 15:46 — It’s been about two years since the Bank of Canada began hiking rates. What have we learned since then? 17:16 — The two things Canadians need to know after the decision today 

Chief Investment Officer Andy Nasr discusses the economy, interest rates, inflation, and geopolitical events affecting stock markets. Highlights include predictions for GDP, impact of interest rates on markets, and analysis of U.S. vs Canadian market growth. The episode also explores the effects of geopolitical issues, upcoming U.S. election, and CUSMA renegotiation on economies and investments.

Join the conversation between Janice Holzscherer and Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel on challenges faced by women in farming. They discuss the history of Cherilyn's farm, the importance of diverse perspectives, and the need for farmers to share their stories. Cherilyn shares her journey from reluctance to advocacy and the misconceptions around 'women in agriculture'.

Imagine it’s late one night and you’re awoken by a call. It’s a panicked loved one telling you they’ve been in an accident and need money right away. Except it’s not actually a loved one, it’s a fraudster using AI to perfectly mimic their voice. That’s just one example of the latest in advanced schemes being employed these days to trick you into parting with your money. Tammy McKinnon, Senior Vice President of Fraud Management at Scotiabank is our guest this episode to walk us through some emerging scams, tell us some potential red flags to watch for and some simple ways for you or someone in your family to avoid becoming a victim.   For more fraud prevention resources, check out Scotiabank’s Cybersecurity and Fraud Hub.  Key moments this episode: 1:44 — What stats tell us about whether fraud is getting worse 2:21 — The stigma associated with being scammed, why anyone can be a victim 4:00 — Emerging scam #1: the shocking way AI is being used to swindle people 8:21 — Emerging scam #2: cryptocurrency scams 9:21 — Why fraudsters are willing to put in more time for scams 9:38 — What is a romance scam? 10:21 — Do we know where these scams are originating from? 10:52 — Emerging scam #3: impersonation scams 12:16 — Some ways to tell if a call from a bank is legitimate or not 13:29 — Some simple precautions to avoid these increasingly sophisticated scams 16:07 — A bit about how Tammy prevents fraud at the bank 17:12 — The one thing listeners should take away from the interview 17:40 — How to tell the real Stephen from his voice clone 

This podcast discusses Canada's declining productivity and its impact on standard of living. It explores the definition of productivity, how it's measured, and why it's important. It addresses Canada's historical productivity, the mystery behind its lagging performance, and the potential long-term consequences. The podcast also highlights the challenge of finding the cause and solution to declining productivity. Overall, productivity is considered the number one public policy issue in Canada.

Rebekah Young, Head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics at Scotiabank, discusses the shortage of critical minerals used in modern technology. She highlights the importance of these minerals for clean technologies, the challenges of obtaining them, Canada's current deposits, and the future demand. Nearshoring and collaboration among countries are potential solutions, emphasizing the need for policy harmonization.

We go behind the scenes of a modern family farm to see how cutting-edge technology is helping farmers run a more sustainable operation. This episode, Terry Aberhart gives us a tour of Aberhart Farms and tells us about the advanced tools he uses, the hurdles he sees in implementing these practices on a wider scale and the public perceptions of sustainability in agriculture vs. the reality.  Key moments this episode: 1:59 — Terry tells us more about Aberhart Farms and their mission 3:25 — “Sustainability” has become a bit of a buzzword, how does Terry define it? 5:12 — How have Terry’s processes evolved in order to be more sustainable? 8:40 — What is “precision farming”? 10:54 — How much technology is used on a modern farm and why it’s unexpected to some 12:12 — How well adopted in precision farming in Canada? 13:50 — What do non farmers usually get wrong when it comes to perceptions of sustainability? 17:45 — How is a movement towards sustainability received in the industry? 19:29 — What hurdles the sector faces when trying to implement sustainable practices 21:54 — Does running a farming operation more sustainably make it more difficult?  23:54 — Who will be taking over the Aberhart family farms in the future? 

The Bank of Canada’s decision to hold its key interest rate — for the fourth consecutive time — was no surprise. However, this time the central bank signalled that the discussion going forward won’t be about how high its key rate should go, but how long it will stay at 5%. Scotiabank’s Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault is back to break down the Bank of Canada’s latest decision and what factored into it, why inflation remains stubborn, when rate cuts could begin, and the risk factors that could push that timing back. For an up-to-date breakdown of the Bank of Canada's key interest rate and its change over time alongside inflation numbers, visit our interest rate page. Key moments this episode: 1:24 — Why this announcement is a bit like Groundhog Day 2:02 — The latest BoC decision wasn’t a surprise, but what’s the big takeaway? 2:40 — What did BoC Governor Tiff Macklem say that signals there may be a cut before too long? 3:21 — How did the December inflation numbers factor into the Bank of Canada’s decision? 4:50 — Why has inflation been so stubborn? 6:11 — Are geopolitical factors like the attacks in the Red Sea playing into inflation?  7:44 — Is a potential surge in housing demand putting pressure on inflation? 9:12 — What other factors might the BoC be watching to make their next decision? 10:10 — Later this month we get the latest GDP numbers, what might those look like and how may they affect the BoC’s next decision? 11:13 — Are we out of the woods in terms of recession risk? 12:26 — The US economy has been doing very well, how does that factor into the performance of our economy and this latest decision? 13:15 — Why is US inflation coming down faster? 14:02 — Will the Fed’s upcoming decision have an impact on what the BoC does? 14:40 — Is June still when interest rates are expected to come down? 15:22 — What should a mortgage holder or would-be home buyer be taking away from this? 16:12 — Three big takeaways for Canadians from this latest decision

Markets have been doing pretty well lately, but what's in store for 2024? Hugo Ste-Marie is our guest. He is the Director of Portfolio and Quantitative Strategy in Equity Research at Scotiabank and he provides advice to global institutional investors, but his insights will be of interest to investors of all kinds. This episode he'll tell us what the markets might look like in the year ahead, where there may be some opportunities, what a ‘perfect soft landing’ is — and whether we may see one — and much more.   Key moments this episode:  00:57 — Some context around Hugo’s insights 1:30 — The big conclusions about where the economy is potentially headed in 2024 3:16 — Why the US Federal Reserve is a focal point when looking at the global economy 1:45 — Recap around what the Canadian and US economies looked like at the end of 2023 6:22 — Why 2023 ended with some optimism 7:08 — What is a ‘perfect soft landing’? 9:35 — What are the prospects for volatility in 2024? 10:30 — Where are there some potential opportunities as we look ahead at the year? 12:00 — What are small cap vs large cap equities and how to best leverage them 14:42 — Are there places geographically that show a more positive outlook? 15:32 — Hugo sums up his take on 2024  

If your resolution is to get a handle on your money, this year might be a little more challenging for some people. Lucky for us, personal finance expert Bruce Sellery is back this episode. He’s the CEO at Credit Canada Debt Solutions and host of Moolala, the weekly personal finance radio show on SiriusXM. He has some concrete tips for managing your money in a year with continued high-interest rates, high inflation and a looming threat of recession. For more financial advice visit Scotiabank’s Advice+ Centre.  Key moments this episode: 2:05 — Why people are looking at their finances a little differently in 2024 3:03 — A shocking stat that illustrates the need for help with personal finances 5:03 — "I can't afford my life!” — what Bruce is hearing from his clients 6:23 — The first thing Bruce has people consider about their finances heading into the new year 10:05 — The next thing people should think about: savings 11:01 — Bruce’s secret to saving money 11:33 — Two pitfalls around emergency funds 13:24 — The third thing to think about in order to get a handle on your finances: optimizing returns 14:34 — Bruce answers the question he gets all the time 15:20 — What Bruce is hearing around mortgage payments from clients and why it’s a shock for many 16:58 — Some tips on staying on top of your finances without thinking about money all the time 18:20 — Why Bruce thinks strict budgeting isn’t sustainable or effective 20:30 — Ending with wise words from one of the greatest philosophers: Bruce Sellery