Cost of Living
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Cost of Living
Money talks. We translate. Every Friday, Paul Haavardsrud looks at the way money shapes our lives in ways big, small, obvious, and unseen. From Big Macs to Big Banks, the Cost of Living connects the dots between the economy and everyday life.
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Why do booze-free drinks cost nearly as much as the real thing? (And other mysteries solved!)
This week, we answer some of your burning questions about the economy. Like, why does Canada import stuff that we produce here? Should you pay in CAD...
If the U.S. is remaking the rules, where does that leave Canada?
The post-WWII rules-based order has been good to Canada. International trade agreements and cooperation have brought peace and prosperity. But with Tr...
How YouTube ate the world
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...
He was told he’d won a cash prize, and he sued to get it (via See You in Court)
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 le...
Ireland supercharged its economy by slashing taxes. Should Canada do the same?
More than two decades ago, Ireland radically cut corporate taxes and produced an "economic miracle." Now some say Canada should look to the Emerald Is...
Why companies aren’t going public anymore
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...
Split up? In this economy?!
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 th...
From the archives: Your questions about the economy
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...
Has Canada's EV dream stalled?
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...
Why hasn't the tariff apocalypse happened?
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 reces...
Should Canada join the EU?
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? Mont...
New to Cost of Living? Start here!
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 F...
Rob Carrick on 3 decades of writing about personal finance
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 pric...
This number is the magic key to your identity
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 impo...
Do you know where your retirement savings are? (Encore)
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'...
Here comes the sun (Encore)
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 mom...
Is Canada pulling back too much on immigration? (Encore)
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 eco...
How do Americans feel about the trade war — and Canada?
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 Dar...
Why your SIN is gold for cyberthieves
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, thi...
Why 'build, baby build' won't be enough to fix housing
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 dec...
Wait. What!? Canada had a car company?
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 dar...
Is Canada recession ready?
Growing unemployment, tariffs and flatlining GDP all point in the same concerning direction. Canada may be headed for a recession. Paul Haavarsrud tal...
Is it time for a Canuck-mobile?
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.
A manufactured economy
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 f...
Can we make houses like we make cars?
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...
Build, baby, build
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 a...
Breaking up Big Tech
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,...
Is the best economic offence, more spending on defence?
With Canada under pressure to meet its NATO commitments, the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP are making promises to increase military spending. So, co...
How's everybody doing?
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 fl...
BONUS! Why there's no referee for the trade war (The Indicator from NPR’s Planet Money)
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,...
One American says 'sorry'
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...
Where is Canada's next superstar city?
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 su...
The only certainty is uncertainty
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 differen...
Wait?! Was John Turner right about free trade?
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" c...
Now's the time to give'r, Canada
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'...
Trump wants Canadian jobs. Can we stop him?
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 f...
Tariff tit for tat
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 tarif...
Is this year over yet?
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 i...