Divorcing? Here’s what you need to know about property valuation

When a couple separates, the family home is often one of their largest assets. It can also become one of the biggest sources of disagreement. One spouse may think the home is worth $1.2 million; the other may believe it’s closer to $1 million. One might point to what a neighbor’s house recently sold for, while the other relies on an online estimate.But in a divorce or separation, there is another question that can be just as important as how much the property is worth: what date are

Wondering whether you should rent or buy? Buying your own home is often viewed as a major financial milestone. But the financial case for owning a home isn’t as simple as ‘mortgage payment versus rent.’Homeownership can build equity and provide long-term housing stability, but elevated home prices and borrowing costs put it out of reach for some. And while renting avoids the upfront cost of buying and can preserve more cash for savings and investments, high rents can make it ha

I’ve written before about what happens when financial expertise becomes a blind spot, and about taking ownership of your financial life instead of handing decisions over to someone else. This isn’t another version of either of those.This is about something that happened between me and a professional I was working with on a significant financial decision. I’m going to conceal most of the details: what kind of decision, what their expertise is, the actual numbers. Not because any

Here’s a round-up of news for Canadian investors this week.
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Banks are looking to ramp up artificial intelligence use for millions of customers, but executives say hurdles abound and checks need to be built in. At the Canada Fintech Forum on Tuesday, banking and tech leaders said financial institutions have yet to weave AI through a majority of their systems, such as apps and data storage, even as the industry blazes a trail in machine learning adoption.Michael Pelosi, the country manager for Canada at Toronto-based AI company Cohere, called it a “m

With the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S., Canadians may be feeling a little more inclined to keep their spending at home. That might mean choosing Canadian-made products and services where possible, but there’s no reason the same thinking can’t extend to your exchange-traded funds (ETFs). And that applies even if you already hold U.S. dollars and don’t want to eat a hefty brokerage currency-conversion fee. You don’t necessarily need to buy a U.S.-listed ETF. Acco

Canadians are experiencing widespread fraud fatigue. They’re increasingly worn down by the steady stream of scams they face, reporting growing fatigue as fraud becomes more and more part of their everyday lives, according to a report published by Equifax Canada earlier this year.Some people may be more vulnerable to fraud due to this fatigue.MoneySense’s Penelope Graham interviewed Julie Kuzmic, Head of Consumer Advocacy and Compliance at Equifax Canada, about fraud fatigue.Watc

Ever heard of synthetic identity fraud?It’s a kind of fraud that costs Canadians billions of dollars every year, but awareness around it is lacking. A victim may not even know they’ve been victimized.Equifax Canada notes that synthetic identity fraud can be difficult to detect with traditional fraud monitoring systems and pose a serious threat to financial health.MoneySense’s Penelope Graham talked to Carl Davies, Head of Fraud and Identity at Equifax Canada, about this fast-gr

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) says home sales in August were down compared with a year ago as a fresh round of economic challenges threatens to dampen housing market momentum for the remainder of the year.The organization said home sales last month totalled 37,504, down 6.9% from August 2025.On a seasonally adjusted basis, activity fell 0.7% compared with July of this year.Overall, sales activity and price trends were largely unchanged for a fourth consecutive month, CREA senior ec

Families eligible to receive the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) can expect this month’s payment on Friday, September 18.Each July, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) recalculates how much eligible Canadian families will receive in CCB payments, based on your adjusted family net income from the previous year. In July 2026, with the new benefit year kicking in, the CCB was adjusted to inflation and grew by 2%, based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.Usually payments go out on the 20th day of each

Here’s a round-up of news for Canadian investors this week.
Groupe DynamiteTransatEmpireFeatured RRSP Accountsfeatured EQ Bank Build your retirement savings with 1.50% interest, tax-deferred contributions and zero fees. go to site featured Registered GIC rate Earn a guaranteed 2.75% in your RRSP when you lock in for 1 year. go to siteBest RRSP rates See our ranking of the best RRSP accounts and rates available in Canada. read now
Why trust us
MoneySense is an award-winning magazine, helpi

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a new credit card, with the annual fee being one of the most important. There’s no point in paying for a rewards credit card if you’re not coming out ahead, which is why it’s so important to determine a card’s break-even point—the amount of money you’d have to spend in order to justify paying the card’s fee.Let’s walk through how to calculate your break-even point and find the credit card that be

There was a period in my early twenties when I got very good at living on very little. I had some savings but no income, as I was between jobs. I was not entirely sure yet what I was looking for, so the search took longer than it should have. Somewhere in that stretch, I discovered something that surprised me: I could make my money last—and I mean really last.I got very good at optimizing what I spent. I stretched each dollar further than I thought possible, and at first that felt responsi

There was a time when networking meant name tags, business cards, and a room full of strangers making small talk over drinks. For a generation that has spent much of its life online, the next era of career-building is looking less formal: a Wednesday night run club, a pickleball league, a group fitness class, or a creator community.In other words, you might meet the person who helps you land your next job while doing something that has nothing to do with finding one.Kristi Herold, founder and CE

As Canada’s big banks face increasing competition from smaller digital platforms, BMO says its digital self-directed investing platform will begin offering commission-free trading on all stocks and exchange-traded funds.BMO InvestorLine will be the first direct investing brokerage owned by one of Canada’s five big banks to eliminate commissions on stock and ETF trades.It is also eliminating brokerage account administration fees and lowering option trading costs by reducing contract f

Know someone who’s been a victim of fraud? It’s a sensitive subject: There’s financial loss and the addition of guilt and embarrassment can worsen things significantly.As scams and bank fraud become more complex, it’s important to know what to do in case you are victimized.MoneySense’s Penelope Graham asked the Head of Consumer Advocacy and Compliance at Equifax Canada, Julie Kuzmic, about fraud recovery.The expert shared steps Canadians should take from the moment

Unemployment is holding steady, and many Canadians are looking for new jobs.In August, the unemployment rate stood at 6.4%. The economy is recovering, but slowly. The desperation to find employment can make jobseekers vulnerable to job scams, which are on the rise.MoneySense’s Penelope Graham interviewed Octavia Howell, Chief Information Security Officer at Equifax Canada, about job scams.Howell shared everything you should know, especially how to avoid falling for job scams and the steps

Apple has entered the foldable phone market, revealing the new iPhone Duo, which will become available in Canada very soon.Alongside the iPhone Duo, Apple also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 at its September 9 event.“Introducing iPhone Duo, the first foldable iPhone. When open, it’s the thinnest iPhone with the largest display ever — 50 percent larger than iPhone 18 Pro Max,” reads the Apple Ca

Apple has entered the foldable phone market, revealing the new iPhone Duo, which will become available in Canada very soon.Alongside the iPhone Duo, Apple also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 at its September 9 event.“Introducing iPhone Duo, the first foldable iPhone. When open, it’s the thinnest iPhone with the largest display ever — 50 percent larger than iPhone 18 Pro Max,” reads the Apple Ca

Earlier is always better, but even a late start in RESPs has benefits.“I think they’re a very valuable tool, and the biggest pro of all is that by using them, you get free money,” said Matthew Kempton, portfolio manager at Verecan Capital Management in Halifax. “The government’s going to give you a grant—a percentage of your contribution—and there’s even more free money that would come along if you’re a lower-earning household.”A regist

Ontarians eligible for the monthly Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) payment will receive their September instalment on Thursday, September 10, 2026.July marked a new benefit year in Canada and benefit amounts were adjusted by 2% based on the Consumer Price Index.Each year, you must file your personal Income Tax and Benefit Return and fill out the ON-BEN Application form that’s included in the tax return package. Based on your return, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) determines whether you&rsq

You have endless options for streaming services in Canada. While choice can be a great thing, it can also cause confusion when it comes to the value of each service, since each differs greatly in terms of available movies and shows, subscription cost and the number of users that can access a single account.In 2026, streaming is a mainstay in Canada; in fact, according to one recent study from madeinca.ca, around 90% of adult Canadians stream content and spend about ten hours per week streaming.

As of September 3rd, Cboe Canada’s exchange-traded fund screener shows 2,055 ETFs on the Canadian market. Of those, 136 are classified as multi-asset ETFs. A substantial number of these are what investors commonly call asset allocation ETFs.There isn’t a universal definition for an asset allocation ETF, so allow me to propose one. These are all-in-one portfolios, typically structured as funds of funds, that provide broad exposure to Canadian, U.S., international developed, and emergi

More than 25 years into his job as a business administrator, Simon Hardcastle felt there was nothing left for him to learn. He didn’t hate his job, but it wasn’t thrilling either, Hardcastle recalled. Then, one day at work, he signed up to drive a skid steer to plow snow, and he knew it was time for a shakeup. “I moved snow, and about two hours later I thought, ‘Wow, this is really good fun! What else can I do?” the 49-year-old Ancaster, Ont., resident said. &l

Here’s a round-up of news for Canadian investors this week.
Couche-TardLululemonBRPFeatured RRSP Accountsfeatured EQ Bank Build your retirement savings with 1.50% interest, tax-deferred contributions and zero fees. go to site featured Registered GIC rate Earn a guaranteed 2.75% in your RRSP when you lock in for 1 year. go to siteBest RRSP rates See our ranking of the best RRSP accounts and rates available in Canada. read now
Why trust us
MoneySense is an award-winning magazine, helping Ca

The expiry of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Agreement and the collapse of bilateral talks for a new deal in late August are more than abstractions for people employed in trade-exposed industries. In sectors like auto manufacturing, but also in niches like flower growing and electronic components, it could result in layoffs or reduced hours. Even people working in industries subject to Canadian counter-tariffs, such as wine importing and retailing, could be adversely affected.This news comes at a

September marks Life Insurance Awareness Month, so it’s fitting to dive into PolicyMe’s second annual life insurance report. The 2026 Life Insurance Gap Report, produced in partnership with Angus Reid, looked at the responses of over 1,500 adults asked about life insurance coverage and barriers to access.The report shows some positives compared to the previous year’s analysis, but there are some concerning details, mainly regarding affordability and consumer confidence.More Can