Service Canada to issue October OAS and CPP payments soon

If you receive the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Old Age Security (OAS), including the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), you will get your payments from the government soon.Service Canada is issuing this month’s payments on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.Here’s what you should know about your eligibility and expected amount, per the Government of Canada.What are Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments?The Canada Pension Plan a taxable monthly benefit that replaces part of your income after you reti

Auto theft rates might be on the decline in Canada, but high claims costs and the tariff dispute mean insurance rates have yet to drop.While drivers of some of the most stolen cars often face the heftiest insurance bills, experts say there are a few things they can do to tamp down on their premiums.Here’s some of their advice.How do you find out if you have a high-theft vehicle?Debbie Arnold, a business development manager of personal lines at Sound Insurance Services Inc., urges drivers to ca

Wealthsimple has changed the insurance on its Visa Infinite Privilege card, and not everything is an upgrade.The new terms took effect Nov. 2, 2026, according to a notice of changes to the card’s certificate of insurance and notifications sent to cardholders.Existing cardholders who have a loss between Nov. 2 and Dec. 10, 2026 will have their claim judged under whichever wording, old or new, is better for them.On the plus side, emergency medical coverage now applies to the first 21 days of a

The Retail Council of Canada recently announced its holiday spending forecast, and there’s a mix of good and bad news. The good news is that Canadians are planning to spend an average of $911 on the holidays compared to the $975 average they spent last year. They’re also more focused on finding deals or giving meaningful gifts rather than prioritizing expensive presents.The bad news? Total consumer debt in Canada reached $2.7 trillion in the second quarter of 2026. That quarter also saw the

Canada’s main stock index was up 250 points in late-morning trading with the energy, technology and base metal sectors moving higher, while U.S. stock markets also gained.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 250.19 points at 36,420.64.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 18.55 points at 52,250.44. The S&P 500 index was up 85.66 points at 7,606.59, while the Nasdaq composite was up 456.34 points at 25,522.22.The Canadian dollar traded for 70.24 cents US compared with 70.52

Most gifts have a short shelf life. The latest gadgets get replaced, gift cards get spent, and even thoughtful presents can end up forgotten in a drawer or overcrowding someone’s home.Though it’s all part of the appeal of precious metals as a means to mark life’s biggest moments. Gold, silver, and platinum have been prized for thousands of years.You can enjoy a coin or bar today, and pass it down from parents to children, grandparents to grandchildren, or mentors to the next generation. Un

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board reported a net loss of 0.5% in its second quarter as fixed-income losses took a bite out of its results.“Higher bond yields weighed on fixed-income returns this quarter, while diversification across the portfolio helped offset some of that pressure,” said CPP Investments CEO John Graham said in a statement.The fund said gains in public equities, private equity and real assets contributed positively during the quarter, but those gains were more than of

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board reported a net loss of 0.5% in its second quarter as fixed-income losses took a bite out of its results.“Higher bond yields weighed on fixed-income returns this quarter, while diversification across the portfolio helped offset some of that pressure,” said CPP Investments CEO John Graham said in a statement.The fund said gains in public equities, private equity and real assets contributed positively during the quarter, but those gains were more than of

The Bank of Canada’s governing council thinks it might need to raise interest rates further, but it’s proceeding carefully, according to a summary of deliberations of its recent decision to raise its key policy rate for the first time since 2023.According to the report, the council acknowledged it faced considerable uncertainty and said it would take its monetary policy decisions one meeting at a time.The Bank of Canada raised its policy interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.

Buying a property from an estate can mean securing some value, though there are more hoops to jump through and more risks to weigh.For sellers, dealing with a property left in a will tends to be long-winded, frustrating and costly, so some prioritize selling as quickly as possible.When a homeowner dies in Ontario the sale of their property generally can’t close until the executor (known in Ontario as the “estate trustee”), the person named in the will to manage the estate, is granted proba

The cost of convenience has Canadians in a chokehold. Despite affordability taking a nose dive in the country, many still prefer to save the time and hassle that goes into doing certain tasks if and when a more convenient option is available.
If you’ve ordered prepared food because you didn’t have any in the fridge (or ordered ingredients because doing a grocery run felt more stressful), you are hardly alone. Most Canadians find it worthwhile, even with extra cost of service fees, delivery f

Getting a credit card may rank high on the list for young adults seeking financial autonomy. But having a credit account doesn’t always translate into a decent credit score — a financial report card on how likely you are to pay your bills on time.While some might avoid a credit card to not get into debt, that could also mean not having financial history to show when applying for loans or even a rental apartment. An absent or irregular credit history could also imply to lenders that you may

The latest federal budget promises billions of dollars in affordability relief, but middle-income Canadians struggling with the cost of living may find little new immediate help in the spending plan.While Ottawa earmarked fresh assistance for lower-income households in Budget 2026, families with earnings above income-tested thresholds may be iced out.For example, the budget offers a one-time grocery benefit top-up of up to $339 for singles and $679 for a couple with two children, but the payment

Earlier this year, I wrote an article asking the question: what money is actually for? My argument was that it isn’t simply for maximizing net worth, but for building a life, and not every meaningful purchase needs to earn its keep.I still believe that. But since then, the world has changed, and so much has gotten more expensive that a lot of Canadians are struggling to keep up with the cost of everyday life.I woke up this morning and, as I usually do, started catching up on the news. The US m

Octavia Howell has attended enough cybersecurity conferences to know that participants should never log into the event’s or the venue’s public Wi-Fi network—at least not without a VPN.“Never connect to public Wi-Fi anywhere because there may be someone who’s able to connect to your device using that same public wifi connection. If you are caught at a cybersecurity conference, for instance, they may put you up on a ‘wall of shame’,” says Howell, vice-president, chief information s

Share buybacks can lift returns or be a potential red flag, but finance experts say investors should look at the overall picture of how companies allocate their capital to determine for themselves.When companies buy back their own stock, they often cancel those securities, reducing the number of outstanding shares available for trading in the market. That spreads profits over fewer shares, which can boost earnings per share metrics come earnings season and potentially lift the company’s stock

After a relatively boring budget last year, the Federal Budget in November 2026 introduces several simplifications for taxpayers. The biggest tax and investing incentives are focused on encouraging business investment rather than providing broad personal income tax cuts.RRSPs and RRIFsThe Budget proposes that registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) will have no mandatory registered retirement income fund (RRIF) conversion at age 71. Currently, an account holder must open a RRIF and transfer

The federal budget has zeroed in on business growth with a suite of tax measures and incentives designed to spur private-sector investment.The central business pitch of the 2026 budget tabled Thursday aims to encourage Canadian companies to invest more, expand and become more competitive internationally.The budget, entitled Masters of our Destiny, includes capital gains tax breaks, incentives for companies investing in equipment and expanded tax support for research and innovation.But some busin

Wealthsimple is launching an AI assistant that can partially automate everyday banking activities and provide users with financial insights. The company announced a dozen new products at its Wealthsimple Presents event in Toronto on Thursday, including Penny, its new AI assistant.The company says Penny can cue up transactions like e-transfers, flag duplicate credit card charges, manage expenses and pay invoices, in addition to providing insights into users’ finances or giving advice on questi

Here’s a round-up of news for Canadian investors this week.
ShopifySuncorThomson ReutersRioCanMaple LeafCanfor
Shopify reports US$462M Q3 net income, revenue up more than 30%Shopify Inc. (TSX:SHOP)Numbers for its third quarter:
Profit: $462 million (up from $264 million a year ago)Revenue: $3.74 billion (up from $2.84 billion a year ago)Shopify Inc. reported US$462 million in third-quarter net income, up from US$264 million in the same quarter last year, as its revenue rose more than 30%.The

There are over 2.7 million self-employed workers in the country, according to Statistics Canada. Although that number has grown over the last year, higher numbers haven’t meant an improvement in self-employment finances.Alberta-based non-profit credit counselling agency Money Mentors partnered with Angus Reid to survey self-employed Canadians. What they found was alarming: over half of self-employed workers had an income shortfall at least once over the past year, and 53% used a credit card or

Wealthsimple announced a bunch of new products and features on Thursday at its much anticipated ‘Wealthsimple Presents: Something Good Is Going to Happen‘ event, a product showcase at Toronto’s Massey Hall.More than half a million people registered to watch the event via livestream.The new products and features include an AI assistant that can move money and place trades, a Canadian-dollar stablecoin, an advanced trading platform, a rebuilt mobile app, and more.Four of the 12 are available

The easiest way to get a sense of how much of your personal information is available on the internet is to Google yourself. You may be surprised at the details you find, freely available, that could potentially assist the perpetrators of identity theft.But as ever more victims of cyber crime are coming to know, there is another side of the internet, the “dark web,” that is impervious to conventional search tools. Moreover, it serves as a marketplace for criminals to buy, sell and store eleme

One thing Canadian investors will eventually notice after exploring the domestic exchange-traded fund (ETF) market is that certain ETF tickers come with a suffix. In a previous article, we looked at U.S.-dollar-denominated ETFs, such as the BMO S&P 500 Index ETF (ZSP.U). These funds provide the same underlying investment exposure as their Canadian-dollar counterparts, with the main difference being the currency in which their units trade.Similarly, some currency-hedged ETFs have their own

A recent study from Statistics Canada suggests that while it may be more difficult for youth to land a job, AI is not necessarily to blame.The study published last week said it found “no broad evidence” that the rise of AI has led to substantial decreases in hiring or increases in job separation rates — which account for voluntary and involuntary ending of employment — in Canada since November 2022, when ChatGPT publicly launched.It also noted this was the case for younger workers and pe

Ontarians eligible for the monthly Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) payment will get this month’s payment on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.The OTB is issued on the 10th day of the month, every month. If that date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, it will be issued for the last “working day” before the 10th. The OTB payment schedule (known as the benefit year) runs from July to June of the following calendar year, because payments are based on your previous year’s tax returns. The OTB

The Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) is a tax-free benefit paid monthly or annually to eligible Ontario residents. It combines three provincial tax credits, specifically, the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, and Northern Ontario Energy Credit.An OTB notice is sent to taxpayers by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and explains your benefit amount and any changes to your eligibility. When you receive a notice, it does not mean that something is wrong, but your benefit does

If you’ve been carrying the same rewards credit card for years, it might be time to check it against your current needs and spending habits. After all, a card that worked for you a decade ago might not offer as much value for your current lifestyle and spending habits.The good news is that credit cards often evolve, too. A great example is the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card. While some features remain the same, the card has introduced new benefits that make it a premium travel credit

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is changing the way redemption works for its cash back cardholders.Soon, not only will it become easier and faster to redeem cash back, but you won’t have to wait to accumulate a $25 minimum amount.According to an announcement from the bank on Monday, the changes will kick in on Dec. 2, 2026.Holders of the RBC Cash Back Mastercard and the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard will be affected by the changes.RBC Cash Back Mastercard: What changes on Dec.

For a tradesperson, the dream of starting your own business usually involves being your own boss, making your own rules and schedule, and hopefully earning more money. The reality can include those things, but there is an entirely separate skill set and workload to consider. Sales, administration, finance, HR — you can outsource some of these functions, but the ultimate responsibility falls to you. It can also turn into a grind, said electrician Carly Steiman, between the trade labour and hu