« December 2008 | Main | February 2009 »

January 2009

January 26, 2022

Does Canada really need a stimulus package?

 By James Havers, Sympatico / MSN Finance

How times have changed.

Flaherty18 Federal Budgets were once very staid affairs, with the allure of the Finance Minister's new pair of shoes the only photo-op for journalists looking for an angle. That, and maybe an increase in the tax on a case of beer.

The Liberals' fundamental shift in the '90s away from deficit spending towards surpluses and debt-pay down drew a lot of attention, for a while anyway. But that became expected after a while, and hardly even newsworthy.

Continue reading »

Are tax rates going to drop?

By Gordon Powers, Sympatico / MSN Finance

After closing Parliament’s doors to avoid almost certain defeat, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is doing his level best to avoid another confrontation with the opposition parties. With the NDP and Bloc Quebecois expected to vote against Tuesday's budget, and the Liberals sitting on the fence until at least Wednesday, his ministers have been given leave to officially ‘leak’ big chunks of the Tory plan.

After weekend announcements of at least $1.5-billion in new training funds for laid-off workers, and a further $2-billion in budget cash to build and refurbish public housing units, it was Transport Minister John Baird who got to hand out the goodies this morning.

Continue reading »

January 23, 2022

Consumer protection on the slide

Deirdre McMurdy, Sympatico / MSN Finance

It would seem to make sense that in tough economic times, there'd be a little more tender treatment on offer for consumers. After all, businesses should be courting them - and their wallets  - more than ever before and maybe even trying to generate new loyalty for the days when things improve.

But if anything, the opposite seems to be happening. In their scramble to cut costs and to squeeze every nickel, many companies seem to have lost sight of the end user.

Continue reading »

RIM gets Obama as a celebrity spokesperson - for free!

By James Havers, Sympatico / MSN Finance

News that new U.S. President Barack Obama will get to keep his beloved BlackBerry has been a PR coupe for Waterloo's Research In Motion.

A compromise was reached after super-encryption software was added to the device by a U.S. government agency in the interests of security. A spokesman for Obama said the president will also limit its use.

Continue reading »

What next week's budget may bring

By Gordon Powers, Sympatico / MSN Finance

The Conservative budget scheduled to be tabled next Tuesday is probably going to disappoint a lot of people – and not all of them live in Windsor. 

First off, is it even going to pass? I’d say yes. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is preparing his party for a real election, not another no-confidence showdown. But he won’t go away without a fight.

Continue reading »

January 22, 2022

Staff cuts can lead to long-term bleeding

Deirdre McMurdy, Sympatico / MSN Finance

For the past few months, it seems a week has not gone by without news of significant corproate bloodshed: layoffs - often thousands of workers at a time - have become an accepted part of the economic landscape.

Given the dire circumstances in which many companies suddenly find themselves, it's not surprising: they have to cut costs across the board and they have to downsize to cope with reduced demand. They also have to manage the perceptions of investors and other stakeholders - and therein can lie a problem with long-term implications.

Continue reading »

6/49 jackpot to hit $43 million

By Dawn Cuthbertson, Sympatico / MSN Finance

A sigh of relief could be heard from my apartment this morning as I heard the radio announcer say that no one won last night's Lotto 6/49 jackpot.

Despite my intention to buy a ticket for the $33 million prize yesterday, I forgot. Plain and simple.

Continue reading »

January 21, 2022

Is staying in the new going out?

By Dawn Cuthbertson, Sympatico / MSN Finance

A friend’s birthday party last week saw my friends and I pretend it wasn’t -30 C as we celebrated at a downtown bar.

Looking around the table, I commented that I could barely remember the last time we gathered for a so-called night out on the town. While it’s true that we’re all making a conscious effort to stay in more and host potlucks instead of wining and dining, I realized there was something else keeping us indoors other than the wind chill.

Continue reading »

January 20, 2022

The Presidential Blackberry

By Deirdre McMurdy, Sympatico / MSN Finance

Whether you were stirred by his Inaugural Speech or you remain cynical about his generous use of rhetorical flourish, there is one thing you've got to hand to President Obama - literally. The man knows how to boost a brand (other than his own) and when he comes to Canada, we've got to thank him for his aggressive determination to hold on to his beloved Blackberry.

In the aftermath of last week's dismal news about the bankruptcy of Nortel, Canada has found itself a little bit short on iconic corporate brands - especially in the high tech sector. But the new President's insistence that - security threats be damned - he must be allowed continued use of his 8830  World Edition, is heartening.

Continue reading »

The lure of short-term employment

By Gordon Powers, Sympatico / MSN Finance

If you live in Ottawa, it’s almost impossible not to too be touched by the fallout at Nortel. If it’s not your friend or neighbour hitting the pavement, then it’s certainly one of their acquaintances.

Among the hardest hit are those Nortel employees who got laid off last year. Despite howls of protest, CEO Mike Zafirovski recently confirmed that severance payments still owed to them are frozen by the bankruptcy filing and will be added to the company's debts. Legal, sure, but it hardly seems fair.

Continue reading »

advertisement

Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...