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Financial Issues & Answers for Everyone
A thorough analysis of today’s financial news—delivered weekly to your inbox or via social media. As part of Knowledge Bureau’s interactive network, the Report covers current issues on the tax and financial services landscape and provides a wide range of professional benefits, including access to peer-to-peer blogs, opinion polls, online lessons, and vital industry information from Canada’s only multi-disciplinary financial educator.
May 2025 Poll
Does the Liberal promise expected soon to cut the lowest personal income tax rate by 1% to 14%, go far enough to help Canadians impacted by high costs?
CRA Service Levels Rate Poorly in Advisor Poll
Over 96% of advisors surveyed in last month’s Knowledge bureau Report poll said that despite ramping up various initiatives and staffing levels, CRA’s service levels have worsened significantly and the commentary around this was interesting. For the few who said yes, there were no specific embellishing comments, but for those who said no, there was a lot of scathing detail. Take a look:
Despite Inflation, No Raise for Seniors in Q2
Despite the fact that the cost of living seems to be increasing in the grocery story and when paying for transportation and costly medication, Old Age Security benefits will remain unchanged for the April to June 2025 quarter. While increases to OAS over the past year have been 2% from April 2024 to April 2025, the cost of living has increased more, as explained more fully below. You’ll also be interested in the prescribed interest rates applied to tax refunds and balances due, adjusted quarterly:
Quebec Budget Tabled March 25 Focuses on Record Deficit
Finance Minister Eric Girard tabled his 7th budget on March 25th. This is the most detailed, comprehensive and far-reaching budget we’ve seen from any of the provinces thus far. This budget focuses heavily on spending, producing a record deficit. It also reflects the Quebec government’s preoccupation with U.S. tariffs. The word “tariff” is mentioned no fewer than 161 times in this document.
Transitioning Our Economy Forward: Investing for Impact
We might be distracted by the political, tax and economic shocks dominating the daily news. But from an investment point of view, advisors may be missing something important. The very definition of “wealth maximization” as we have commonly known it, is not resonating there is a reason why: “business as usual” has eroded value and requires a shake up to build the economy we need in the future. The answer, for some, is “impact investing”, and there has never been a better time to consider this.
Happy Landings: The Theme of DAC 2025
Where are the Happy Landings in this new Era of Risk and Reward? That will be the focus of the 2025 Acuity Conference for Distinguished Advisors November 23-26 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It may in fact, be the most important conference you attend this year. Canada’s only multi-disciplinary gathering, appropriately in Mexico, will bring thought leaders together to ponder our New Era of Risk and Reward.
