Since they rely heavily on word-of-mouth to spread their businesses, contractors are motivated to fully satisfy their customers and build a solid reputation. But because bad news travels faster and farther than good news, it’s far more common to hear stories about bad contractors than it is to hear about good ones. (You think your updated house […]

The most enduring and simplistic argument for buying a house is that you’re making an investment. What an understatement. Between your mortgage, property taxes, utility bills, maintenance, furnishings, renovations, landscaping and such, you’ll be investing non-stop in your home. But what’s the return on your money? Looking back a decade, houses have been an excellent […]

You walk into the open house, take one look and say to yourself: This is it. It’s the house I have to live in. Where do I pay? A bidding war? I’m in. Over my years of buying houses, I never bought one that did not have that frisson moment, that thrill of finding a […]

Higher food and gasoline prices and hefty debt loads likely to be made worse by interest rate hikes will impact consumers’ buying habits going forward, say those who track retail spending. It’s going to be tough for consumers who have depended on a low interest rate environment, said TD Bank economist Francis Fong, adding that […]

Friendly faces in a depersonalized, online world – that’s your local bank branch for you. Branch staff are glad to talk about your financial situation, be it debt, saving or investing. They’re also eager to sell you stuff, so it’s important to know how to talk to bankers before you go in. Online banking is […]

Inflation was hotter and more widespread than expected in March, figures released Tuesday showed, leading economists to predict that another strong reading in April could all but solidify an interest-rate hike in July. Statistics Canada said the annual inflation jumped to a 2½-year high of 3.3% in March, well above economist expectations for 2.8%. Core […]

Let’s just say you owed somebody a ton of money but there was no legal way to force you to pay it back? Would you? What if it was one of those evil corporate banks that make for an easy target? Did the answer just get a little easier? Not for 60% of Americans who […]

Canada’s economy unexpectedly shed 1,500 jobs last month, the first fall-back since September that analysts interpreted as a sign growth is moderating from the rapid pace of recent months. The disappointing report from Statistics Canada was not all bad — full-time jobs shot up by 90,600, hours worked rose a significant 0.5 per cent, and […]

One-third (33 per cent) of B.C. residents say that rising food and gas prices have had a significant impact on their budget, according to the latest quarterly RBC Canadian Consumer Outlook Index (RBC CCO). In addition, more than half (53 per cent) of British Columbians say they have delayed a major purchase because of the […]

The Bank of Canada boosted its growth forecast Tuesday but threw a curve ball at Bay Street expectations for a July interest-rate hike by warning the “persistent strength” in the loonie could cause even greater headwinds for the economy.   While some analysts still expect the central bank to start raising rates in July after […]