2018 will be the year of allyship + MORE Dec 28th

Q: Is it reasonable or practical to shift to defensive stocks and mutual funds to prepare for a market recession?
Financial people all say not to try market timing.
—Hal
A: Global stock markets had a strong year in 2017, with all the major indices posting gains over the past year. While Canada’s Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) is near an all-time high, Hal, it’s worth noting it is only marginally higher than the summer 2008 peak prior to the financial crisis. It hasn’t been a great 10-year run for Canadian stocks.
Recessions are part of the natural economic cycle and occur when there is a decline in economic growth for two consecutive quarters (6 months). There have been 13 recessions in Canada over the past 100 years. The duration tends to be 3-9 months. Canada’s recessions also tend to coincide with U.S. recessions.
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Stock markets are “leading indicators”, with stocks generally falling in advance of a recession. This is because stocks trade based on an anticipation of where things will be in, say, 6 months…

Here are the paycheque profiles you read and shared the most in 2017

People chant and hold up with placards as they attend a Black Lives Matter event on August 5, 2016. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/Getty)
Melayna Williams holds a J.D., and is the director of the Rights Advocacy Coalition for Equality (R.A.C.E.).
It’s been quite a year for race and advocacy in Canada. We have seen Canadians begin to understand that white supremacy and alt-right thinking exist and are problems in our own country. Some have begun to understand that their own privilege made them blind to these issues in the past. We have also seen more Canadians of colour adding their voices to national conversations. The media has just begun to grasp the benefits of passing the mic to marginalized communities instead of speaking for them.
This year, I’ve observed more people listening, reflecting and actively using their privilege to support people of colour in real ways. It is being an ally in a way that is neither performative nor shiny. It involves challenging white supremacist structures—from generational wealth to social safety nets—that benefit them, without burdening racialized people with the guilt or expectation of intellectual and emotional labour…

The joint-venture proponents behind the Mackenzie Valley Gas Project have ended their partnership, bringing to a close the dream of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline, and its potential wealth effect.

TORONTO — Canadians are keen to lighten their debt loads in 2018, according to an annual opinion survey conducted for CIBC.
The Toronto-based bank says debt reduction or elimination was the top priority for 25 per cent of the poll respondents.
Paying bills or just getting by were the top goals for about 15 per cent of respondents.
By comparison, 13 per cent said their top priority was growing wealth or investments.
Lower on the list of financial goals were saving for a vacation (eight per cent), retirement (seven per cent), or for a house or renovation (six per cent).
READ: 10 ways to save more and pay down your debt
The online survey was conducted Dec. 11 and 12 by Angus Reid Forum, using a statistically weighted sample of 1,524 adults in Canada.
The high level of Canadian household debt has been cited by the Bank of Canada for years as one of its top concerns.
But the level of household debt continues to rise, hitting 171.1 per cent of disposable income in the third quarter…