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Do you need that bank mutual fund? Maybe not
– moneysense.ca
The survey of close to 3,000 dealers by the Ontario Securities Commission and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization found that 25% say customers have at least sometimes been recommended products or services that are not in their interest.
The results show sales pressures and compensation structures may be creating a problem, said OSC chief executive Grant Vingoe.
“While it’s clear many bank representatives are prioritizing quality advice, it is also clear that sales pressures and incentivization may be driving concerning behaviours,” he said in a statement.
The survey also showed about one in three representatives say customers had been provided incorrect information at least sometimes, while 32% agreed that the way compensation is structured, it places more value on sales volumes than the quality of advice given to clients…
Options can range from doing up your garden to larger renos like adding a pool. Experts say there are cost-effective ways to spruce up your yard. However, home owners should exercise caution when taking on debt, especially at higher interest rates, to do it.
“Unfortunately, this is not an investment. Think of these upgrades that we’re doing in our yards, no matter how big or small, they’re lifestyle choices,” Zena Amundsen, owner of Astra Financial Services, said in an interview. “We have to make sure we don’t put ourselves at risk financially for them.”
Extending your budget by doing small projects
There are often smaller projects those looking to spruce up their backyard can take on to help stretch their budget.
Eduard Negodenko, the owner of Avanti Landscaping, said one simple improvement people can make is often with their gardens, as planting “really spruces things up…
Cities like Toronto and Vancouver have seen condo sales drop off, if not stagnate, in recent years following a rush of new supply opening up and plummeting investor demand.
For some regions, that marks a divergence from the overall real estate picture. Many industry watchers are now forecasting a turnaround in the housing market in the coming months after the first half of 2025 was plagued by economic uncertainty related to tariffs and job losses.
Sellers stuck in limbo as condo sales drop significantly
It’s left those looking to leave condo life behind and upgrade to a house in a tough spot: sell now at a lower than anticipated value, or wait out the storm.
“They’re kind of stuck,” said Victor Tran, a mortgage and real estate expert for Rates…
