As we head into 2025, household finances are still a large source of worry for many Canadians. So, Devon Lacombe, the Vice President of Retail Investments at Scotiabank, is our guest this episode and has seven simple, practical tips to de-stress your finances. From a no-fuss approach to budgeting to tools that make saving easier and much more to help make the new year a less worrisome one.   

For more financial advice visit Scotiabank’s Advice+ Centre. 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

Key moments this episode: 

1:21 – Why finances are a particular worry for Canadians in 2025 

2:34 – Tip 1: Be kind to yourself 

4:20 – Tip 2: Start small  

5:26 – Tip 3: Make a simple budget 

7:27 – The 80, 30, 20 rule and how it can be an easy guide to budgeting 

9:23 – Tip 4: Break down your goal 

11:40 - Tip 5: Get the right accounts (plus a primer on some of the key savings vehicles: RRSP, RESP, TFSA and FHSA) 

16:44 - Tip 6: Use the tools available to you 

17:35 – An example of the power of compound interest 

21:02 - Tip 7: Don’t be afraid to get help  

22:37 – Why Devon’s New Year’s resolution may or may not have to do with money 

The Bank of Canada has announced a 50-basis-point reduction – the second in a row – that brings the policy interest rate to 3.25%. As always, here to break down what this latest announcement means for Canadians is Scotiabank’s Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault.  

He tells us what factors may have led to this decision, what it might indicate about the health of the Canadian economy, if and when we’ll see further cuts, and much more. 

For an up-to-date breakdown of the Bank of Canada’s key interest rate and its change over time alongside inflation numbers, visit our interest rate page. 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

Key moments this episode: 

1:04 – JF’s main takeaway from the Bank of Canada’s latest rate cut decision 

1:54 – Does this mean that the Bank has gotten inflation under control? 

3:00 – Who benefits from a lower interest rate? 

5:19 – How Bank of Canada’s monetary policy affects fixed rate versus variable rate mortgages 

6:01 – How the rate cut affects businesses 

6:29 – The main factors that motivated the central bank’s decision 

7:47 – Do aggressive cuts indicate economic trouble is on the way? 

9:26 – What can we expect from upcoming interest rate decisions from the Bank of Canada? 

10:27 – Could increased consumer spending trigger inflation growth? 

11:39 – What impact might temporary tax cuts, government spending have on interest rates or inflation? 

14:08 – The main takeaways for Canadians about the Bank of Canada’s decision 

In this episode, we leave the studio and record in the field. Literally. We visit the green pastures of Paul Meunier & Sons Farms Ltd., a cattle farm located just outside of Edmonton, Alta., to speak with co-owners Chad and Stacey Meunier. They’ll not only walk us through their unique way of farming, but also their unique way of running a business. 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

Key moments this episode:  

0:07 – We get a tour and learn a bit about the history of the farm 

3:27 – What are Chad and Stacey trying to accomplish by running their farm sustainably? And how exactly do they do that? 

4:22 – One of the keys to quality on their farm? Grass 

5:59 – Stacey breaks down their year-round approach to regenerative agriculture 

10:15 – How does technology play a part in a sustainable farm? 

11:28 – The surprising reason Chad and Stacey started farming the way they do 

12:18 – How is this farm managed differently from traditional cattle farms? 

14:00 – How their operation takes advantage of by-products from food production 

15:52 – Why more and more farmers are opening their eyes to the importance of soil health 

16:35 – What do non-farmers not understand about farmers?  

17:40 – The future of Paul Meunier & Sons Farms Ltd.

This episode, we bring you another instalment in our series where leaders at Scotiabank interview experts on an issue that resonates with them. Today, you’ll hear a conversation about re-thinking the typical approach to charitable giving hosted by Nicole Frew, Executive Vice President & Co-Head of Global Banking and Executive Champion of Scotiabank’s Employee Giving Campaign, with activist, speaker and author of Uncharitable: How restraints on non-profits undermine their potential, Dan Pallotta. They discuss the problem with how we currently think about charity, the importance of dreaming big when it comes to the sector and some practical questions people should be asking before they decide where to donate their time and money. 

Other episodes of the Leadership Series: 

Challenging the narrative around women in farming 

The power of allyship in the workplace 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures

Key moments this episode: 

1:40 – A little background on Dan’s history in non-profit and activism 

4:03 – Dan walks us through what foundational changes we need to make in our current thinking around non-profits 

7:33 – What does innovation in the non-profit sector look like? 

10:04 – Advice that Dan gives to non-profits around how they can innovate their approach to fundraising and giving 

13:12 – What about smaller non-profits? Can they use the same approach? 

14:44 – What should donors be thinking about when they are looking for a place to donate? 

16:28 – If a non-profit does want to change, how can they get donors on board? 

18:01 – The number one key to success for non-profits, according to Dan 

Black Friday marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. So, we're taking the pulse of Canadian consumers and retailers. John Zamparo, Analyst in Retail and Consumer Products at Scotiabank is our guest and will tell us why Canadian retailers and consumers are feeling cautious, where bargain hunters may (or may not) find some deals, what trends he’s seeing and much more. 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

Key moments this episode: 

1:15 – Why the headline for this year’s Black Friday is “proceed with caution”  

2:01 – Why good economic news isn’t translating to increased consumer spending 

3:56 – The most common question John gets from family and friends on pricing 

4:33 – How consumer sentiment might affect Black Friday trends 

6:11 – What does John mean when he says we might see a more “traditional” Black Friday? 

6:25 – How the postal worker strike may affect Black Friday and holiday purchasing 

6:54 – Where consumers will likely see some deep discounts this Black Friday (and where they won’t) 

7:44 – Canadians love a deal. And that’s backed by research 

9:00 – What about trends when it comes to Canadians dining out vs. dining in? 

10:01 – What is the state of food prices in grocery stores now vs. a year ago? 

11:36 – How Canadian consumers compare to the rest of the world when it comes to online shopping and how that changes on Black Friday 

12:48 – What’s John splurging on for himself this holiday? 

Do you have a will? For almost half of Canadians, the answer is no – and the task of creating one is likely at the bottom of their to-do list. The process can seem complicated or even intimidating. So, this episode we’re going to help make things less daunting by debunking some common misconceptions around wills and other end-of-life documents. Erin Bury, Co-founder and CEO of Willful, a Canadian, do-it-yourself online will platform is our guest and has ten common myths around this topic that she’ll dispel once and for all. 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

Key moments this episode: 

2:15 – How did Erin come up with this list of myths around estate planning? 

3:45 - Myth 1: I’m too young to need a will  

5:19 - Myth 2: I don’t have enough assets to warrant getting a will  

6:35 - Myth 3: I don’t need a will, everything will just go to [insert family member’s name] anyway  

9:00 - Myth 4:  I can just tell my family my wishes  

9:55- Myth 5: I have to visit a lawyer to create a will  

12:13 - Myth 6: A will is a one-and-done document  

14:24 – Bonus myth: where should you keep the paper copy of your will? 

15:05 - Myth 7: I’ve got a will, now I’m done with estate planning.  

17:35 - Myth 8: Creating a will is extremely time-consuming  

19:05 - Myth 9: I need to list out all my assets in my will 

21:45 - Myth 10: My spouse and I only need one will 

In this episode, we bring you a live discussion all about what might be in the cards for the next few months and into 2025 when it comes to the Canadian economy and beyond. Jean-François Perrault, the Chief Economist at Scotiabank, and Myles Zyblock, Chief Investment Strategist at Scotia Global Asset Management, are our guests and discuss everything from what the results of the U.S. election might have on stock markets and investors, how AI is reshaping companies and workforces, and much more.  

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

Key moments this episode: 

1:46 – Has the Bank of Canada stuck the “soft landing”?  

5:33 – From a layperson’s perspective, stock markets seem to be doing pretty well. Is it as rosy as it looks? 

8:27 – How the outcome of the U.S. federal election will factor into their latest economic outlook 

11:55 – What impact will the U.S. federal election have on markets, if any? 

16:15 – What impact might Trump’s potential tariffs have on the economy? 

18:00 – Broadly speaking, what might be ahead in terms of global economic growth? 

20:28 – What does the success or failure of China mean from an investor perspective? 

21:49 – Looking under the hood at U.S. markets 

24:24 – What about Canadian markets?  

25:45 – What effect might the Canadian government’s latest announcement about scaling back immigration numbers have on things like the labour market or housing?  

32:28 – Why Myles thinks gold has been so puzzling lately and how you may be able to use it in a portfolio 

34:31 – Has AI created a market bubble?  

37:17 – Wrapping up, what are the big risks and opportunities investment wise over the next year and how can people mitigate those risks?

In this episode, we’re highlighting five more missteps that investors seem to make time and time again. Yuko Girard, Portfolio Manager on the Multi Asset Management Team at Scotia Global Asset Management returns to cover everything from ETFs vs. mutual funds, passive vs. active management and even how psychological factors like loss aversion or FOMO can hamper your investments.  

Check out Yuko’s first installment for more common mistakes to avoid. 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

Key moments this episode:  

1:36 - Common investing mistake #1: Not fully understanding what it is that you’re buying. For example, what's the difference between an ETF and a mutual fund? 

7:07 - Common investing mistake #2: Being impatient 

8:52 - Common investing mistake #3: Letting your emotions drive your decision making. For example, the phenomenon of loss aversion 

11:54 - Common investing mistake #4: Falling for the FOMO trap 

13:30 - Common investing mistake #5: Overestimating your ability to invest on your own 

The Bank of Canada has announced yet another interest rate cut and this time, it’s a big one: a 50-basis-point reduction that brings the policy interest rate to 3.75%. As always, here to tell us what this latest announcement means for Canadians is Scotiabank’s Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault.  

For an up-to-date breakdown of the Bank of Canada’s key interest rate and its change over time alongside inflation numbers, visit our interest rate page. 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

Key moments this episode: 

00:59 - JF’s initial thoughts of the Bank of Canada announcement. 

2:03 - How unusual is a 50-basis-point cut for the central bank? 

2:55 - Why did the Bank of Canada push forward with a large cut? 

4:20 - JF weighs in on whether this was the right move. 

6:00 - How will Canadians feel the impact of this interest rate cut? 

7:54 - How will businesses feel the impact? 

8:44 - How long does it take for these cuts to have a tangible impact? 

9:37 - What are the risks that could drive inflation back up?  

11:43 - What’s the impact of inflation becoming too low? 

12:33 - What does JF expect from the Bank of Canada’s next decision in December? 

13:50 - What is the current outlook for the economy in 2025? 

15:44 - What are the key takeaways for Canadians from this announcement? 

Cedar Leaf Capital is the first Indigenous-led, Indigenous-owned investment dealer in Canada. Our guests today describe that as unprecedented, disruptive and a step towards empowerment and economic reconciliation in Canada. Mindy Wight, CEO of Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation — one of the three Indigenous shareholders which own the majority of Cedar Leaf — and Cedar Leaf CEO Clint Davis are here to tell us all about this latest venture and what it means for access to capital for Indigenous communities and beyond. 

Want to read more about Cedar Leaf Capital? Check out our full story here.  

Key moments this episode: 

1:39 – What exactly is Cedar Leaf Capital? 

2:21 – Why underrepresentation of Indigenous groups in capital markets particularly interest one of the shareholders, Nch’ḵay̓ Development Corporation  

3:17 – How did Cedar Leaf come together? 

4:50 – Why Mindy found the proposition to be a part of Cedar Leaf so compelling 

5:30 – What does an Indigenous-led, Indigenous-owned investment dealer bring to the table that other ventures may not? 

6:40 – The feedback Mindy has been hearing from her community and why it’s an opportunity to educate 

7:38 – Why Mindy thinks there is underrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in finance 

9:13 – What progress has been made on economic reconciliation in Canada in the last decade? 

12:30 – How Cedar Leaf may help with access to capital for Indigenous communities 

13:55 – How the unique ownership structure of Cedar Leaf and the plan to be wholly Indigenous-owned sets a ‘new standard’ 

17:12 – How did Cedar Leaf select its three Indigenous partners: Nch’ḵay̓, Des Nedhe and the Chippewas of Rama First Nation? 

19:08 – What's next for Cedar Leaf Capital?  

21:36 – Why this venture is such a personal mission for Clint and Mindy 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures