The Bank of Canada announced that it held its policy interest rate steady at 2.75% — a pause after seven consecutive cuts — as uncertainty about tariffs and the economy continues to cloud the global outlook. Experts were split on whether the central bank would deliver a cut or a hold. 

Scotiabank’s Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault returns to break down the announcement, provide some context around why the Bank of Canada went this direction, what it might say about the state of the economy, take stock of where we are with the ever-evolving global tariffs and much more. 

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:11- JF’s main takeaway from the Bank of Canada’s latest decision 

1:54 - Was a hold the right call? 

2:45 - What did we learn from the latest inflation data for March about the impact on the economy? 

3:49 - The Bank of Canada laid out two illustrative scenarios for the economy, as it is difficult to create a forecast with so much uncertainty. JF explains why this is so rare, and walks us through the central bank’s two scenarios 

5:52 - What does JF forecast as the most likely scenario? 

7:17 - What is the probability of a severe recession in Canada? 

8:56 - An overview of the current state of tariffs in Canada and internationally 

12:00 - Are higher costs for businesses and suppliers starting to pass through to consumers? 

13:08 - What are the impacts on Canada’s jobs market? 

14:23 - What has the ripple effect been on the country’s housing market? 

16:07 - JF’s cautious outlook for upcoming Bank of Canada’s decisions 

18:22 - Main takeaways for Canadians 

In this episode, our guest is Indigenous entrepreneur, CEO and founder of the Indigenomics Institute, Carol Anne Hilton. Her first book, Indigenomics: Taking a Seat at the Economic Table came out in 2021. Her new book is titled The Rise of Indigenous Economic Power: Deconstructing Indian Act Economics. You’ll hear a conversation between Carol Anne and Clint Davis, CEO of Cedar Leaf Capital, the first Indigenous-led, Indigenous-owned investment dealer in Canada. They talk about her new book, the massive potential of the Indigenous economy in Canada and more.   

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:30 – Carol Anne gives us an overview of her new book, The Rise of Indigenous Economic Power: Deconstructing Indian Act Economics 

2:20 – What she aimed to accomplish with this second book 

3:25 – Defining what Carol Anne’s new book calls Indian Act economics 

6:03 – How the 1876 Indian Act still impacts Indigenous economic development today 

8:25 - How Indian Act economics also impacts non-Indigenous Canadians 

10:57 – Carol Anne tells us about the ‘phenomenal rise of Indigenous entrepreneurs’ 

13:48 – The goal of creating a 100-billion-dollar Indigenous economy in Canada 

17:12 – Why traditional GDP may not properly capture Indigenous economic power and strength 

18:43 - Do we need to get rid of the Indian Act in order to fully unleash the economic potential of Indigenous Peoples? 

20:30 – What is the role of the federal government to empower Indigenous economic growth? 

22:30 - What does Indigenous economic power look like today and how is it shifting? 

24:58 – How the unique location that Carol Anne wrote part of the book helped clarify the themes she was writing about 

26:21 – Why focusing on Indigenous economic inclusion is especially important during these times of economic uncertainty

When they think about the economy of Canada’s Atlantic provinces — New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador — no doubt many Canadians’ minds first go to the fishing industry. But it's so much more than that. In fact, the Atlantic economy has taken on a new sense of vibrancy and diversity in recent years. Scotiabank’s Atlantic Regional Senior Vice President Nicola Ray Smith and David Chaundy, the President and CEO of The Atlantic Economic Council, join us to help break down the current state of the economy in Atlantic Canada. 

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:54 – David gives us a snapshot of the Atlantic Canadian economy 

4:22 – What Nicola is hearing from her clients about the general mood around the Atlantic Canadian economy 

6:18 – David gives a surprising stat about the Atlantic Canada fishing industry and a primer about what other industries play a significant role 

9:24 – What sector is a growth area in the region? 

9:53 – What other Canadians may be surprised about when it comes to the Atlantic Canadian economy 

13:40 – How population growth and shifting demographics factor into the economics of the region 

17:35 – Both guests tell us what they see as the biggest challenges are for the Atlantic provinces from an economic perspective, as well as the biggest opportunities 

22:56 – Nicola reflects on the significance of Scotiabank’s history in the region 

A federal election in Canada is just a few weeks away and top of mind for many voters is the economy and the volatile trade situation with the U.S. Rebekah Young, Vice President and Head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics at Scotiabank, is our guest to tell us how the election could be an opportunity to think about how we make the Canadian economy more resilient and less vulnerable to external forces. 

Check out the Scotiabank Economics full report, Owning the Podium in Canada’s Federal Elections for more. 

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:40 – The crux of what this new Scotiabank Economics report is asking of campaigning politicians 

2:57 – The specific number the report says politicians should be aiming for when it comes to economic growth (and why it was chosen)

6:43 – Why this challenge is necessary 

9:26 – What are the policies a government might implement to achieve these goals? 

14:01 – How is the responsibility divided up between public and the private sector?  

17:10 – How the threat of tariffs and economic uncertainty are making us rethink things like interprovincial trade and regulation 

20:00 – Some of the short term or temporary measures that could help achieve the proposed economic goal in the report 

23:57 – What Rebekah and the economics team will be looking for as the campaign rolls out 

27:07 – What should Canadians be looking for in an election campaign? 

The Bank of Canada has announced it has cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points, bringing it down to 2.75% amid looming threats and what the central bank called “pervasive uncertainty”. Scotiabank’s Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault returns to the podcast to help unpack the announcement, how the uncertainty alone may be impacting Canadians, the outlook for Canada’s economy, and much more.  

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:35 - JF’s main takeaway from the Bank of Canada’s decision to cut its policy rate 

2:27 - Did the central bank make the right decision? 

2:28 - Where are we at in terms of inflation in Canada?  

7:17 - Could the tariff measures implemented to date and the uncertainty alone push us into recession? 

10:02 - JF’s thoughts on rate cut decisions for the rest of the year 

11:07 - What are the chances of an interest rate increase at this point? 

11:53 - What JF has to say to Canadians who may be worried 

12:39 - JF’s main takeaways from the Bank of Canada’s interest rate decision 

Severe U.S. tariffs were imposed on Canada and Mexico this week, and the situation continues to evolve by the hour. Regardless of how long they last or if some sort of compromise is found, many Canadians are worried about the potential impact on their portfolios. Here to help us make sense of all this market uncertainty is Andy Nasr, Chief Investment Officer at Scotiabank Global Wealth Management. 

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:50 – Giving some historical perspective around how the U.S. tariffs compare to other recent economic crises 

7:04 – What Andy is hearing from clients and investors vs. the reality of the situation 

12:45 – What Andy would tell the average investor in terms of how to navigate the current situation and why time-tested investing principles still apply 

16:44 – Why a little perspective may help investors during this unusual time  

March is Fraud Prevention Month and Tammy McKinnon, Scotiabank’s Senior Vice President of Global Fraud Management is back to bring us up to speed on the latest scams and has eight simple tips for how to avoid falling victim.   

For more fraud prevention resources, check out Scotiabank’s Cybersecurity and Fraud Hub. 

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

Key moments this episode: 

0:01 – What is ‘pig butchering’ and how did it become the most costly online scam of 2024? 

1:54 – What about demographics? Are certain groups the target of scams? 

2:21 – Breaking down the latest scams: what is quishing? 

3:39 – Ticket sales scams 

4:37 – What is ‘loyalty fraud’? 

5:31 – Fraud prevention tip #1: create a code word 

7:37 – Fraud prevention tip #2: beware of deepfakes 

10:05 – Fraud prevention tip #3: slow down 

11:46 – Fraud prevention tip #4: limit what you share on social media 

13:05 – Fraud prevention tip #5: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is 

13:51 – Fraud prevention tip #6: always verify the people contacting you 

15:04 – Fraud prevention tip #7: monitor your accounts 

16:54 – Fraud prevention tip #8: educate yourself

Despite general economic uncertainty, there’s reason to be optimistic about Canada’s housing market. Tracy Gomes, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Secured Lending at Scotiabank and Scotiabank Chief Economist, Jean-François Perrault join us to give the lay of the land ahead of what is shaping up to be a strong spring real estate season. 

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:22 – JF and Tracy give us a quick summary of the current real estate market 

2:20 – Breaking down the new buyer-friendly regulations that recently came into effect 

6:37 – Why things are looking optimistic for the spring real estate market 

9:13 – Do changes in immigration policy have any effect on housing demand? 

10:10 – Tracy tells us what the sentiment is from folks on the ground in the housing market 

11:22 – Why developers aren’t necessarily optimistic right now 

12:36 – Will prices be increasing this fall? 

13:50 – Where Canada is at in terms of construction of new housing (including condos) 

15:29 – The number one question on mortgage clients’ minds right now 

18:45 – Why tariff uncertainty could be both good and bad news for mortgage holders and would-be buyers 

21:00 – What should people who are looking to buy a house this spring be asking themselves? 

Finances aren’t the most romantic conversation starter. But it's a talk that has to happen sooner or later in every relationship. And according to our guest, learning to have productive discussions about money can help you have healthier conversations in other aspects as a couple. So, life transitions expert, speaker, coach and consultant for Scotiabank and The Scotiabank Women Initiative Dr. Amy D’Aprix is back with some practical advice on how to talk to your partner about money. 

There is a lot to consider when planning for your future. Discover Scotia Wealth Management’s Total Wealth Planning process and how it can benefit you. Learn More at https://www.scotiawealthmanagement.com/ca/en/about-us.html 

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:58 – The top issues Amy hears about from couples when it comes to talking about money 

3:46 – Why the ‘sandwich generation’ may have an especially hard time talking about money with their partners 

5:42 – How to start a conversation around early inheritance  

8:00 – Some strategies for having productive conversations around money with a partner 

11:41 – When money conversations tend to happen in a relationship (and why it might be too late) 

12:37 – Why having productive money conversations can help other aspects of a relationship 

13:31 – How to handle things when partners have differing approaches to money 

15:03 – A trick from the Harvard Negotiation Project can help make a big difference in couples agreeing on finances 

16:55 – Is having just one person handle the finances in a relationship okay? 

21:17 – What conversations should couples have before they move in together? 

22:41 – One thing you should never say to your partner when it comes to money 

23:40 – Why conversations about money aren't really about money 

Canadians breathed a sigh of relief late Monday when U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an agreement to pause threatened tariffs that would have had a huge impact on the Canadian economy. The pause is for 30 days, during which time Canada and the U.S. will discuss other economic issues between the two countries. 

 Scotiabank Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault joins us to discuss the latest developments in the potential trade war, the impact tariffs could have on Canadians, and what policy changes Canada could consider to make itself less vulnerable to these kinds of actions in future. 

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

Key moments this episode: 

1:22 – JF catches us up on what has happened with tariffs over the last 24 hours 

3:49 – What economic issues might come up in further Canada/U.S. tariff negotiations? 

5:57 – With the tariffs only delayed, what is the ongoing impact for the Canadian economy? 

9:07 – Can (or should) Canada be ‘tariff-proofed’ moving forward? 

11:13 – How this latest tariff news might affect the outlook on Canada’s economic growth and future Bank of Canada rate cuts 

13:51 – What might happen next? 

15:20 – The key takeaways for Canadians