20% of Canadians say a 2% rate increase would “hamper their ability” to afford their home. That’s according to a February 21-23 BMO/Leger survey.
This figure isn’t surprising given that November 2011 data from CAAMP suggested 21% of Canadians “couldn’t afford” a 2% rate increase.
One question that might come to mind when reading this is: How likely is a 2% rate increase?
If you assume economists are right (despite their prediction track record) and that the overnight rate will revert to a 3-4% neutral rate, then that equates to a 200-300 basis point rate hike.
A 2% move seems somewhat realistic against that backdrop. The timeframe for that kind of rate change is another issue. It could be Q
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London has long been the darling of European property investment for many foreign buyers, but CBRE reports that the top spot has been overtaken by Paris as a result of weakening interest in other locations due to the Eurozone financial crisis. Russia is also gaining in interest, supplanting Berlin for the sixth slot on the list of most desired locations. Nordic cities and various areas in Germany are also attracting more attention thanks to their comparatively more responsible financial management and stability. Even so, the supremacy of London and Paris give credence to the benefits of being historically popular. For more on this continue reading the following article from Property Wire. Paris has overtaken London to become the number one city in Europe for property investment while Moscow has overtaken Berlin as the number six city, according to global property adviser CBRE. Read more…
In an early morning press release, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced today that it would no longer include “people” in any of its estimates of US unemployment. According to the press release, the move is part of a new initiative to “more accurately report US employment figures through a measured omission of irrelevant data, stemming primarily from the coincidental fact that people exist.”
The new calculating practice — being dubbed the “What Unemployment?” model — is meant to replace the controversial “Birth/Death” model, which the BLS has long-used as a way to make up for the lag in reporting associated with the creation of new businesses. But according to a
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One of the realities of life is that we all grow old and die. However, it is possible to put off that inevitable moment of death if you take precautions to live healthier, and employ a few commonsense tips. Personally, I think living longer isnt that great if you dont have your health. Unless you can have health as well as longevity, there isnt much point.
My maternal grandfather is a great example to me. Hes active, inquisitive, and eats reasonably well. Not only is he almost 81, but he is also in pretty good shape, with relatively few health problems, and an ability to do most of the things he enjoys. Hes independent, and able to live the lifestyle he wants. Not bad. And a lot of it has to do with his lifestyle habits. Here are 9 tips that can help you live longer and healthier:
1.
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I begin each day of my life with a ritual of receiving one sms around 5:30 am from my fitness coach Sanjay. The sms reads “I am coming at 6:00 am so get ready” I take a look at the sms and reply yes. Initially, I thought that my ritual is to exercise every day, but my real ritual is saying Yes to my coach because, the moment I say YES to him my laziness goes away, my reasons/excuses disappear and I look up to the ceiling of my room and say to myself “Get ready Nandish it’s time to invest in your fitness.” This ritual has had transformative effect on me. I know it is absolutely no fun to wake up in the dark and push ourselves to go for a tiresome run or to hit the gym. But if you really want to cherish your wealth in later years of your life start forming healthy habit of exercising. One of th
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In the post war period, there has been a relative decline in the size of UK manufacturing. UK manufacturing used to account for over 50% of the size of the economy. Now, manufacturing accounts for around 12-15%. However, although there has been a degree of de-industrialisation the UK still produces more in absolute terms than previously. We manufacturer a surprisingly wide range of goods from Nuclear reactors, military equipment, pharmaceutical products to electronics.
- Many British car firms are no longer owned by British firms.
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It appears Standard & Poors credit agency downgraded the U.S. credit rating using an incorrect budget baseline and now analysts are questioning why they, the government or the American people should listen to an agency that is apparently incompetent. The mistake hearkens back to S&Ps failed decision to adjust its outlook or rating when the U.S. entered into the recession, and not giving a fair evaluation to investment products and policies that endangered the economy. The error, which misjudged the baseline for rating by $2 trillion, is seen by most as too big to ignore when evaluating the agency. For more on this continue reading the following article from Economists View.
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