In This Economy?!
Real people with real problems get realistic solutions
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Episodes (79)
Ep 88 – Are Canadian farmers going to be okay after the latest tariff threat?
Being a farmer in Canada isn't easy at the best of times, and there's a new big challenge ahead.
This week, China announced a hefty tariff on our canola products, which happens to be this country's largest agricultural export.
Billions of dollars are at stake - so how damaging could this be?
Host of In This Economy?! Mike Eppel speaks with Mike von Massow, a professor in the Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph.
5 days ago • 21m 19s
Ep 87 – Rating the overall health of the Canadian economy
As we approach the end of the summer, how is the economy actually doing and what can we expect for the rest of 2025?
What does the data tell us about the impact of tariffs and what's really going on for Canadian businesses and households?
Host Mike Eppel speaks to Don Drummond, economist and Staufford-Dunning Fellow at Queen's University and fellow in residence at the C.D. Howe Institute.
12 days ago • 29m 59s
Ep 86 – How to make sense of strong economic signals when all the pundits say the sky is falling?
Despite all the noise about tariffs and their potential impact, it appears the Canadian economy is actually weathering the storm.
An interest rate cut looked like a slam dunk a month ago and now, with signs that the economy isn't falling off a cliff, it's highly doubtful that those rates will be going down.
So what to make of where we're at in this economy? How do you plan when things are so unpredictable?
Host Mike Eppel breaks it down with Royce Mendes, Managing Director and head of Macro Strategy at Desjardins.
34 days ago • 17m 7s
Ep 85 – How will the massive spending cuts being proposed by Ottawa impact you?
The civil service in Ottawa is bracing for layoffs. It comes after Finance Minister Francois-Phillippe Champagne was tasked with finding $25-billion dollars in savings to offset the biggest increase in defense spending in a generation.
So how does that play in to our federal government's massive deficit? And how does that trickle down to you?
Host Mike Eppel speaks with Dr. Wayne Petrozzi, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
40 days ago • 19m 51s
Ep 84 – Are we becoming less concerned with data breaches?
A data breach used to be big news. It was disconcerting to those impacted and was normally followed by a class action lawsuit.
But as they become more ubiquitous, are we caring less? And if you're a victim of a data breach, what is the financial impact to you?
Host Mike Eppel speaks with Mike Hortobagyi, Senior Manager, Solutions Engineering at Otka Canada.
48 days ago • 17m 57s
Ep 83 – What can you expect from the economy in the second half of the year?
It's the mid-point of the year and it's the economic question everyone is asking - what's going to happen with interest rates?
On this episode of In This Economy - you'll hear from an expert about whether our economy is weakening and what that means for you.
Host Mike Eppel speaks with Royce Mendes, Managing Director of Macro Strategy at Desjardins to do some "fearless forecasting".
55 days ago • 24m 1s
Ep 82 – How do we REALLY deal with the issue of affordable housing?
Housing affordability is a buzz word lately but how likely is it that it will actually become reality?
Actual action on the issue has been really slow and housing starts aren't running at a pace that's it would need to be from a supply standpoint to make a meaningful difference.
So what are the issues? What are the barriers to fixing this serious problem?
Host Mike Eppel talks to Jordan Thomson, Director , Infrastructure Advisory at K-P-M-G Canada.
61 days ago • 18m 50s
Ep 81 – Are there implications for Canada from Trump's so-called "Big Beautiful Bill"?
In this crossover with The Big Story, you'll hear about the potential impact to Canadas economy from Trump's so-called "Big Beautiful Bill".
The bill could potentially have implications for Canadian investors and pension plans.
Host Mike Eppel breaks down what it all means with guest Stephen Johnston, Director of Asset Management for Omnigence.
62 days ago • 27m 33s
Ep 80 – Interest rates weren't cut this week. Why? It's complicated.
Interest rates weren't cut this week. Why? Well, it's complicated.
The Bank of Canada didn't give borrowers a break when it set policy on Wednesday, as Tiff Macklem cited the need to wait for more data points.
The word "uncertainty" is being thrown around, although ironically, the economy was actually stronger in the first quarter than forecast.
Host Mike Eppel speaks to experts about the lack of a cut and what that means for the market, home buyers and home owners.
Guests:
Claire Fan, Senior Economist, Royal Bank of Canada
Phil Soper, President Royal LePage
75 days ago • 26m 47s
Ep 79 – Buying a Cottage? In This Economy!?
The pandemic was a boom time in the cottage industry. As people decamped out of the city, the prices for cottages skyrocketed.
However, in this softened real estate market, it's not easy to hold on to two homes, and that's becoming more obvious with the amount of cottages currently on the market.
Host Mike Eppel digs into cottage life with Kingley Ma, area VP of Re/Max Canada.
89 days ago • 15m 52s
About the show
Real people with real problems get realistic solutions. Your guide to understanding an unpredictable economy.
Are you stressed out about your finances? Feel like the odds are stacked against you? We are too. It feels like we should be able to afford all of these things as adults — a house, a car, raising children...even just a social life— but so many of us simply find it out of reach. How did the economy find itself here? Why are things the way they are? And how can we make it work anyway?
Each week, we take one of your problems and bring it straight to the experts. We find out how we ended up in this mess, and what you can do to achieve your personal goals. The economy might be unpredictable, but your success doesn’t have to be
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