“Sluggish, Not Stressed, But Elevated Risks”: Council Recommends Leaving Buffer at 3.5 Percent Fifth Meeting of the C.D. Howe Institute Domestic Stability Buffer Council At its meeting on November 12, 2025, the C.D. Howe Institute’s Domestic Stability Buffer Council (DSBC) recommended that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) maintain the Domestic Stability Buffer (DSB) […]
November 20, 2025 – The C.D. Howe Institute’s Domestic Stability Buffer Council (DSBC) recommends that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) maintain the Domestic Stability Buffer (DSB) for Canada’s largest banks at 3.5 percent of total risk-weighted assets at its next setting in December. The domestic stability buffer is the capital that Canada’s major […]
About a third of Canadians are taking financial advice from “finfluencers.” Golfdale Consulting’s Gary Edwards warns that this is a recipe for disaster for a demographic that can’t afford to gamble with their retirement funds. He offers two solutions.
About a third of Canadians are taking financial advice from “finfluencers.” Golfdale Consulting’s Gary Edwards warns that this is a recipe for disaster for a demographic that can’t afford to gamble with their retirement funds. He offers two solutions.
by Pierre-Carl Michaud and Bernard Morency Canadians are managing more money and more financial decisions than ever. Over the past 30 years, household wealth has more than doubled, while traditional supports like workplace pensions have faded. With fewer defined benefit plans and limited growth in public retirement benefits, people have to make more choices on […]
November 11, 2025 – Earlier generations of retirees fared well despite limited financial literacy thanks to simpler pension systems. But what used to be a relatively simple flight plan has turned into a far more complicated journey for today’s Canadians, who face a self-directed financial landscape, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe […]
Published in The Hill Times. Privately-issued stablecoins—digital tokens designed to maintain a fixed value relative to a fiat currency—are often hailed as the next big leap in payments technology. They promise cheaper, instant, cross-border transfers, 24/7 settlement, and the efficiencies of blockchain infrastructure. But like any critical financial sector infrastructure, they need a regulatory framework […]
From: Eloise DuncanTo: Policymakers and Financial InstitutionsDate: October 28, 2025Re: Renters Becoming More Financially Vulnerable: Emerging Implications Changes in the household financial resilience of Canadians nationally, measured through the Financial Resilience Institute’s Financial Resilience Index Model and published reports, highlight the increasing financial vulnerability of renters compared to mortgage-holders over the past two years: a […]
Published in Financial Post. As Canadians focus on the harmful economic effects of tariffs, taxes and trade, a quieter drag on our productivity hides in plain sight: how we regulate financial services. Regulation has expanded all across the financial sector. Rules are obviously necessary. They protect consumers, ensure stability and build trust. But rules accumulate, forming a dense regulatory […]
October 23, 2025 – The C.D. Howe Institute’s Monetary Policy Council (MPC) calls for the Bank of Canada to cut its target for the overnight rate, its benchmark policy interest rate, to 2.25 percent at its next announcement on October 29th. The MPC then calls for the Bank to leave the target at 2.25 percent over the […]
October 16, 2025 – Canada’s weak growth, low investment and lagging innovation point to the need for a more modern regulatory philosophy that balances both protection and progress, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Pruning the Rulebook: Canada’s Financial Regulatory Scorecard, Year Two,” Gherardo Caracciolo’s updated findings revealed similar results […]
In the second year of our regulatory scorecard paper, results continue to show the need for a more balanced approach to financial oversight, one that explicitly incorporates innovation and competition alongside traditional stability and consumer protection goals. Newly issued and updated regulatory documents did not change previous results. The imbalance reflects the mandates of Canadian […]
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“Sluggish, Not Stressed, But Elevated Risks”: Council Recommends Leaving Buffer at 3.5 Percent Fifth Meeting of the C.D. Howe Institute Domestic Stability Buffer Council At its meeting on November 12, 2025, the C.D. Howe Institute’s Domestic Stability Buffer Council (DSBC) recommended that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) maintain the Domestic Stability Buffer (DSB) […] 
About a third of Canadians are taking financial advice from “finfluencers.” Golfdale Consulting’s Gary Edwards warns that this is a recipe for disaster for a demographic that can’t afford to gamble with their retirement funds. He offers two solutions. 
by Pierre-Carl Michaud and Bernard Morency Canadians are managing more money and more financial decisions than ever. Over the past 30 years, household wealth has more than doubled, while traditional supports like workplace pensions have faded. With fewer defined benefit plans and limited growth in public retirement benefits, people have to make more choices on […] 
Published in The Hill Times. Privately-issued stablecoins—digital tokens designed to maintain a fixed value relative to a fiat currency—are often hailed as the next big leap in payments technology. They promise cheaper, instant, cross-border transfers, 24/7 settlement, and the efficiencies of blockchain infrastructure. But like any critical financial sector infrastructure, they need a regulatory framework […] 
From: Eloise DuncanTo: Policymakers and Financial InstitutionsDate: October 28, 2025Re: Renters Becoming More Financially Vulnerable: Emerging Implications Changes in the household financial resilience of Canadians nationally, measured through the Financial Resilience Institute’s Financial Resilience Index Model and published reports, highlight the increasing financial vulnerability of renters compared to mortgage-holders over the past two years: a […] 
Published in Financial Post. As Canadians focus on the harmful economic effects of tariffs, taxes and trade, a quieter drag on our productivity hides in plain sight: how we regulate financial services. Regulation has expanded all across the financial sector. Rules are obviously necessary. They protect consumers, ensure stability and build trust. But rules accumulate, forming a dense regulatory […] 
October 23, 2025 – The C.D. Howe Institute’s Monetary Policy Council (MPC) calls for the Bank of Canada to cut its target for the overnight rate, its benchmark policy interest rate, to 2.25 percent at its next announcement on October 29th. The MPC then calls for the Bank to leave the target at 2.25 percent over the […] 
October 16, 2025 – Canada’s weak growth, low investment and lagging innovation point to the need for a more modern regulatory philosophy that balances both protection and progress, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Pruning the Rulebook: Canada’s Financial Regulatory Scorecard, Year Two,” Gherardo Caracciolo’s updated findings revealed similar results […] 
In the second year of our regulatory scorecard paper, results continue to show the need for a more balanced approach to financial oversight, one that explicitly incorporates innovation and competition alongside traditional stability and consumer protection goals. Newly issued and updated regulatory documents did not change previous results. The imbalance reflects the mandates of Canadian […]