The You First Blog

Over the past two years, investors have navigated through both the peaks and the troughs of financial markets. The notable double-digit decline in equities during 2022 was swiftly succeeded by a robust recovery in the concluding months of 2023. The final two months of 2023 saw a positive shift across asset classes, signaling broad market… Read More

The first half of 2023 was defined by contrasting themes. On the recessionary data side, we saw a slowdown in the manufacturing sector, coupled with tighter credit conditions following March’s banking turmoil. On the soft-landing side, the labour market remains strong, with unemployment rates hovering near all-time lows. Inflation has moderated only slightly, despite the… Read More

The promising start to 2023 continued for investors in April as stocks posted more gains, bond yields were stable, and inflation cooled again. However, concerns remain around the direction of central bank interest rates, the debt ceiling, and consumer spending. Here’s a summary of the main events that steered the markets. Markets are up since… Read More

The Liberal Government released the 2023 Federal Budget on Tuesday. Here are some of the highlights from the announced budget. Personal Tax Measures The Grocery Rebate The Goods and Services Tax Credit (GSTC) helps to offset the impact of the GST on low- and modest-income individuals and families. The GSTC is non-taxable, income-tested, and indexed… Read More

We hope you and your families enjoyed a happy, healthy, and relaxing holiday season. As we turn the page on 2022 and bring 2023 into focus, here are 15 topics to consider when planning for the coming year. Markets have been increasing since early-October 2022. On October 12, 2022, the S&P 500 bottomed out –… Read More