Skip to main content

Featured

The Best No-Fee Credit Cards in Canada for 2026

Why pay an annual fee when you don't have to? Canada's best no-fee credit cards now rival many premium cards — offering serious cash back, flexible rewards, travel perks, and even insurance coverage, all for $0 per year . We've rounded up the top picks for 2026 so your wallet works harder without costing you a cent. Whether you want maximum cash back on dining and groceries, a flat-rate card that keeps things simple, or travel-friendly features like no foreign transaction fees, there's a no-fee card for you. Here are our top picks — and who each one is best for. Quick Comparison: Top No-Fee Cards at a Glance Card Best For Top Earn Rate Network Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Dining & Everyday 4% restaurants Visa Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard Flexible Spenders 2% chosen categories Mastercard Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard Rogers / Travel 2% all purchases* Mastercard Amex SimplyCash® Card Simple Flat Rate 2% gas & grocery Amex BMO CashBack® Mastercard Grocer...

article

Canada’s economy shrinks in Q3 amid export and consumer woes

 


Here is a short article based on the web page you are viewing:

Canada’s economy shrinks in Q3 amid export and spending woes

Canada’s economy contracted by 1.1 per cent on an annualized basis in the third quarter of 2023, according to Statistics Canada. This was a much weaker result than expected by analysts and the Bank of Canada, which had forecast a slight growth of 0.1 per cent and 0.8 per cent, respectively.

The main factors behind the economic decline were a drop in exports, a slump in business investment, and a stagnation in consumer spending. Exports fell by 5.1 per cent, reflecting lower shipments of energy products, motor vehicles, and aircraft. Business investment decreased by 10.1 per cent, as firms reduced their spending on machinery and equipment, intellectual property, and non-residential structures. Consumer spending was flat, as households saved more of their income amid rising interest rates.

The only bright spots in the third quarter were government spending, which increased by 7.3 per cent, boosted by a one-time GST/HST credit payment, and residential housing investment, which rose by 8.3 per cent, driven by a surge in new construction.

The Canadian economy also performed poorly compared with the U.S. economy, which grew by 5.2 per cent in the same period. Canada has been more sensitive to the impact of higher interest rates, which have been raised by the Bank of Canada to 5 per cent from 0.25 per cent since early 2022. The central bank has recently signalled that it may pause or reverse its tightening cycle, as inflation has eased and economic growth has faltered.

Some economists believe that the third quarter contraction was a temporary setback and that the economy will rebound in the fourth quarter and beyond. Statistics Canada estimated that GDP grew by 0.2 per cent in October, indicating a modest recovery. However, others warn that the economy may face more headwinds in the new year, such as the ongoing supply chain disruptions, the spread of the new COVID-19 variant, and the uncertainty over the federal fiscal policy.

Comments