In This Economy?! – Details, episodes & analysis

After years of shortages, dealership lots are finally full of new vehicles again. The question is if this will bring down prices that spiked during the pandemic? In this episode of Today, In This Economy, we chat with Driving.ca columnist Lorraine Sommerfeld about what to expect in the marketplace and everything you need to know about buying a new or used car this fall.

(We're hard at work on a new season of In This Economy?!—but this fall we're also introducing shorter episodes that let our experts explain what the latest piece of economic news means for you, right now, Today, In This Economy.)

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

This episode first aired on In This Economy?! in March 2023. We thought you might enjoy the listen while the show is on a short break.

Netflix. Disney+. Prime. Apple TV+. Spotify. Newspapers. Magazines. Video games. Substacks. A secret caller (hint: you know him!) has a minor subscription addiction and needs help getting his spending under control. Jordan asks Barry Hertz, Deputy Arts Editor and Film Editor for The Globe and Mail, to explain the subscription boom we're living in, and learn a few tips to avoid high fees.

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

Cheap. Entitled. Greedy. Those are just a few things that come to mind when one thinks about a landlord. But have you ever considered becoming one?

According to data collected by the Canadian Real Estate Association, the current average cost of a house in Canada is just over $700 thousand dollars. Simultaneously, the cost of renting remains at an all-time high. Buying a house that has a basement unit, or something you can rent out to help cover your mortgage, might seem like an appealing option. But is it really that easy? 

Jordan speaks with Nelda Schulte, a landlord coach and author of "Canadian Landlords Handbook" to find out the hidden reality of rental properties. 

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

Summer is around the corner, and a lot of us are dreaming of a holiday. But post pandemic it feels like everything has skyrocketed.  So how can you still have a fun and meaningful family vacation in this economy?

Natalie Preddie is a writer and a TV personality who specializes in travel. As a seasoned traveler herself, whether that's solo or with a family, on a plane or in a train, she is full of tips for how to make that dream of vacation a reality. 

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

We're in the middle of a month in which thousands of Canadians have sworn to boycott any store or product produced by Loblaw Companies Ltd. That includes an awful lot of stores and products, and would require some severe changing of habits. Which is why it probably won't work.

It seems that every week we're encouraged to boycott something, but how many of these protests actually result in change from the targeted company, any why? What should Canadians who want to encourage companies like Loblaw to change their strategies actually do to get some traction? And what should boycott organizers aim for to encourage the maximum number of people to join in?

GUEST: François Neville, Associate Professor of Strategic Management at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

Patrick's family member is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and addicted to cocaine stimulants. Patrick and his wife have been trying to fund treatment through private means but are running out of money. They are worried long wait times and delays in the public system will be a barrier to care for their beloved family member.

Jordan speaks to Nadeem Esmail, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute who has studied the current state of mental health care in Canada and how we compare to other nations. 

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

In 2017, the Ontario Liberal government instituted a basic income pilot where participants across the province would receive $1,400 a month for three years. That project has since been cancelled, but basic income, as an idea, continues to be brought up as a potential solution to our money problems. So, could it be? And how would it work in practice?

Jordan invites health economist Evelyn Forget from the School of Medicine at the University of Manitoba on to find out. Forget has been studying the effects and feasibility of basic income for many years. She's also written books on the subject, including "Basic income for Canadians, from the COVID-19 Emergency to Financial Security for All."

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

A 44-year-old listener named Brian is wondering if retirement is a reality for him. And if it is, what that retirement will look like. Is it the image of cocktails on the beach and days spent playing golf that many of us associate with this stage of life? Or is it something a little different?

Jordan speaks with Alyssa Brierley, Executive Director of the National Institute on Aging at Toronto Metropolitan University to help define what retirement looks like in this era. 

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

In pop culture, pre-nuptial agreements (or pre-nups) are usually talked about as something that protects a rich person from marrying a gold digger. But these days, most of us don’t have much gold to dig for; that said, there are still things couples need to think about before combining finances. 

Jordan talks to Georgina Carson, a family lawyer and partner at Carson, Chousky and Lein to get the low-down on marriage and cohabitation contracts, and find out what steps couples should take when they start to think about sharing bank accounts, property and debt.

Do you have a money problem? Call and leave us a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at 

hello@itepod.ca

You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don’t forget to leave a call-back number so we can get in touch.

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!  

We're off this week, but thought you might benefit from hearing this episode, which originally ran on The Big Story April 16, 2024.  

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's budget announcement, the federal government has been hammering a message that this document would make life more affordable for Canadians.

Does it accomplish that? What's in here that will matter to your wallet in the months to come? What takes aim at trying to bring down the cost of living over the next several years? And who's going to end up paying for all this?

GUEST: Jim Stanford, economist and Director of The Centre for Future Work

Do you have a topic that's confounding you in this economy?   We'll be happy to dig into it for you and get you the answers you need.  Email us at: rogerspodcastnetwork@rci.rogers.com. Thank you for listening!