WHY HIGH CANADIAN HOUSEHOLD DEBT IS MANAGEABLE Canadian household debt has swollen to record highs during a period of low mortgage rates, but an economist with Canada's sixth-largest bank says the debt level is "manageable". "Analysts often raise alarm bells by pointing to measures such as debt-to-disposable income. But as we often caution, comparing a stock variable such as debt to a flow variable such as income has its limitations," writes Krishen... [read more]

WHY ANALYSTS SEE NO QUICK END TO THE HOUSING BOOMS In Toronto and Vancouver "Job creation has actually been quite strong in Toronto and Vancouver in recent quarters when compared to the national average," chief economist Stefane Marion said. "Large inflows of permanent immigrants (about 240,000 in the past year) coupled with the misfortune of commodity-producing regions have redirected inter and intra-provincial population migration flows towards Toronto and... [read more]