Every week we share news stories, blog articles and other interesting stuff from around the web that received the most views, shares, comments and overall interest on various KeatsConnelly social media outlets.
This week we bring you interesting insight into the Canadian real estate market (is it as strong as many believe?), an alternative view of the strength of the USA and a piece with some thoughts on Canadian debt levels.
Clouds gather over Canadian housing market (www.theglobeandmail.com) – The flicker of optimism that sparked in Canada’s housing market when January sales outpaced December’s has died out, erased by a notable drop in February. Last month’s declines were significant enough to prompt the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) to cut its sales outlook for 2013 on Friday for the third time since last summer…
The America that works (www.economist.com ) – “THE greatest nation on earth—the greatest nation on earth—cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. We can’t do it,” fulminated Barack Obama last month. The crisis of the moment, the “sequester” (a package of budget cuts designed to be so ghastly that Congress would pass a better version), duly came into effect on March 1st. Unless Congress agrees on an extension to its budget, the government will start to shut down on March 28th. In May the greatest nation will hit its debt ceiling; unless it is raised, Uncle Sam will soon start defaulting on his bills…
Canadian debt at record highs, but soft landing in sight: analyst (www.theglobeandmail.com) – Canadian households continue to get into deeper debt, but the most recent data also offers a bit of a respite — credit accumulation is slowing and there’s evidence the Bank of Canada is correct in saying the problem appears to be stabilizing. A Statistics Canada report Friday calculates the average household owed a record $164.97 in market debt for every $100 of disposable, after-tax income they earned in the fourth quarter of 2012 — slightly more than the previous high of $164.7 in the prior three months…
Our offices are closed next Friday, so we will not be posting a Weekly Best Of. Come back in two weeks for more interesting news and articles. Enjoy your weekend!
