Cost of Living

With gold prices reaching historic highs, more people are channeling their inner prospector. They're combing through thrift stores, estate sales — even riverbeds. Also on the show, why Canadians are choosing to pay out of pocket for minor car accidents rather than make an insurance claim. And with tech optimists and doomsayers predicting wildly different things from artificial intelligence, we talk to an AI realist who says it will be transformative (but just not yet).

The U.S. President would like to see Canadian auto jobs move to the United States. But how likely is that to happen? Also, why Canadians have a tough time switching banks and why it could be hard to redevelop the historic Hudson's Bay buildings.

Al Lewis, who writes Business Blunders on Substack, explains why big companies make big mistakes (Hint: it's money). We'll explore why your money problems may call for a financial therapist, and not just an adviser. Also, we ask Chris Sands of Johns Hopkins University what could happen if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that Trump's tariffs are illegal.

Canada's trade deal with China is good for canola farmers, but for automakers? Not so much. So what does that say about the federal government's hopes for the economy? Also, why many of us are just one "turning point moment" away from chucking it all and quitting our jobs. And, why more women are travelling solo.

Scholastic has been selling books, pens and posters to students for decades. Along the way, it's become one of the world's largest publishers of children's books, with titles like The Hungers Game and Harry Potter. So how did the relationship between a for-profit U.S. company and Canadian schools become so unshakeable? Also, we ask: Does happiness breed success, or is it the other way around?

If it feels like the price of everything from airfares to juice boxes never stay put — you're not wrong. And artificial intelligence could make those prices even more slippery. Also, we explain why more travellers are opting for a seat upgrade and explore how YouTube at the world.

This week, we answer some of your burning questions about the economy. Like, why does Canada import stuff that we produce here? Should you pay in CAD when travelling abroad? And, how expensive is the #rvlife (Originally aired October 12, 2025)

Hallmark's holiday movie formula is as polished as a glass snow globe. And why not? Between product placements and sponsorships, the movies are a winner for the card company. We take a look at the business sense behind the sensibility. Also, we make a spirited defense of IRL shopping and ask: How did Canada's economy weather a stormy 2025?

Pricey VIP experiences are increasingly for sale in places like theme parks, concert venues and ski resorts. So what does it mean for us to be divided into the haves and the have-mores? We examine what the sale of Warner Bros. could mean for the future of entertainment. And why are Canadians paying through le nez for French butter?

The U.S. used to be pretty hands off, let the market do its thing. Now it wants to be the puppet master. So what happened? Also, we explain why advent calendars have become so commercial and we talk to a historian about why certain toys catch lightening in a bottle. Remember Tickle Me Elmo?