The Canadian consumer, meanwhile, might be benefiting from somewhat cheaper gasoline, but their spending capacity is stretched thanks to a record
high level of household debt.
Though it boosts the economy in the short term, high
levels of household debt add pressure on the economy in the long run, as households are forced to cut spending in order to repay their debt.
Here are three off the top of my head: Record
levels of household debt threaten future spending, too many of our companies need a weaker currency to be competitive, and international energy companies are giving up on Canada as a place to invest.
However, Porter says the record
levels of household debt piling up in Canada, like in many industrial - world economies, does suggest it will be tougher for the country to grow as quickly as it has in the past.
Poloz then specified that these uncertainties comprise: inflation, the degree of excess capacity, continued softness in wage growth, and the
elevated level of household debt.
Record
levels of household debt add pressure to the financial strain of separation and divorce, says Toronto family lawyer Katherine Robinson.
So, in summary these are some of the themes we might expect to see in the next chapter — the impact of technology and the growth of Asia; the normalisation of monetary conditions; the effects of
higher levels of household debt; and the capability of our workforce and businesses to be flexible, innovative and adaptable.
The house - price bubble, combined with
record levels of household debt, represent the biggest threat facing the Canadian economy; the sooner real - estate markets mellow and Canadians lower their debt burdens, the better.
YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories, May 1 - Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said on Tuesday that the view of the Canadian economy is quite good despite record
levels of household debt, and he was confident the central bank can manage the risk of that debt even as interest rates rise.
There's an economic imperative at play, of course: thanks to steadily increasing costs of living, and record
levels of household debt, many sexagenarians and even septuagenarians simply can't afford to stop working.
In its latest statement, it said «household vulnerabilities have moved higher,» which is how policy makers describe the troubling nexus between excessive housing prices in many cities and record
levels of household debt.
But against the backdrop of slow average wage gains and record
levels of household debt, she says, «it looks like the average Canadian is about to get into a pretty serious squeeze play.»
Across the developed world, it's contributed to record
levels of household debt.
The Bank of Canada was all about patchy exports, weak business investment, and record
levels of household debt.
The most likely explanation for the ongoing subdued consumption outcomes is the combination of weak growth in real household income and the high
level of household debt.
A third issue is the high
level of household debt and housing prices.
This brings me to a third plot line: that is, how we deal with the higher
level of household debt and higher housing prices, especially in a world of more normal interest rates.
At the heart of this uncertainty is the high
level of household debt.
«However, historically high
levels of household debt and low wage growth will offset some of the positive impact of recent strong employment data, so consumers are likely to remain cautious.»
The Bank of Canada says elevated home prices in Toronto and Vancouver and record
levels of household debt have become bigger worries over the past six months.
One reason for trying to understand this complex picture is that
the level of household debt is relatively high.
However, this is changing, and the increase in
the level of household debt over the past decade is a major shift, with significant knock - on implications for consumption.
That is just a little over 4 years, and we can expect a continuation of deleveraging for many years to come - we have a long way to go in order to get back to
the levels of household debt relative to GDP or Personal Disposable Income (PDI).
[1] Like many countries in recent decades, the Netherlands engaged in a mortgage - borrowing binge that sent property prices soaring, saddling Dutch households with
a level of household debt that exceeds 240 % of disposable income, the highest level in the euro zone by far.
[14] The analysis suggests that this policy would increase spending and incomes in the economy — without increasing
the level of household debt.
We had among the most leveraged banks of any country, a house price boom as large as America's or Spain's, and higher
levels of household debt than any other country in the world.
And few economists would advocate increasing Britain's sky - high
level of household debt, which is overwhelmingly associated with buying homes.
But
the level of household debt continues to rise, hitting 171.1 per cent of disposable income in the third quarter.
It predicted Canada's high
levels of household debt would amplify the effects of higher interest rates on consumption.
Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is actively seeking new ways to curb spiraling
levels of household debt and is warning banks and borrowers alike against complacency amid historically low interest rates.
Also, BOC Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Wilkins spoke on Tuesday but the Loonie's price action was like chop suey or a mixed bag of nuts, likely because Wilkins didn't really talk about the Loonie or monetary policy, expressing only some concern about
the levels of household debt (which is not really new).
Our central bank is especially concerned about the record
level of household debt we're carrying.
but the Loonie's price action was like chop suey or a mixed bag of nuts, likely because Wilkins didn't really talk about the Loonie or monetary policy, expressing only some concern about
the levels of household debt (which is not really new).
Consumer spending is expected to continue to be a significant contributor to the economy, but the bank said it believes high
levels of household debt and a slowdown in the housing market will weigh on spending.
High
levels of household debt are a concern, that gets even worse when you realize how concentrated it is.
B.C. Premier Christy Clark expressed her concern with the rising
level of household debt.
Also, the government is worried about
the level of household debt.