Darah Hansen

    Darah Hansen is a freelance writer and editor based in Toronto. She previously worked as a senior news and business reporter at the Vancouver Sun and served as national news correspondent for CanWest News (now Postmedia) in Afghanistan. She is the recipient of several journalism awards, including the Peter Gzowski Literacy Award of Merit.

  • Canadian debit card fraud hits record low as criminals go 'where it's easier to do the job'

    The report, released this week, found debit-card fraud losses overall reached a record low in 2014 of $16.2 million in 2014. The really good news for the millions of Canadians who use a debit card every day to buy gas, groceries and coffee is that just 20 per cent, or $3.2 million, of the 2014 losses occurred from within Canada. “Criminals go to where it is easier to do their job,” says Caroline Hubberstey, head of external affairs at Interac Association. Financial fraud is a threat most of us can relate to.

  • Doubling TFSA limit a win for the rich but trouble for most: study

    It’s been seven years since the federal Conservatives unveiledf or us a shiny new savings scheme known as the Tax-Free Savings Account. Canadians, in turn, have responded by embracing the TFSA to save for retirement, as well as  shorter-term goals such as a down payment on house, a family holiday or new car. Now, with a new budget (not to mention an election) on the horizon, it only makes sense for the feds to consider doubling the TFSA allowable contribution limits. Who better to share his thoughts on such a heady topic than Rhys Kesselman, the Simon Fraser University economist whose co-authored study back in 2001 paved the way for the introduction of existing TFSA.

  • Seniors 'top priority' in government spending, while younger generations struggle: study

    If you’ve ever wondered exactly what your government thinks of you, take a closer look at the next federal, provincial or even municipal budget. The numbers tell a revealing story of who and what we value, says Paul Kershaw, professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health and author of a provocative new study examining the distribution of government spending by age. The study – published by Generation Squeeze, a fledgling lobby group for younger Canadians – found that governments spend between $33,000 and $40,000 annually on each person over the age of 65 years. Canadians between 45 and 64 years are allotted about $14,000 to $15,000 each.

  • Love and taxes: Canadians confused on how marital status impacts deductions, credits

    It also happens to fall smack in the middle of tax season. And, believe it or not, the Canada Revenue Agency is almost as interested in your relationship status as your mother is. It’s not uncommon for taxpayers in Canada to be confused about the tax rules and how they intersect with our love lives. A recent survey by Leger, on behalf of H&R Block Canada, found that more than half of us mistakenly think that married and common-law spouses can file a joint return to save money on their taxes. Another 40 per cent believe it’s up to us to decide whether to claim our marital status on our tax returns, while a handful of respondents doubt the CRA has guidelines to determine that status.

  • Alarm bells sound over 'unsustainable' household-debt levels in Canada

    Household debt levels in Canada, along with a number of other advanced economies in Europe and Australia, have reached alarming new highs in the seven years since the global financial crisis, leading some analysts to wonder if we aren’t headed for another big crash. A report published by the McKinsey Global Institute this week raises the possibility of a fresh risk of recession, noting household debt-to-income ratios have continue to grow in many countries at an “unsustainable” pace. The United States and Ireland, two of the hardest-hit countries in the financial crisis, have seen the most progress in managing debt, the report found. “In many other countries, however, household debt has continued to rise rapidly.

  • Tim Hortons retains its place among top 10 most influential brands in Canada

    It all started back in August when Tim Hortons decided to heated up the coffee wars with the launch of a new dark roast. American chain Burger King would be taking over as the distributor of Double Doubles and Tim Bits in a shocking $12.5-billion merger of the two fast-food giants. Then again, few brands have the kind of sway enjoyed by a brand as beloved as Tim Hortons. Take a look at the latest list of the top 10 most influential brands in Canada, based on a study by Ipsos Reid, in partnership with the Institute of Communication Agencies.

  • Faced with health issue, most Canadians would last three months before financial hardship

    Few people know better than financial planners how difficult it is to get working-age Canadians thinking seriously about retirement. Imagine, then, the uphill battle it is to get any of us to own up to something even scarier — like what will happen if you are diagnosed with cancer and suddenly can’t work? What happens if you suffer a crushing depression or a traumatic injury lands you in the hospital for weeks, maybe even months? A new survey by RBC Insurance found that most Canadians are woefully unprepared to pay the bills if they are forced out of work by illness or injury. “They don’t want to think about it and when they do think about it, they are not necessarily realistic about the impact,” says Mark Hardy, RBC Insurance’s senior manager of life and living benefits.

  • Canada ranks 9th in world for gender equality in the boardroom: survey

    Until very recently, it didn’t make sense to publish annual statistics measuring the percentage of women sitting on the boards of big public companies in Canada.

  • A little-known retirement plan for mature entrepreneurs

    It’s not the money that keeps Kevin Watson from dwelling too hard on retirement.

  • Guaranteed annual income could save Canada money, but ultimately impractical: report

    Leave it to the Fraser Institute, a Vancouver-based think tank with an appetite for stirring the policy pot, to kick off a new year by resurrecting a familiar, old topic.

  • Where Canada's jobs will be in 2015 and beyond

    If you don’t know much about Edmonton, it might be hard to see the appeal.

  • Canadians losing out on savings hidden in workplace healthcare benefits: study

    Granted, thinking about all the money we’ve spent on gifts and grog this year probably isn’t all that relaxing.

  • Canada's wealth gap: Survey highlights big divide between hopes and harsh reality

    From Pope Francis to powerful central bank leaders like Mark Carney and Janet Yellen, everyone is scrambling for a solution to the alarming divide between the world’s have and have nots.

  • Return of the office Christmas party signals renewed economic confidence: survey

    If you haven’t already received your invitation to the company Christmas gala in the mail, check again. Chances are good you’ll be cutting a rug with your co-workers sometime between now and Dec. 25.

  • Google tops the list as best place to work in Canada in 2015

    Perhaps the biggest surprise in Google being named the best place to work in 2015 is that the honour didn’t come any sooner.

  • A very, merry Christmas for affluent Canadians as average holiday spend nears $6,500

    Ever stop to consider just how merry the holidays could be if you really did have a million dollars?

  • Black Friday gains ground in Canada as Americans rein in spending

    Black Friday may have been a bust this year for many American retailers, but, closer to home, the popularity of the annual four-day sales event isn’t slowing, but steadily picking up steam.

  • Stymied in your bid to climb the social ladder? Blame Mom and Dad

    Let’s face it, the older we get, the harder it is to resist the invisible force that turns us all into our parents.

  • Programs helping employees in crisis net big returns for Canadian employers: study

    It may be tempting for Canadian employers looking at the bottom line to question the value of employee and family assistance programs (EFAP) that are so often included in employee health-benefits packages. For many companies, these programs – which offer confidential services to employees in crisis — have been in place for so long, their existence is almost taken for granted. But a new study by the human-resourcing firm Morneau Shepell indicates there’s more to these programs than just keeping workers happy. ...

  • Five million Canadians to play hooky from work to shop Black Friday, Cyber Monday: survey

    Suddenly feeling flu-ish? Not to worry. You’re probably coming down with shopping fever.