Good afternoon. Today we’re covering updated tax brackets for 2026, red flags around gold, and a new IMF report showing Canada’s economy weathering tariffs.
Today’s reading time is 3 minutes.
Tax brackets are changing in 2026
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Canada's federal tax brackets are shifting up in 2026 to reflect inflation, and if you're in the lowest bracket, you'll catch a bit more of a break. Reflecting a promise made by the Carney government, the bottom tax rate drops to 14% (down from 15%) and now covers the first $58,523 of income instead of $57,375. All the other brackets are getting adjusted as well — here’s how they’re changing:
20.5% rate
2025: $57,375 to $114,750 ➡️ 2026: $58,523 to $117,045
26% rate
2025: $114,750 to $177,882 ➡️ 2026: $117,045 to $181,440
29% rate
2025: $177,882 to $253,414 ➡️ 2026: $181,440 to $258,482
33% rate
2025: Over $253,414 ➡️ 2026: Over $258,482
Gold's gone from safe haven to casino chip, BIS says
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Gold's 20% surge since September wasn't driven by retail traders chasing trends and media hype, according to the Bank for International Settlements. The metal that usually rises when stocks fall has instead been climbing alongside risky assets like tech stocks, breaking a 50-year pattern. For the first time in at least five decades, gold and equities are both in what the BIS calls "explosive territory" at the same time. That could be a warning sign for markets more broadly: when bubbles reach this phase, they typically burst with sharp corrections. Canadian investors holding gold as portfolio insurance should note this shift — it's now behaving more like a speculative bet than a hedge.
Canada's economy tougher than expected under Trump tariffs, IMF says
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Canada held up better than forecasters predicted when U.S. tariffs hit, according to the IMF's latest assessment. The trade shock disrupted supply chains and hammered manufacturing, but CUSMA exemptions and quick company adjustments softened the blow. Growth is still weak — the IMF forecasts it at 1.6% for both 2025 and 2026, below Canada's potential — and the trade deficit widened as U.S. exports tanked. That said, it’s not all sunshine and roses. The IMF says weak business dynamism, slow capital investment, and lagging innovation are the real long-term drags on Canadian living standards, and that risks still tilt negative, especially if tariffs escalate again or household debt becomes a problem.
WHAT ELSE IS ON OUR RADAR
Check your reassessments! Taxpayers are now catching way more CRA errors.
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The number of companies traded on the TSX is falling sharply, down 45% since 2008 to 678 as of the end of the third quarter.
There’s a leadership shakeup going on at Berkshire Hathaway.
Air Transit pilots are heading towards a strike.
