…your current three or four per cent financings could turn into five, six, seven or even eight per cent borrowing costs over the next few years.

How high could interest rates go?

The consensus is they’re set to rise but many could be underestimating how much

There has been a lot of talk lately about inflation and what higher interest rates could mean for the markets, the economy and your investments. Are rising interest rates bad for stocks? How high can rates go? How will it affect my bottom line? And not just the investment side of your balance sheet but

Is inflation risk overhyped?

Is inflation risk overhyped?

A lot of people — perhaps too many — are talking about inflation

A lot of people, perhaps even too many people, are talking about inflation. I say this because when there’s so much attention on a topic, you have to wonder if it’s being overhyped, or if maybe there’s something more to it. Various inflationary factors are starting to appear. Recent U.S. government reports show signs of


If inflation returns in earnest, so could higher rates.

Interest rates biggest farm finance risk

Farm Credit Canada says the pace of debt growth has slowed but farmers need to have an interest rate risk management plan

The expansion of Canada’s farm debt continued, but at its lowest pace in six years. Meanwhile Farm Credit Canada’s chief economist says that the potential for higher interest rates is the “darkest cloud” in that otherwise optimistic picture. Statistics Canada data showed outstanding Canadian farm debt increased by 5.9 per cent to $121.9 billion as


“Risk management will become an even more significant component of success,” says J. P. Gervais with Farm Credit Canada.

Farm income: a dip and now holding

Canadian farm income fell on market volatility, but export growth is still likely, says FCC

Final figures aren’t available yet but all signs suggest farm income in 2018 was clipped by several factors and will likely stay at that level through this year, says J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist with Farm Credit Canada. “Price volatility, higher input costs and weather-related challenges in many parts of the country over the past


Five common misperceptions about investing in the stock market, debunked

Five common misperceptions about investing in the stock market, debunked

Occasionally I get an opportunity to make a presentation promoting my book. The theme of my 30- to 45-minute presentation is that most stock investing perceptions are actually misperceptions. Following are five common perceptions, which I feel are actually misperceptions.

Saskatchewan farming prices – in 2016 dollars per acre.

Risk and volatility not necessarily same

Hedging Your Bets: Current canola and farmland prices are examples of markets at risk of a sudden change

When thinking about risk, there can be a lot of different interpretations. Risk does not have to mean volatility but the two tend to work in conjunction. One way to define risk is ‘the consequence of not meeting your goals.’ One of my favourite authors on the topic of market risk and practical trading ideas

Cropped image of handsome businessman in casual wear using a laptop and examining documents while working in the office

Seven summer financial bottlenecks

In biz-speak, a bottleneck is a point of congestion that causes delays or inefficiencies, leading to higher costs. It’s a perfect metaphor for farm finances at a time of year when the bottle we’d rather be thinking about might have something cold in it, with us sitting on a dock. Yet summer is a too-good-to-miss


Blockchain could revolutionize food

It’s an impressive and high-tech solution to the problem of sharing information 
from many parties quickly and easily

There has been a lot of noise on cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin of late. While some suggest cryptocurrencies are a fraud, others believe them to be the next economic revolution. Bitcoin has brought to light the interesting concept of blockchain technology, which offers great potential for the agri-food sector. Yet it is far from being the

Young ranchers and farmers are struggling to access land in the face of competition from large and well-established operations the Manitoba Beef Producers heard.

Taking aim at credit options for fledgling farms

Do new farmers need better access to newcomer-friendly financing? At least one producer says yes

When it comes to farmland, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Brooke Rossnagel hopes policy-makers will understand it is in the interest of the sector as a whole to break that cycle. He wants better access to credit for new farmers, and he’s hoping that a motion with the Manitoba Beef Producers