Ian Bickis
Edmonton Journal
Calgary, AB, Canada
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Past articles by Ian:
Regulator reining in Greatway's multiple levels of questionable insurance marketing
TORONTO — Life insurance for a baby might sound a little off, but fast-growing Greatway Financial Inc. says it’s never too early to sign up. → Read More
Auto prices set to ease but no quick fix: experts
TORONTO – Automakers have made high-profile price cuts for some of the most well-known electric cars this year, but experts say the overall sticker shock of buying vehicles will prove harder to... → Read More
Review of RBC's $13.5B takeover of HSBC Canada shows limits to system: critics
TORONTO – Royal Bank of Canada’s proposed $13.5-billion takeover of HSBC Bank Canada will face scrutiny from Canada’s competition watchdogs in the year ahead, but critics say their l... → Read More
Fallout from crypto exchange FTX's collapse shows importance of regulation: experts
TORONTO – The rapid collapse of crypto-exchange giant FTX shows the importance for the sector to be regulated, something that Canada has helped lead the way on, experts say. Canada has numerous... → Read More
Canada’s banks aim at newcomers as key source of client growth
The efforts come as Canada has been welcoming record numbers of newcomers, with an aim to bring in 432,000 permanent residents this year, rising to 451,000 by 2024. → Read More
New bank rules set to come into force this month
TORONTO - The long wait for shorter wait times on resolving bank complaints is almost over as part of a raft of updates to banking regulations set to come into force. → Read More
End-of-term celebrations muted as RMC students mourn four killed
Students had to push on with the final day of exams Saturday after officer cadets Jack Hogarth, Andrei Honciu, Broden Murphy and Andres Salek, all poised to… → Read More
Financial sector at risk of transition shocks: BoC
Canada’s financial sector could be exposed to significant economic shocks from the transition to lower emissions according to early scenario modelling from the Bank of Canada and the banking regulator. The pilot study isn’t meant as a forecast but considers several climate policy scenarios and how they could play out across the Canadian economy. → Read More
Business, labour groups divided on COVID isolation
TORONTO - Canadian business and labour groups are at odds over preferred isolation times for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 The question has renewed urgency after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommended on Monday that Americans with COVID-19 should isolate for five days rather than 10 if they're not showing symptoms. Ontario's top doctor postponed a news conference Tuesday… → Read More
Will Canada’s big banks live up to their climate commitments? Details on plans are thin
Corporate commitments to become net-zero by 2050 became so trendy this year, Canada's big banks made them twice. → Read More
Fintech credit card space is growing. Here’s what you should know
On the personal credit card side, companies like Brim and Neo are trying to lure customers with promises of more seamless, app-based digital experience. → Read More
NDP promising better childcare, paid sick leave
HAMILTON - NDP leader Jagmeet Singh took aim at his Liberal rival on Monday, pledging to implement supports for workers that he said Justin Trudeau previously promised but failed to deliver during his terms as prime minister. → Read More
Open banking panel seeks rules in place by 2023
TORONTO - A government working group on so-called open banking recommends that a regulated system for sharing personal financial data with third parties like robo-advisors and budgeting apps be put in place by 2023. → Read More
CMHC sees declines in home prices, sales, starts that will linger to end of 2022
Canada's housing sector will see a retreat in prices, sales and building in the months ahead and likely won't see a return to pre-pandemic levels until at least the end of 2022, said Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. in an outlook released Wednesday. → Read More
As malls re-open across the country, worries grow that consumers won't come back
Malls across the country are beginning to open their doors after weeks of government-mandated shutdo... → Read More
Small businesses seek rapid rent relief measures as Trudeau promises more support
Small businesses are hoping for promised rent relief from both landlords and government as the COVID-19-related shutdown drags on and their bills pile up. → Read More
Electric vehicle options grow, but automakers still unclear if Canadians will buy them
Analysts say that government policies are crucial to actually push companies to sell those models, since automakers otherwise don't have enough incentive to move away from internal combustion engine vehicles. → Read More
Start the new year, and new decade, by making your slice of the internet more secure
TORONTO — In a year that saw companies such as TransUnion, Facebook and Desjardins urge their Canadian users to change their passwords and monitor their financial accounts due to data breaches, it’s never been more important to safeguard your personal information. The crucial part, however, is to actually take steps to make your personal data less … → Read More
Sidewalk releases grand vision for controversial Toronto development
TORONTO - Sidewalk Labs laid out its ambitious vision of the future of cities with its plan for Toronto's eastern waterfront, but has already received fresh criticism for its potential overreach. The plan sets out what Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google parent-company Alphabet Inc. → Read More
Canada at a crossroads as U.S. plans to lower auto emissions standards
The federal government has started to give away money to encourage people to buy electric cars, but before long it will have to decide how far it will go to force the market towards lower-emission vehicles. → Read More