Tanya Charles - RBC Mobile Mortgage Specialist

07/29/2026

Cost of living squeeze: Is it getting better in North America?

Rising consumer prices since the pandemic have added to significant cost-of-living challenges for households in North America.

Prices for essential items like food and shelter in Canada and the U.S. have risen at a faster pace since 2020 than average hourly income, limiting the growth in households’ purchasing power.

Those challenges have moderated in recent years, but the path has not been even. In 2026, soaring global oil prices, and fuel costs at home once again raised consumer prices, but the central banks have not rushed to react.

Join us in this special podcast and video edition of the 10-Minute Take, where RBC Economics’ Carrie Freestone and Claire Fan break down cost-of-living challenges.

Watch or listen to our newest episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Macroeconomics for everybody! It’s everything you wanted to know but were too shy to ask — in less than 10 minutes.

06/25/2026

New Fed Chair’s first meeting: Inflation takes priority

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy meeting in June marked Kevin Warsh’s first as Chair—and it came with a clear shift in focus. Inflation dominated the press conference, while the labor market received minimal attention.

The changes went beyond tone. Forward guidance was removed from the Statement, the easing bias is gone, and half of FOMC participants view at least one hike as appropriate in 2026—up from a majority expecting cuts just three months ago.

In this episode of The 10-Minute Take, RBC Economics’ Carrie Freestone and Claire Fan discuss:
• What Chair Warsh signaled about his approach—and how it differs from Jerome Powell's.
• Why current data supports a focus on inflation with core PCE inflation above 3% and the labor market holding steady.
• How the statement shifted from an easing bias to a hawkish lean since March, and what RBC expects for interest percentages through 2027.
Listen to our newest episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Macroeconomics for everybody! It’s everything you wanted to know but were too shy to ask — in less than 10 minutes.

06/11/2026

Canada's economic reality check: World Cup buzz won't distract from real headwinds

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially started with games spanning cities across North America, drawing spectators from all over the world. But as it creates buzz, it won't distract from the headwinds still facing Canada’s economy.

In Q1, gross domestic product contracted by a small annualized 0.1% to mark a second consecutive decline. However, the contraction is marginal and narrow—not the kind of sharp, persistent, and broad-based deterioration typical of recessions in the past.

The World Cup in coming months will give Canada's economy a temporary lift. In this episode of the 10-Minute Take, RBC Economics' Claire Fan and Carrie Freestone break down Canada's underlying economic trends as FIFA games gets underway.
Listen to our newest episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Macroeconomics for everybody! It’s everything you wanted to know but were too shy to ask — in less than 10 minutes.

05/14/2026

Why Canada's jobs market is more resilient than it looks

Softening in Canada’s headline labour market data this year masks a more encouraging underlying story.

Job losses remain concentrated in tariff-exposed sectors, layoffs are declining, and hiring is beginning to rebound—all signs of resilience beneath the surface.

In this episode of the 10-Minute Take, RBC Economics' Claire Fan and Carrie Freestone discuss:
• What hidden unemployment means and whether it's rising.
• How "low hire, low fire" dynamics disproportionately affect younger job seekers.
• Why labour supply is expected to tighten as hiring demand recovers later in 2026.
Listen to our newest episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Macroeconomics for everybody! It’s everything you wanted to know but were too shy to ask — in less than 10 minutes.

03/27/2026

Are higher oil prices good or bad
for Canada’s economy?

Ongoing conflict in the Middle East has pushed global oil prices higher, raising questions about the impact to Canada’s oil-exporting economy.

This shock differs fundamentally from the past including 2015’s oil price collapse, which drove structural changes in Canada’s energy sector over the past decade. The result: A surprisingly neutral net effect from today’s high oil prices on real economic growth.

In this episode of the 10-Minute Take, join RBC Economics’ Claire Fan and Carrie Freestone as they discuss:
• Why domestic energy investment isn’t likely to surge despite higher oil prices.
• How the price shock can benefit some sectors but hurt others, creating a fractured impact.
• What to expect for Bank of Canada rate decisions as inflation pressures evolve.
Listen to our newest episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Macroeconomics for everybody! It’s everything you wanted to know but were too shy to ask — in less than 10 minutes.

03/13/2026

The fallout from the global oil shock on U.S. inflation

Rising oil prices and its impact on the US economy are continuously evolving, and how long the crisis lasts will be the key determinant of where headline inflation settles.

If the shock persists, higher energy prices will layer onto core inflation pressures amid the passthrough of tariffs to prices.

In this episode of the 10-Minute Take, RBC’s Head of US Economics, Mike Reid, joins economist Carrie Freestone to discuss how he’s thinking about inflation and the hit to consumption in the months ahead. The episode covers:
• Constructing a range of scenarios to assess potential impact of higher energy prices on headline inflation.
• Signs of early tariff passthrough already showing up beneath the surface.
• Whether the US labor market and consumers are well-positioned to withstand these shocks.
Listen to our newest episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Rate cuts and crossroads: What's next for the Fed and BoC?

01/30/2026

Breaking the trade trap:
Can Canada diversify fast enough?

Canada's extreme trade concentration—with 75% of energy exports and 77% of manufacturing exports going to the U.S. in 2024—has left the country vulnerable to protectionist trade policies.

While 2025 data shows encouraging early signs of diversification, most Canadian exporters still lack the infrastructure and trade channels needed to pivot away from U.S. markets effectively.

In this episode of the 10-Minute Take, RBC Economics' Claire Fan and Carrie Freestone are joined by colleague Salim Zanzana for a conversation on:
• Canada’s concentrated trade reality and how it’s evolved in the past year.
• What early diversification efforts reveal about Canadian exporters adapting.
• Recent developments between Canada and China and their economic impact.
Listen to our newest episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

Rate cuts and crossroads: What's next for the Fed and BoC?

12/11/2025

Latest Update: On December 10, 2025, the Bank of Canada announced that it is holding its policy rate at 2.25%. What you need to know: http://spr.ly/6188CB6sM