Perspectives

You’ve probably received a phone call that looked like it was coming from a reputable institution, but when you pick up you quickly realize something sounds off. Financial scams are becoming more sophisticated, and scammers are even selling their methods online to other fraudsters. These phone calls, phishing emails or questionable text messages target Canadians at every age.  

In this episode, we’re joined by Aaron McAllister, Vice President of Fraud Threat Management at Scotiabank and Chris Lynam, the Director General of the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They explain what the latest scam trends look like and the various ways Canadians can protect themselves.

You can report cybercrime and fraud online at https://reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca/. For more information on the latest scams, visit Scotiabank.com/security.

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures

Key moments this episode:

1:48 – An intro to Chris' work combatting fraud with the RCMP2:45 – The scale of fraud in Canada according to recent data4:02 – Why fraud seems to have grown so much4:42 – Chris describes the prominent scams targeting Canadians in 20259:08 – Common scams Aaron has seen from his role at Scotiabank10:25 – How scams target people of all ages11:15 – The newest methods fraudsters are using, such as AI and deepfake videos14:14 – Law enforcement's main challenges addressing fraud16:28 – What Scotiabank and other financial institutions can do to combat fraud17:27 – How the Maple Disruption operation brought together organizations to fight fraud18:56 – The importance of education and Scotiabank's partnerships with other organizations20:24 – What Canada can learn from other jurisdictions21:36 – How a multipronged approach took down LabHost25:08 – The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's revamped online report portal27:49 – Aaron's tips for preventing scams29:30 – How to reach seniors with fraud awareness content30:04 – Chris' tips for preventing scams33:21 – Why early disruption is key and more tips from Aaron34:39 – How a 'safe word' can protect families35:19 – Where you can find Scotiabank's latest resources on fraud35:40 – Summarizing tips and the importance of talking about fraud

In this episode, we’re exploring how different generations approach money — and why — with generational research expert, Kim Lear. She'll help us understand how these shifting attitudes can have big repercussions, dispel some stereotypes and help us bridge the generational divide when it comes to finances. 

 For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

 

Key moments this episode: 

1:49 – What exactly does an expert at generational research (like Kim) do? 

3:50 – Why it's important to study how generational differences impact how people approach money 

5:51 – Defining each generation and giving the broad strokes of their approach to money 

8:44 – Diving a little deeper on the unique financial situation facing Gen Z 

10:01 – Does Gen Z have any advantages when it comes to finances? 

12:54 – What tip Kim would give Gen Z for building their wealth 

14:48 – What is the ‘guilt of young inheritors’?  

17:08 – How has social media influenced how different generations think of wealth and success 

18:42 – Are social media trends helping financial literacy?  

21:00 – Why transparency between generations has improved 

22:44 – How we’ve moved from an ‘environment of secrecy’ to an ‘environment of openness’ when it comes to money 

24:13 – Kim's main takeaway from the conversation 

25:26 – Bonus question: Which generation does Kim have a soft spot for?

For the second time in a row, the Bank of Canada held the overnight interest rate at 2.25%.

The central bank made the decision citing that little had changed from its 2025 October Monetary Policy Report, so holding rates “remain appropriate” as Canada’s current economic outlook appears uncertain given the re-negotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and evolving trade policies.

Scotiabank’s Chief Economist Jean-François Perrault is back on the podcast to break down the latest rate decision, what it could mean for Canadians and what we could see in the second half of the year. 

For legal disclosures, please visit ⁠http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim⁠ and ⁠www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures⁠

Key moments for this episode:

1:12 – JF’s take on the main takeaway from the Bank of Canada’s latest decision

2:39 – JF on the current level of uncertainty and the challenge it poses

4:30 – How the Canadian economy has been “surprisingly resilient”

6:25 – The outlook for economic growth in 2026

7:51 – What is the “structural adjustment” that Canada is going through?

9:29 – What this all means for the average Canadian

10:49 – What does this mean for Canadians looking to buy a home or renew their mortgages?

12:57 – What are the takeaways for businesses?

14:20 – What are the main takeaways for Canadians from this decision?

Athletes like Billie Jean King or Serena and Venus Williams are known to even non-sports fans as iconic trailblazers when it comes to women’s tennis. But there’s another name, a Canadian, who spent a career off the court helping advance women in the sport and beyond: Stacey Allaster. Among her many accomplishments, she was instrumental in securing equal prize money for women, paving the way for the boom in professional women’s sports we’re seeing now. In partnership with the Scotiabank Women Initiative, Stacey is our guest this episode. She tells us the story behind getting that equal prize money, her insights on what it was like being a woman in a male-dominated industry and why it’s important to empower women on the tennis court, in the boardroom and beyond. 

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

  

Key moments this episode: 

1:57 – What it was like navigating male-dominated spaces throughout her career 4:36 – The significance of getting equal prize money for women in tournaments like Wimbledon and Roland-Garros 10:12 – What this historic accomplishment taught Stacey about leadership 11:51 – With the expansion of leagues like the PWHL and the WNBA, is women’s sports having a moment right now?  15:26 – Why people still have to go the extra mile to make the business case for women’s sports despite the success we’ve seen 17:38 – Why Stacey also finds it important to empower women off the court in fields like finance and business leadership 21:09 – Stacey talks about her early days at Tennis Canada and the impact it had on her 23:35 – The key factor Stacey learned that can help women succeed in business 24:25 – Stacey tells us what’s next for her as she plans to ‘hang up her full-time racket’ 27:00 – Stacey highlights some of her favourite tennis moments from her career

In this episode, we're helping investors gear up for 2026 by looking back at 2025. From trade uncertainty to a lesson on headlines versus reality, to AI, Yuko Girard, Vice President and Portfolio Manager on the Multi Asset Management Team at Scotia Global Asset Management, breaks down the last 12 months and gives us some tips for the year ahead.

For legal disclosures, please visit http://bit.ly/socialdisclaim and www.gbm.scotiabank.com/disclosures 

 

Key moments this episode: 

00:10 — Yuko’s one word to sum up 2025 when it came to investing 1:08 — The overarching lesson investors can best take away from 2025 

2:30 — How did tariffs and U.S. relations affect investing in 2025 and what lesson can investors take into the new year? 

6:36 — How everyday investors can spot the difference between short-term panic and a deeper market correction 

8:52 — What lesson can investors take into 2026?  

10:57 — How did AI factor in for investors in 2025? 

13:19 — What are the main lessons when it comes to volatility that investors can take from 2025 going into 2026? 

14:04 — How should investors approach rebalancing portfolios after a market swing? 

16:07 — Why diversification is increasingly important 

16:43 — One surprising trend that investors should watch for in 2026 

17:30 — The main takeaway from 2025 and one key theme for 2026