After soaking up the rich history, spirited streets, and sunlit charm of the city of Athens and the Island of Crete, we’re back with fresh inspiration and a renewed lens on both the ancient and the modern. In ancient Athens, it was believed change was the only constant – and that wise stewardship meant embracing each season with curiosity and courage. As our own team, and the world around us, change, we take inspiration from that spirit of resilience and renewal!
Family First
Today is Talk With Our Kids About Money Day. This annual Canadian event is designed to encourage parents, guardians and educators to engage young people in meaningful conversations about money – covering topics like saving, spending, earning and planning for the future.
We’re seeing more families lean into financial literacy, not just as a toolkit for managing wealth, but as a vital skill for preserving family unity and stewardship across generations. It’s about growing financial capital while nurturing the human and social capital that hold families together.
RBC has put together a series of programs, courses, apps, videos, etc. to help advance financial literacy for kids, teens and young adults. Our team regularly integrates these tools, tailoring them – and others – to fit each family’s unique goals and dynamics.
- – Wealth Management Financial Literacy Program : Highlights six core concepts to help build sound financial management skills in youth: budgeting, taxation, borrowing, planning, investing and estate preparation.
- – McGill Personal Finance Essentials Course : Free online course developed in collaboration with RBC Future Launch, The Globe & Mail, and McGill University. The course has been designed mainly for Canadians at the beginning of their financial planning journeys. However, it’s open to everyone looking to improve their financial literacy.
- – Mydoh : Money management app and Smart Cash Card that allows kids and teens to practice earning, spending and saving.
- – Summer Reading List : Every summer, Stephanie Dean, Manager of Financial Literacy, RBC Wealth Management, picks three favourite titles. Stephanie also occasionally meets with individual family members and presents at family office meetings on topics from the RBC Financial Literacy Program.
- – A Rich Future: Essential Financial Concepts for Youth (pre-recorded virtual seminar) : Noah Booth, youth author’s collection of accessible content born out of his partnership with RBC.
Market Moment (aka Tariff Talk)
- – Trade talks lead tariff de-escalation, but hurdles remain : Earlier than expected U.S. trade agreements with China and the U.K. are trimming risks, but the average U.S. tariff rate is still the highest since the 1930s.
- – Global stocks rally after US, China pause tariff war : Global stock markets surged Monday after the U.S. and China agreed to slash steep tariffs for at least 90 days. Financial markets cheered the reprieve. The USD rose, while gold prices fell as the news eased concerns.
- – Canada’s New Tariffs on U.S. Drop to ‘Nearly Zero’ : Prime Minister Carney’s new government has effectively suspended almost all its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, reducing inflationary risks and improving the economic outlook.
- – Canada’s housing markets crack under weight of trade war : The trade war is taking an increasing toll on Canada’s housing markets as potential economic fallout weighs heavily on prospective homebuyers. The downturn in Toronto is deepening, while buyers in Vancouver are in command.
Team Touch
There’s lots happening on our team! Goodbye, Hello & Baby Bump
First up. We’re saying goodbye to Kevin, who’s off to Toronto to live closer to family and work with another DS team. We’ll miss Kevin’s enthusiasm and random donut drops! He has been a familiar face to many of you, and we wish him all the best.
We’re also excited to welcome Lisa Tyers and Alejandra Lopez to the team! They’re already bringing fresh energy and new ideas – we can’t wait for you all to meet them. Please see their biographies on Our Story page.
And some happy news. Jen is pregnant with her first child. She’ll be taking parental leave in September as she and her husband Rhys get ready to welcome a new addition to their family. We’ll keep you posted on her progress and team support plans while she’s away.
We’re building on our strengths and investing back into our practice to support our commitment to service excellence. As always, thank you for your ongoing support.
Chart Corner
