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The Margin

@themargin.news
51 followers 162 following 61 posts

Money, markets, culture — and everything in between. themargin.news

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The Margin @themargin.news · 01/10/2026
A few months ago, Lindsey King did something wild: deleted her delivery apps. Cancelled Amazon Prime. Ditched self-checkout. Not to save money, but to feel alive again.
themargin.news
Death to the self-checkout
I quit delivery apps and self-checkout to force myself back into conversation with actual humans. Here's what I got that convenience couldn't replace.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 29/09/2026
Meta just agreed to pay US$18 billion to settle claims its apps were harmful. Great. That only took… checks watch … 15 years. What does that mean for the next unregulated frontier of AI?
themargin.news
Does regulating social media even matter anymore?
Just as governments crack down on social media, Big Tech has moved on to the next unregulated frontier.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 26/09/2026
The pricey new iPhone Duo foldable is currently the subject of ridicule - and memes - but Apple could have the last laugh.
themargin.news
The iPhone Duo: the hottest trend nobody asked for?
The pricey new foldable iPhone may be the subject of ridicule and memes, but Apple could have the last laugh.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 23/09/2026
"The show that made me a hockey fan is now locked behind a Rogers paywall," writes Thomas Law. "It must be released." themargin.news/hockey-night-in-cana…
themargin.news
Hockey Night in Canada must be free
Hockey Night in Canada used to be free. Now it costs $35 a month, and that's bad for the sport, new fans, and Canadian culture.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 21/09/2026
The Nasdaq and Russell indices changed their rules for the SpaceX IPO. Great for Elon Musk – but not for anyone with an ETF, writes @ianmmacintyre.bsky.social.
themargin.news
SpaceX's IPO was historic (derogatory)
The Nasdaq and Russell indices changed their rules for the SpaceX IPO. Great for Elon – but not for anyone with an ETF, writes Ian MacIntyre.
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Shilpashree Jagannathan @shilpajn.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
New piece: I nearly cancelled buying my car because of the insurance quote. That experience sent me into a rabbit hole about embedded insurance — and why Ontario, Quebec and BC are all handling it very differently right now. themargin.news/embedded-insurance-canada @themargin.news
themargin.news
Should insurance come bundled with your new car? Well, kinda
I was excited for a new vehicle until I found out what my insurance premiums would cost.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 19/09/2026
Winning TIFF's top prize doesn't guarantee box office gold, but it does come with a lot of other benefits, writes @joshkorngut.bsky.social.
themargin.news
​What is TIFF's People's Choice Award really worth, anyway?
TIFF's People's Choice Award has launched Oscars contenders and box office flops alike. Two industry insiders reveal what it's really worth.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 15/09/2026
Churches are running out of money. Concert venues are vanishing. The unlikely solution? Punk shows in church basements. @tonymiltony.bsky.social dove into the pit to investigate:
themargin.news
Why metal bands are playing in churches across Canada
Churches in Canada are partnering with indie musicians to hold concerts. The revenue helps the churches pay for maintenance and upkeep, while the lower rents the churches charge help the artists find ...
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The Margin @themargin.news · 13/09/2026
Shein was valued at US$100 billion in 2022. It just IPO'd at $26 billion last month. Expectations, meet reality:
themargin.news
The fall of the Shein Empire
Shein's lacklustre IPO suggests that we might be getting sick of ultra-fast fashion e-tailers
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The Margin @themargin.news · 11/09/2026
TIFF brings in a lot of money into Canada - and it's not the only film festival doing that. New from @tonymiltony.bsky.social:
themargin.news
TIFF is an economic machine
TIFF brings $240 million in economic stimulus to Toronto every year, thanks to tourism and support for the Canadian film industry. Other similar festivals in Canada, like the Vancouver International F...
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The Margin @themargin.news · 10/09/2026
Trudeau made big promises on climate and couldn't deliver. Carney's barely making promises at all. Which is worse? Asks @tonymiltony.bsky.social:
themargin.news
Dude, where's my green economy?
Justin Trudeau's federal government promised Canada a future full of green jobs, clean air and lower carbon emissions. But ten years later, we're still obsessed with oil and gas, and are emissions are...
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Ian MacIntyre @ianmmacintyre.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Just had my first freelance op-ed posted in @themargin.news, about Elon and SpaceX's definitely-not-overvalued IPO. Huge thanks to editor supreme @katangus.com for letting me get this out of my system!
themargin.news
SpaceX's IPO was historic (derogatory)
The Nasdaq and Russell indices changed their rules for the SpaceX IPO. Great for Elon – but not for anyone with an ETF, writes Ian MacIntyre.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 26/08/2026
Tariffs on beer and hockey sticks make great headlines, but the real trade war is digital. Canada was quietly losing it - until last week: themargin.news/canada-us-digital-so…
themargin.news
How to lose a digital trade war
​Canada has been letting the US set its digital policy agenda. In rejecting Trump's deal, Carney said enough is enough.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 18/08/2026
Welcome to lesson three in our options trading course. Now that we've learned puts, let's talk calls: themargin.news/what-is-a-call-optio…
themargin.news
What is a call option, and how do they work?
A beginner's guide to call options, a kind of stock option where one buys the option to purchase 100 shares of a certain stock to a seller before a specified time. It explains why an investor might bu...
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The Margin @themargin.news · 11/08/2026
Condo prices in the GTA are the lowest they've been in years, but taking advantage depends on how long you can afford to wait.
themargin.news
​​Toronto's condo market is an opportunity, just not for you
Condo prices in the GTA are the lowest they've been in years, but taking advantage depends on how long you can afford to wait.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 29/07/2026
Markets, sadly, don't always go up. Knowing what to do when the opposite happens is the real *taps forehead meme* for investors. Here's how puts work: themargin.news/what-is-a-put-option…
themargin.news
What is a put option, and how do they work?
A beginner's guide to put options, a kind of stock option where one buys the option to sell 100 shares of a certain stock to a buyer before a specified time. It explains why an investor might buy or s...
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The Margin @themargin.news · 24/07/2026
Return-to-office mandates and a brutal job market have today's generation of workers looking for any edge they can get. Enter aura farming: paying to build charisma when your résumé isn't enough.
themargin.news
What’s the ROI on aura farming?
Youth unemployment just hit a decade high, so some Gen Z job seekers are investing in charisma instead of another credential. Here's what aura farming can get you, and what it costs.
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Shilpashree Jagannathan @shilpajn.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Generic semaglutide is now available in Canada, and for one patient, it meant her monthly bill dropped from $571 to $88.88. The catch: pharmacy supply is inconsistent, not all provincial drug plans cover it , and private insurance can still stop people from getting it. themargin.news/ozempic-sema...
themargin.news
Generic Ozempic is here, but getting it is another story
Canada approved generic Ozempic and Wegovy, but cash-paying patients benefit first. Here's what's slowing access for everyone else.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 21/07/2026
Health Canada just approved cheaper generic semaglutide, but supply is hard to get, insurers haven't caught up, and not every patient can make the switch.
themargin.news
Generic Ozempic is here, but getting it is another story
Canada approved generic Ozempic and Wegovy, but cash-paying patients benefit first. Here's what's slowing access for everyone else.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 10/07/2026
So, what’s on the grill this weekend? According to this chart: your paycheque, mostly. Subscribe to our newsletter for more barbecue-ruining data: bit.ly/4aKCvFu
Bar chart titled "Barbecue season: inflation edition." It compares price changes in May 2023 from the previous year. Categories include All Items (CPI) up 3.2%, Groceries Overall up 4.3%, Restaurants/Patios up 6.8%, Fresh Fruit up 5.3%, Fresh Vegetables up 9.0%, Chicken up 1.8%, Pork down 0.9%, and Beef down 1.3%. Highlighted notes: Tomatoes are 45.2% costlier year-over-year, and gas for store trips is up 33.2%. Data source: Statistics Canada, CBC News.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 08/07/2026
Rogers Sports & Media just bought out MLSE's last remaining shareholder for $4.35 billion to gain 100% ownership — and abruptly shuttered six radio stations, laying 230 people off the same day. @tonymiltony.bsky.social has more:
themargin.news
Rogers now owns nearly all Toronto sports, lays off 230 jobs
Plus: The World Cup isn't translating into dollars for Canada, and Air Canada has a new CEO with a specific skill.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 07/07/2026
Is the Canadian government about to "bail out" condo developers? The frustrating answer is: it's too soon to tell. But real estate expert @danielfoch.bsky.social tells us what to watch out for.
themargin.news
Is the government really 'bailing out' condo developers?
A government spending money isn't automatically a bailout, no matter what your uncle's Facebook feed says.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 06/07/2026
Canada’s Old Age Security benefit pays out if you stay, but if you want to spend some of retirement abroad, things get complicated – especially for immigrants:
themargin.news
Why the residency trap forces immigrants to age in the cold
Canada's Old Age Security requires 10 years to collect here, but 20 to take it abroad. For immigrant seniors, that gap has real consequences.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 24/06/2026
Today’s fun #boxoffice fact: Disclosure Day's US$44 million opening looks impressive – until you put it next to Jaws, Jurassic Park, and a calculator.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 23/06/2026
Do American doctors really make more than Canadian doctors? It seems that way… until you cost out the insurance, overhead, student debt, and other factors that go far beyond salary. A surgeon explains why he’s staying on this side of the border:
themargin.news
Doctors earn more in the US. Here’s why I stay in Canada
I could make more money as a doctor in America – but there are benefits to staying here, writes Dr. Bobby Yanagawa, Head of Cardiac Surgery at St. Michael's Hospital.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 19/06/2026
Life in Canada is expensive. Do digital nomads have it better? @jessicawrites.bsky.social says that while there's lots to love about the "work from anywhere" lifestyle, saving money isn't really one of them. Read her story on the rise of "geoarbitrage" and what she learned firsthand in Brazil:
themargin.news
Why you won't save as much as expected with geoarbitrage
Working remotely from around the globe sounds great, but the math really only works if you can rent like a local.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 18/06/2026
At this year’s World Cup, everyone on the squad is getting same pay per game. That means wildly different things depending on which player you are.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 16/06/2026
How did this resort in Alliston, Ont. end up with two FIFA-regulation soccer pitches? It started with a simple favour to a German coach. Now hosting Panama for the 2026 World Cup, here's how the Nottawasaga Inn earned its reputation with soccer organizations all over the world:
themargin.news
Inside the small-town Ontario resort hosting the World Cup
How a German coach's 1994 favour turned an Ontario resort into a World Cup training hub — and why Team Panama chose Nottawasaga Inn in 2026.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 12/06/2026
"Your worst enemy is not necessarily food inflation. Your worst enemy is price volatility." When even simple grocery staples like tomatoes have wild price swings, it forces us to rethink a whole lot more than what to make for dinner:
themargin.news
What happens when even tomatoes are out of budget?
One grocery staple forced me to rethink dinner – and the usual advice to simply shop around.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 11/06/2026
Canada's disability tax credit exists to help people who can't navigate complex systems. It is one.
themargin.news
Eligible but stuck: Inside Canada's disability paradox
To access Canada's disability tax credit, you need focus, organization, and the ability to meet strict deadlines – skills that ADHD and autism can take away.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 09/06/2026
Alphonso Davies makes $23.2 million a year. He’ll miss the opening match due to injury, but his paycheque won’t notice. Meanwhile, Canada’s 1986 #worldcup players made just $1,000 per game. We broke down what every player on this year’s roster stands to earn:
themargin.news
Here's what Team Canada stands to make at the World Cup
The World Cup prize money sounds enormous, but for some Canadian players, they'll barely notice it.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 05/06/2026
Smart fridges, rear-wheel steering, digital libraries – the list of things we lease rather than own keeps growing. Is this the future we want?
themargin.news
Members only: why owning anything is becoming impossible
From software to car seats, the permanent version of things is being discontinued – and the financial implications are bigger than most people realize.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 04/06/2026
No gifts. No inheritance. No nothing. Meet the Canadians who are struggling to support their aging parents, and won’t inherit anything for it.
themargin.news
The Great Wealth Transfer is coming – just not for everyone
No gifts. No inheritance. No nothing. Meet the Canadians who are struggling to support their aging parents, and won’t inherit anything for it.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 02/06/2026
Meet Jess Sternberg, founder of Free Label — a Vancouver-based ethical fashion brand trying to make clothes in Canada, pay workers fairly, and somehow still turn a profit.
themargin.news
The Business Of: Ethical fashion in Canada
Ethical fashion brand Free Label charges nearly $100 for a T-shirt and makes zero profit on it. Here's how the math works – and why slow fashion costs what it does.
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Max~E-Sai @maxeeesai.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
I quit smoking 19 years ago because $7 a pack seemed like a lot of money to spend on smelling like smoke and now i spend the money on action figures.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 20/05/2026
Smoking is having a moment, but while celebs are currently making it look cool on red carpets and in slick music videos, the reality is still very different (and very expensive) for the rest of us Canadian plebs. Read @annetdonahue.bsky.social 's new story:
themargin.news
Smoking is back, baby (and it'll cost you $9,000)
The smoking revival is aesthetic for some and costly for everyone else.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 14/05/2026
Guinness hasn't changed much in 267 years, but all of a sudden, the brand is posting up record sales and going viral on TikTok. Here's why.
themargin.news
The math behind Guinness's current cultural moment
When you sell 2 billion pints a year, small behavioural changes can turn into a $1.9 billion windfall.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 12/05/2026
The "loyalty tax" is the informal, compounding cost of being the most financially capable person in your family. And for a lot of high-achieving Canadians, it's their biggest financial liability:
themargin.news
The loyalty tax: How families drain their successful kids
For the "stable child," success doesn't come with a safety net, but with a bill.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 12/05/2026
Guinness may be 267 years old, but it’s bigger with younger drinkers than ever. Here’s the math behind it:
themargin.news
The math behind Guinness's current cultural moment
When you sell 2 billion pints a year, small behavioural changes can turn into a $1.9 billion windfall.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 11/05/2026
Canada just opened the door for prediction markets in Canada... slightly. You can't go full-Polymarket just yet, but here's what you can do:
themargin.news
Event contracts in Canada: What you can and can't bet on
Event contracts have come to Canada, but you can't bet on elections, wars, or political outcomes. Here's how they'll actually work.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 08/05/2026
We’re number one! At…oh. Cool.💀 From this week’s newsletter: Canada’s household debt-to-income ratio outranks all other G7 nations.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 01/05/2026
The Devil Wears Prada 2 just dropped, and the real question isn't whether Miranda Priestly is still terrifying. It's whether her job is still worth having.
themargin.news
"Everybody wants this": The real Miranda Priestly price tag
Being the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine was always more about prestige than salary.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 30/04/2026
In 1993, a million bucks could change your life. In 2026, it won't even cover the mortgage. @annetdonahue.bsky.social rewatched the erotic thriller Indecent Proposal (for “research”), and did the math on what such an offer would have to be in today’s numbers:
themargin.news
An Indecent Proposal? In this economy? We did the math
In 1993, a million bucks could change your life. In 2026, it won't even cover the mortgage.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 30/04/2026
Domino’s (DPZ) is down bad after Q1 earnings this week. Our in-house trading expert, Tyler Haw, has a solution to save it. Which involves... several thousand pizzas. 🍕
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The Margin @themargin.news · 29/04/2026
So, you’ve maxed out your RRSP and TFSA? Congrats! Maybe it’s time to take the next step: a cash account. Here’s what you need to know.
themargin.news
Should you open a cash account? When it actually makes sense
Maxed out your TFSA/RRSP, craving more? A cash account offers unlimited investment freedom! But beware: every gain, every dividend faces annual taxes. Are you ready to brave the taxman's grip for thos...
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The Margin @themargin.news · 28/04/2026
One real estate agent tells you the market is picking up; another says deals have dried up completely. The thing is, they're both right. That's the most accurate description of where #canadianhousing actually is right now, says @danielfoch.bsky.social. Read his full analysis:
themargin.news
​WTF is going on with Canadian real estate?
Sellers won't drop their prices, buyers can't qualify for what sellers are asking, and everyone's waiting for someone else to flinch first.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 27/04/2026
Five years after Canada legalized online gambling, there's still no clear answer to when your winnings become taxable income. @tonymiltony.bsky.social tries to figure out why:
themargin.news
Canada's gambling tax rules are still a total mess
Win $9 million playing poker and owe nothing; win $2 million and get a tax bill. What's the difference? Courts are still figuring that out.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 23/04/2026
HGTV has convinced you to buy a #fixerupper, gut it over a weekend, and flip it for a tidy profit. Just one issue… renovation costs are up 43% since 2020. @emlatty.bsky.social breaks it down:
themargin.news
Is a fixer-upper home worth it anymore?
Is the "Sweat Equity" era over? For most Canadians, buying move-in ready is actually cheaper than fixing a dud.
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The Margin @themargin.news · 23/04/2026
Canada’s #taxdeadline is April 30. The FHSA lets you deduct up to $8,000 from your taxable income. You have seven more days. Move.
themargin.news
What is an FHSA and should you open one?
With an FHSA, contributions are tax-deductible, and any growth in the account is tax-free, as long as the funds are eventually used for purchasing a home. ​
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The Margin @themargin.news · 22/04/2026
Today's news roundup: The Trump administration demands an "entry fee" to start CUSMA talks, Canadians are spending more on entertainment, and Amazon and Anthropic get closer (to the tune of $5 billion).
themargin.news
Today’s Take: Trump wants concessions, not compromises
Plus, Amazon and Anthropic snuggle up, and Canadians are spending more on entertainment.
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