the lazy economist Archives

The Lazy Economist: GME and a second short squeeze

Written on March 26, 2021. Posted in Columns.

This is a two-part series on the GameStop stock short squeeze and how it unfolded in the eyes of Queen’s students. We last left our student investors watching the GameStop (GME) shares come tumbling down from their $500 USD peak on Jan. 28, a trend that would continue well into February. For many...

The Lazy Economist: What’s the tea with GDP?

Written on March 10, 2020. Posted in Columns.

If you were to represent Canada’s economy with one number, it would be approximately 1.712 trillion. That number is Canada’s 2018 gross domestic product, or GDP, in terms of US dollars—the common currency used to compare between countries. In case you don’t know: GDP’s a pretty big deal. Even if you...

How does a centrally-planned economy work?

Written on January 31, 2020. Posted in Columns.

The United States and the Soviet Union differed on many things during the Cold War, and one of them was food. At face value, food might seem much more trivial than the global fear of mutually assured destruction at the time. However, it proves an important symbol for one of the key struggles in this...

The Lazy Economist: The beautiful, bountiful world of bonds

Written on January 17, 2020. Posted in Columns.

If you aren’t familiar with investing, but want to save a few hundred dollars for a post-grad trip, a future shopping spree, or that scary thing people call “the future,” bonds are a great thing to know about. In short, bonds are a vehicle for saving. They are sold by governments and corporations...

The Lazy Economist: Understanding and improving your credit score

Written on November 8, 2019. Posted in Columns.

To get the car, home, or job of your dreams, the people in charge will often examine something other than your character: your credit score. A credit score is a rating that tells money lenders how likely you are to pay back a loan. It’s a number that encompasses all of the information in your credit...

The Lazy Economist: The very spooky indicators of recession

Written on October 23, 2019. Posted in Columns.

In honour of Halloween, The Lazy Economist is closing its recession series with some very spooky signs that a recession might be looming in North America. As explained in an earlier edition of this column, a recession occurs when the economy slows down. People spend less money, companies slow their...

The Lazy Economist: Why the 2008 US financial crisis impacted the world

Written on October 4, 2019. Posted in Columns.

When the United States financial system crashed more than a decade ago, its impact wasn’t contained to the domestic economy. It was felt worldwide. In 2008, the US experienced one of the worst financial crises it’s ever seen. This resulted in the economy becoming slow-moving, culminating in a recession...

The Lazy Economist: What is a recession?

Written on September 20, 2019. Posted in Columns.

Fall is here. The air is chilly, the trees are dropping their leaves, and things are cooling down as we prepare for winter—just like the economy during a recession. With this in mind, the next few editions of The Lazy Economist are going to be about recessions. You might have heard on the news that...

The Lazy Economist: A deeper look at the newly effected federal carbon tax

Written on September 12, 2019. Posted in Columns.

Earlier this year, the federal carbon tax came into effect. That means carbon—in forms including gasoline and diesel—is more expensive. The carbon tax has been the Liberal government’s signature policy to address the climate crisis. As the federal election is quickly approaching, here’s a rundown...

The Lazy Economist: What I learned at an economics conference

Written on July 28, 2019. Posted in Columns.

As if I didn’t get my fill of economics during the school year as an Economics student and one of the authors of The Lazy Economist column, in May, I attended an Economics for Journalists conference run by the Fraser Institute. The Fraser Institute, a Canadian think tank, aims to measure the tangible...

The Lazy Economist: Your guide to fancy finance terms

Written on March 26, 2019. Posted in Columns.

Almost every sector or industry has its own language, and the business world is no different. Not only can the principles of economics and business be difficult to grasp, but over-complicated language, like securities or IPOs, can exacerbate the confusion. Here’s a cheat sheet to help you understand...

The Lazy Economist: Explaining the Dow

Written on March 8, 2019. Posted in Columns.

When reporting on the economy, news sources will refer to something called “The Dow,” a term that’s used often but rarely explained. The Dow is short for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a number which indicates how well the American stock market is doing. It’s based on the stock prices of 30 key...

The Lazy Economist: The numbers behind the OSAP cuts

Written on February 5, 2019. Posted in Columns.

After the controversy surrounding the Ford government’s recent changes to OSAP, we’re going to run you through some of the numbers that led the government to justify its decision, and cover what we do and don’t know about how this will impact access to higher education. The proposed changes to OSAP...

The Lazy Economist: Breaking down tax systems

Written on January 29, 2019. Posted in Columns.

If there’s any constant in life, it’s taxes. Taxes are society’s bank account. They’re what we use to fund new roads, garbage services, and emergency responders. They also pay for programs like Canada’s child benefit or employment insurance. There are differing opinions about...

The Lazy Economist: How insurance companies work

Written on November 27, 2018. Posted in Columns.

Insurance can be a mysterious part of adult life. Whether it’s car, home, or medical insurance, the basic principle underlying insurance remains the same across all sectors of the market. Like any business, insurance companies want to bring in more money than they spend. In this case, the cost of...

The Lazy Economist: What you need to know about stock shorting

Written on November 9, 2018. Posted in Columns.

If all you took away from the movie The Big Short was an image of Margot Robbie in a bathtub, you’re not alone. Although the film did a great job of breaking down the Great Recession of 2008, it can still be hard to understand the complexities of that financial crisis. At the centre of it, there’s...

The Lazy Economist: An expert explains the Bank of Canada’s interest rate hike

Written on October 30, 2018. Posted in Columns.

As many major Canadian news outlets reported this week, the Bank of Canada raised its interest rates to 1.75 per cent. If you’re unsure about that, you’re not alone. The Bank of Canada’s purpose and responsibilities aren’t widely understood among young Canadians. The Journal sat down with the Head...

The Lazy Economist: What's the United States' beef with Canadian dairy?

Written on October 12, 2018. Posted in Columns.

President Trump seems to have a “huge” problem with Canadian dairy—as if there’s anything to hate about cheese and ice cream. Canada’s high tariffs on international dairy products have created a rift in its trade relationship with the United States. With tariffs—or taxes—on some non-domestic...

The Lazy Economist: Carbon tax versus cap and trade

Written on September 28, 2018. Posted in Columns.

It’s hard to look at the news and miss the discussion on carbon pricing. Whether it’s complaints about Justin Trudeau killing jobs with his carbon taxes, or warnings about how the Canadian government is nowhere near to its Paris Climate Accord commitments, people have a lot of opinions on how governments...

The Lazy Economist: How do banks really make money?

Written on September 14, 2018. Posted in Columns.

Even though I study economics, I didn’t fully understand how banks made money until I came across the explanation in my Macroeconomics textbook last year. It’s a misunderstood but important force to understand. When you hear something like “the government is raising the interest rate,” the effects...

Tag: the lazy economist

The Lazy Economist: GME and a second short squeeze

The Lazy Economist: What’s the tea with GDP?

How does a centrally-planned economy work?

The Lazy Economist: The beautiful, bountiful world of bonds

The Lazy Economist: Understanding and improving your credit score

The Lazy Economist: The very spooky indicators of recession

The Lazy Economist: Why the 2008 US financial crisis impacted the world

The Lazy Economist: What is a recession?

The Lazy Economist: A deeper look at the newly effected federal carbon tax

The Lazy Economist: What I learned at an economics conference

The Lazy Economist: Your guide to fancy finance terms

The Lazy Economist: Explaining the Dow

The Lazy Economist: The numbers behind the OSAP cuts

The Lazy Economist: Breaking down tax systems

The Lazy Economist: How insurance companies work

The Lazy Economist: What you need to know about stock shorting

The Lazy Economist: An expert explains the Bank of Canada’s interest rate hike

The Lazy Economist: What's the United States' beef with Canadian dairy?

The Lazy Economist: Carbon tax versus cap and trade

The Lazy Economist: How do banks really make money?

The Journal, Queen's University - Since 1873

Arts

Sports

Lifestyle

News

Features

Other Topics

Special Projects

About

About (cont'd)

Get the App

Get the App