Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey will step down as the company’s chief executive officer. The billionaire CEO announced in a tweet that he is stepping down as CEO, to be replaced by Parag Agrawal, who is the company’s chief technical officer. “I want you all to know that this is my decision and I own it,” he said. Dorsey is also the top executive at Square, a financial payments company that he founded, and some big investors have openly questioned whether he can be effective leading both. not sure anyone has heard but,I resigned from Twitter pic.twitter.com/G5tUkSSxkl—@jack More to come

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Twitter are surging on a report that co-founder Jack Dorsey will step down as the company’s chief executive. Twitter’s stock, which has consistently underperformed the market, jumped more than 10% at the opening bell Monday before trading was halted pending news. CNBC first reported that Dorsey may step down soon, citing anonymous sources. Twitter Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press early Monday. On Sunday, Dorsey sent the tweet “I love Twitter.”Dorsey is also the top executive at Square, a financial payments company that he founded, and some big investors have openly questioned whether he can be effective leading both. Twitter has faced some criticism from politicians recently. Former President Donald Trump was banned from Twitter, with Dorsey defending the move, saying the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and Trump’s tweets after the event resulted in a risk to public safety and created an “extraordinary and untenable circumstance” for the company. Trump sued the company, along with Facebook and YouTube, in July for alleged censorship.

November 29, 2021 – GATINEAU, QC – Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau joined its counterparts from the G7 and guest nations today in an Enforcers Summit to discuss opportunities for international cooperation to improve competition in digital markets.
These discussions, hosted by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority, come at a seminal point. The need to address the challenges of digital markets and big tech is one of the most important issues facing governments and competition authorities around the world.
The Summit is a unique opportunity for international agencies to discuss common areas of interest and potential collaboration on issues such as app stores and mobile ecosystems, cloud computing and algorithms. It also provides an opportunity for attendees to reflect on how best to use their skills, knowledge, and resources to deal with challenges in digital markets. 
To capture the work that the G7 competition authorities are doing, they are today jointly publishing a compendium of approaches to improving competition in digital markets. The compendium shows the vast amount of activity competition authorities are dedicating to digital markets, detailing each authority’s work and highlighting shared approaches and tactics.
These include:

opening investigations and studies, or bringing enforcement actions;
developing specialist teams staffed with technical experts;
considering or introducing legislative reforms to bolster enforcement tools or introduce new regulatory regimes;
and ensuring regulatory cooperation domestically and internationally.

This will form the basis for future cooperation and coordination as well as providing a resource for governments and other policymakers going forward.

Millennial Money is a weekly submission-based series that provides financial advice to millennials. Read the full series here.At 36 years old, Simone is about to make a huge life decision. Making $93,000 working in health care, she wants to become a mother and is prepared to do it alone, by choice.“I’ve been good with saving, but now I want to think about my own goals,” Simone said, adding that she’s extremely frugal with food costs.She spends less than $300 a month on food — the majority on groceries to make at home and only around $50 a month on restaurants or takeout meals. Earning a high income, when she feels she can splurge a little, she buys clothes or furniture.On weekends, Simone spends most of her time at home, occasionally going to a movie with a friend. Not spending a lot has become routine to her, and has helped her to stay out of debt.Simone’s biggest expense is her Toronto condo, which she rents on her own for more than $2,000 a month. “I still want to be in the city, but I’m worried about the cost of raising a child here,” she said. “I’d love any tips on saving to start a family.”In addition to figuring out her costs and living situation, she would like to know how she can start saving for retirement. “I still want to look out for myself in case anything happens to me or my child.”To get a better idea of Simone’s finances, we asked her to share a week of spending. Here’s what she bought:The expert: Jason Heath, managing director at Objective Financial Partners Inc., on Simone’s goals.Simone is saving for both a short-term and long-term goal. Her more immediate goal is to become a mom. In the long run, she wants to make sure that does not compromise saving for retirement.In Ontario, there are government-funded fertility treatment options, including unlimited artificial insemination (AI) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles. Women younger than 43 can also get one in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle that is provincially funded, but out-of-pocket drug costs may be about $5,000. After that, costs for additional cycles may range from $10,000 to $20,000 each. Fertility treatment costs are eligible for a non-refundable tax credit that could save Simone 20 per cent of her medical costs exceeding a threshold of about $2,500.Adoption costs can vary. Local adoptions may range from $10,000 to $25,000, while international adoptions can be significantly more. Federal and Ontario tax credits may refund about $3,000 of the cost. Surrogacy can cost upwards of $75,000.Child care can be expensive, with monthly infant fees in Toronto pushing $2,000 per month, which is what Simone pays right now for rent. Child-care expenses would be tax deductible for her but are limited to $8,000 per year, which would generate about $2,500 per year of tax savings. I know someone who just returned to work after a 12-month maternity leave and despite joining a Toronto daycare wait list when she found out she was pregnant, she is still waiting — more than a year and a half later.Simone seems to have extra cash flow every month based on her budget and keeps costs low by spending modestly. Her take-home pay suggests she may be a pension plan member which is common in the health-care field. If so, that may well provide for a good part of her retirement.I wish there were a rule of thumb for how much to save for a child and how much to save for retirement. It really depends. Beyond child-care costs, other expenses like children’s activities, clothing and extra food costs can vary but will bump up Simone’s budget. There is a big difference between the cost of soccer fees and competitive gymnastics, for example. Some parents want to save for post-secondary education costs for a child while other kids are on their own and need student loans. One thing is for sure — being a parent and saving for retirement in Toronto is tough compared to other cities.Simone asks if she should consider a move somewhere else. Rentals.ca reports the average Canadian rent across all properties listed in October 2021 was $1,800 per month. Two-bedrooms in Toronto averaged $2,678 compared to $1,133 in Regina. So, would it be easier to be a single parent and save for retirement somewhere else? For sure. But if that would mean leaving family and friends at a time when she needs them and probably wants to be around them most, the tradeoff may not be worth it. There are compromises to consider though, like a two-bedroom an hour away in Hamilton for $1,872, about $800 per month less than Toronto.Simone works from home so may be able to consider a move. I would encourage her to do a deep dive into her spending over the past year to try to best estimate her expenses — not just a budget she fills out. If she layers in estimated costs for child care and additional costs, that would be a good starting point to make sure she can make it work while she builds up her savings.Results: She spent more. Spending in week 1: $110 Spending in week 2: $350How she thinks she did: This was one of Simone’s heavier spending weeks, but still, nothing too out of the ordinary. “I think I added a couple of additional expenses, but I didn’t go overboard,” she said.RELATED STORIES“I always make sure the majority goes to my savings after my rent is covered,” Simone added.Take-aways: While Simone was excited to go ahead and start her journey into motherhood, the advice has given her a lot to consider. “Child-care costs are really expensive,” she said.She has started to consider hosting a young student from overseas, which would help with expenses.“My passion is child care, but if I can help young people by providing a home and care — without compromising my retirement and future — that might be the best option,” she added.When it comes to the advice on moving from the city, Simone isn’t able to let go.“He’s right, I don’t want to move from friends and family. I love living in the city and I hope to continue to enjoy to, while being mindful of money,” she said.Are you a millennial living in Toronto or the GTA who needs help with saving your money? Be a part of #MillennialMoney and email ekwong@thestar.ca

CALGARY – Vermilion Energy Inc. says it has signed a deal to increase its stake in the Corrib natural gas project off the coast of Ireland.Under an agreement with Equinor ASA, the Calgary-based company says it will pay $556 million for Equinor Energy Ireland Ltd., which owns a 36.5 per cent stake in Corrib.Vermilion says its operated interest in Corrib will increase to 56.5 per cent with the deal.The company also announced an exploration and development capital budget of $425 million for next year, with expected production to average 83,000 to 85,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, before taking into account the Corrib acquisition.Vermilion plans to spend about $215 million in North America in a capital program that will include the drilling of 50 wells, while it plans to spend $210 million across its international assets.The company also says it plans to reinstate a quarterly dividend of six cents per share starting in the first quarter of next year.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2021.Companies in this story: (TSX:VET)

WinnersCanadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNQ.TO) +5.0%Natural gas prices increased throughout the week from $4.79 on Monday to $5.07 on Thursday. Consequently, shares of natural gas company Canadian Natural increased more than 10 per cent by end of day Thursday, before the discovery of the new variant on Friday pushed it down more than five per cent. In its third-quarter fiscal 2021 results, the company reported revenues less royalties of $7.7 billion, up from $4.5 billion the prior year. The strong top line trickled down and the company finished the quarter with a net profit of $2.2 billion, up from $408 million in 2020, despite the company paying more than half a billion dollars in taxes.Goodfood Market Corp. (FOOD.TO) +3.0%Goodfood is an online grocery, home meal and meal kit delivery service. The company’s share price recovered throughout the week after tumbling the prior week in response to its fiscal 2021 results, released Nov. 17. In the results, the company reported revenues of $379 million from $285 million the prior year. Despite the gain in revenues, its net loss increased to $32 million, from $5 million in 2020, driven by a $51-million increase in selling, general and administrative expenses. Shares of Goodfood closed almost three per cent higher by the end of the week.Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (CMMC.TO) +0.8%Copper Mountain primarily mines copper, gold and silver in Canada with a couple of projects in Australia. The company released its third-quarter fiscal 2021 results on Nov. 1, with revenues up to $137 million, from $95 million the prior year. Despite the boost in the top line, the company reported net income of $26 million, down from $33 million in 2020 driven by an $8-million foreign exchange loss, compared to a $7-million gain the previous year. The price of copper increased from $4.40 on Monday to $4.47 on Thursday, which helped push up Copper Mountain’s share price almost four per cent by Thursday end of day, before news of the new COVID variant pushed it down five per cent on Friday.LosersAlimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD-B.TO) -8.7%Couche-Tard released its second-quarter fiscal 2022 results on Tuesday with revenues surging to $14.2 billion (U.S.), from $10.7 billion the prior year, driven by an increase in fuel revenues from the United States. The company reported a net profit of $695 million for the quarter, down from $757 million in 2020 driven by a $3.4-billion increase in cost of goods sold. Shares of Couche-Tard closed almost six per cent lower by end of day Thursday, suggesting that investors expected more. Its share price decreased another three per cent on Friday due to pandemic fears.Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (FVI.TO) -7.3%The price of silver per ounce decreased from roughly $24.25 (U.S.) on Monday to $23.13 on Friday, with downward pressure due to reports of the new COVID-19 variant. Shares of Fortuna Silver decreased almost four per cent by market close Thursday. In its third-quarter fiscal 2021 results, the company reported sales of $163 million, up from $83 million the prior year. On July 2, the company completed its acquisition of Roxgold, which resulted in $10.5 million of transaction costs. This, coupled with a $74-million increase in cost of goods sold, led to net income of $211,000 for the quarter, down from $13 million the prior year. Canfor Corporation (CFP.TO) -2.9%Shares of Canfor popped up almost four per cent higher by end of day Thursday as lumber prices increased from $773 (U.S.) on Monday to $792 on Thursday. Then renewed COVID-19 fears, pushed Canfor’s share price down by more than five per cent on Friday. Canfor is an integrated forest products company with clients around the world. In its third-quarter fiscal 2021 results, the company reported revenues of $1.677 billion, up from $1.550 billion the prior year. Overall net income is up slightly to $257 million, from $216 million hindered by a $112-million increase in manufacturing and product costs.

Hannah Scott’s attitude about money “definitely” come from lessons learned from her family in childhood.“My dad did his best to educate us about money, which meant saving,” says Scott, a 25-year-old communications specialist at a Toronto hospital who lives in Port Perry. “My mom loves to shop, but my dad is a saver, and I was able to see both sides and find the middle.”Scott isn’t alone. A recent survey conducted by Cision for Meridian Credit Union discovered that 55 per cent of Canadians ages 18 and older agree their childhood experiences about money still impact them to this day. Scott was also more fortunate than 41 per cent of her fellow Canadians whose families never talked about money at home. In addition, about 13 per cent grew up in households where money was a source of tension and arguments.“My parents spoke openly and candidly about money and let us know if we couldn’t afford something,” Scott said, “but it wasn’t a stressor in the house. They did their best never to let us know if there were issues with it.”Avidan Milevsky, a Torontonian who is now a developmental psychologist in the department of behavioural sciences at Ariel University in Israel, noted that “From politics to religion to finances, values come from early on in our lives and are usually a nature-nurture combination. There’s some genetics involved in financial decisions, as well as a nurture component, so the nature-nurture debate plays out in our financial decisions. Our feelings about money are a value, just like feelings about diversity or religiosity, and they run deep with so many families.“It’s not about whether families talk about money or not, because kids pick up so much. If there’s secrecy or yelling and fighting associated with money, the children feel the tension. We often say that, unlike Vegas, what happens as a child doesn’t stay in childhood.”Milevsky says that one important lesson to teach children is the difference between wants and needs.“Kids need to hear this; they don’t understand it instinctively,” Milevsky said. “Discussing this is crucial to helping children apply the concept later on. It’s ice cream versus shoes. Perhaps you buy 100 per cent of the things you need and 30 per cent of those you want.”Talking to your children about money is something Dilys D’Cruz agrees is important. D’Cruz, vice-president and head of wealth management for Meridian, and her brother recently found themselves sitting down with their 87-year-old father to discuss who would be his power of attorney in the event of an illness, what assets he had and where he kept his will.“Here we were having that discussion as adults,” she said. “It’s really important for parents to make money part of a conversation with their kids. It’s never too late to start. I know that it often depends on family background, cultural background and family dynamics, what the parents themselves grew up with. Money is often a taboo topic, along with sex and politics.“However, if you don’t talk about money as a family, or as a couple, how can you plan for the future? You need to put your anxieties on the table and get help or your well-being can be impacted. Just having a financial plan in place significantly reduces stress.”Kelley Keehn, author of “Talk Money to Me” and the forthcoming “Rich Girl, Broke Girl,” says that, unfortunately, “people aren’t really aware of their beliefs about money. They are deep-seated and roaming around in the subconscious and come out most when we talk about money issues with a spouse or family.“Everyone has issues with money. It’s when we are aware of them that we can start to work toward change.”Keehn says people from the same family background may interpret the lessons they learned about money differently. One sibling who comes from poverty may spend as much as possible because he or she doesn’t want to feel poor, while another becomes an over-saver who is wary of spending on anything but necessities.“You’re shaped by how you coded the environment growing up,” Keehn said.It’s never too late to adjust your attitudes toward money, she says, and it needn’t be complicated.“If you’re willing to make money a priority and spend at least as much time on it as you do on planning a vacation, you can gain the skills you need. Money is like oxygen. It’s too important to ignore. Think of it like a fitness check. First, you have to decide to weigh in. Then, you see where you stand. Finally, you ask for help if you need it.”Financial planners, banks and credit unions all are equipped to help you create a financial plan as a starting point, although, as Keehn pointed out, “they won’t try to extract where those feeling and attitudes come from. That’s something you have to do.”Milevsky notes that, if you only want to tweak your financial behaviour, “there are great online resources about budgeting.” If you’re looking for additional assistance, he recommends cognitive behaviour therapy as one of the most common treatment modalities used for learning to think and behave differently, since behaviours related to money “are very much observable and measurable.”Scott is pretty certain she is already on the right track financially, although she does tend to worry about having enough money put away. However, her financial adviser — something else she learned about from her dad — has told her that her approach to savings puts her way ahead of most people in her age group.“My goal is to own a house someday, even though that’s a few years away,” she said. “Once I buy a house, there will be a new car and other things, like a trip. There’s always something to save for.”Saving money while saving herself from anxiety would be ideal. Ingrained beliefs about money die hard.

Before you know it you’ll be watching the ball drop and singing Auld Lang Syne as you welcome 2022 in with higher hopes than ever before.Here are just a few smart moves you can make before this year is over that will benefit your taxes. COVID tax deduction still to applyRemember when you got that juicy work-from-home tax deduction last year? Well, the government has promised to extend this benefit into 2022. In 2020, remote work-from-homers could deduct up to $400 in home expenses from their taxable income, without receipts or a T2200 form from their employer. The promise is to actually increase this deduction to $500, and it’s supposed to remain a no-fuss process. There’s not much to prepare for here other than to ensure you don’t forget to include this deduction when you file your return.Set aside a tax allocation if you’re self-employedYour tax accountant can counsel you specifically on what percentage of your income you should be setting aside for your looming tax bill, but generally you’ll want to have 20 to 30 per cent of your revenues set aside to pay your income taxes. The amount owing is a percentage of your net income, which is why you should also ensure you’ve got all your eligible business receipts and expenses are organized that can go toward offsetting your gross income. Use the CRA website to cross-reference your expenses with what’s allowed to be written off. Make your charitable contributions prontoNot only do these organizations really need the cash now, but contributions count toward additional tax savings if done before the end of 2021. So, hop online and figure out who you want to support . Most organizationshave a digital portal that will issue your tax receipt immediately. You can also donate securities in many instances and you’ll want to work with the charity sooner rather than later to get that done. Make sure the charity is registered or you won’t get a tax receipt.If you’re retired and still working, stop contributing to CPPIf you’re over 65 and still working, it could make sense to stop your CPP contributions and use that money for other purposes. Know that you’ll need to fill out a form called a CPT30. Talk to your accountant first, but if it looks like the right approach for you, do this to put more money in your pocket faster. If you’ve got a rental property (even a cottage), gather all your receiptsMaintenance, repairs, advertising, landscaping and more. Get all the receipts organized for your income properties. If you’re unsure if something is eligible for a tax deduction, check with your accountant. RRSP, TFSA and RESP contributionsUnused room in your RRSP and TFSA is carried forward. If you want to have your RRSP contributions count toward the 2021 tax year, you’ll need to make them before March 1, 2022. While that’s a number of months away, you might benefit from planning early to make your contributions, especially if it’s a larger lump sum and not just a regular monthly amount. For the RRSP, TFSA and RESP (for your kids), the earlier you put this money to work, the more time you give your money to grow through the power of compound interest and reinvested returns. Also, within the RESP you’ll be eligible for the Canada Education Savings Grant (free money!), so get those contributions in to benefit from the grant as soon as possible. If you wish to realize losses in your nonregistered investment portfolio you’ll need to do that before the end of the year and have the transaction settle before the year officially ends. Give yourself a few business days for the transaction to clear. Medical expenses before the end of the yearIf you have used all your benefits, you might have out-of-pocket expenses for medical costs. You could be eligible for the medical expense tax credit, depending on the amount you spend. (Such expenses must exceed three per cent of your income or $2,421 in 2021, whichever is lower). Gather your eligible receipts from the year. The best strategy to plan for a smooth tax season is to get organized. Reach out now to your tax professional or your DIY software provider, especially if the matter is time sensitive. You can determine whether it’s better for your taxes to spend money on something now or in 2022.