Although most global markets have had a good first half of the year, recent market weakness has persisted over the last few weeks. Canadian equities, especially those in the energy sector, have been among the poorest performers in 2017.

Should July see a further decline, and especially if Canadian equities continue to lead the fall, we may decide to do some strategic rebalancing earlier than usual to take advantage of the situation. If things stabilize or strengthen, we'll keep our routine bi-annual rebalancing scheduled for the end of the summer or early fall.

Average Canadian's debt-to-income ratio is still bad...

Unfortunately, the debt-to-income ratio for the average Canadian is still not looking good. The ratio for the first quarter came in at 166.9, just under its all-time high. Although the ratio didn't breach another record, we shouldn't be too excited, as it appears this is due to the seasonality of the housing market, rather than to Canadians prudently paying debt levels down. It's always hard to predict when interest rates will rise, but when they do, those with exorbitant levels of debt will likely find themselves in a more precarious position than most. For perspective, Canadians have one of the highest (if not the highest) debt levels in the world.

If you're having difficulty managing your own debt levels, please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have. It's a stressful position to be in, but sometimes the first step is the hardest-and most important to realize things aren't as bad as they seem. I'm always happy to talk things through and devise a financial plan that works for you!