ETA Canada News

Walmart Canada is also launching a membership service! On Thursday, Walmart Canada announced the official launch of its membership service, Walmart+, in Canada. This marks the first time Walmart has launched this service in an overseas market. Walmart+ was launched in the United States in 2020, and now it’s finally Canada’s turn. What exactly is the use of Walmart? Simply put, Walmart+ is comparable to Amazon Prime membership.

Walmart’s membership program is not like Costco’s, which requires membership to enter a physical store; instead, it focuses on online shopping. First, it let’s you say goodbye to the hassle of frequent trips to the supermarket. If your single order amount exceeds 35 Canadian dollars, you can enjoy free same-day delivery. If you need to buy something urgently, or if you suddenly realize you’re missing a seasoning while cooking at home, this membership can be a great help.

Members can enjoy exclusive discounts when choosing expedited delivery services with delivery times of two hours or less. In addition, if you usually place your orders through Walmart’s mobile app or official website, the benefits are even more direct.

All orders placed on these official online platforms are eligible for free shipping, and there is absolutely no minimum spending requirement. In terms of price, it’s clearly aiming to compete head-on with Prime. Walmart+ costs $8.97 per month and $89 per year; while Amazon Prime costs $9.99 per month and $99 per year. That works out to be about $1 cheaper per month, saving $10 per year.

The price difference might not seem like a big deal to many, but the real killer move is yet to come. Subscribing to Walmart+ is like getting a free Crave streaming membership, which normally costs $11.99 a month. Membership includes access to HBO and Max shows, as well as some live sports broadcasts.

This alone is enough to recoup the membership fee.

Existing Delivery Pass members don’t need to panic; Walmart has already discontinued it, and existing users will automatically be converted to Walmart+ members. Everyone can still use the same flexible pickup and delivery service. You can add items to your pre-ordered items up to 3 hours before pickup or delivery, and in-store pickup is still free. Want to try it but afraid of making a mistake?

Walmart is offering a 30-day free trial, and Canadians can try it for a month before deciding.

Catherine Theberge-Conner, Walmart Canada’s head of membership business, called the launch a “gamechanger.” She said that Walmart+ bundles unlimited fresh produce and groceries delivery with a variety of benefits beyond retail all together for just $89 a year, and “Canadians will love the convenience, choice, and value.”

Economists at the National Bank of Canada point out that Canada’s ranking on the global economic surprise index is particularly noteworthy, but the reason for its inclusion is the continued underperformance of its data. The country’s current reading has plummeted to -88.2, compared to a reading near 100 at the end of last year.

This decline contrasts sharply with the situation in the United States, where the index remained at 43.7 due to consecutive better-than-expected labour market and retail sales data. The gap between the two countries has widened to its largest in four years. The Citigroup Economic Surprise Index reflects the degree of deviation between actual data and market expectations.

A positive value indicates that the data is better than expected, while a negative value indicates that the performance is worse than expected. Canada is currently mired in negative territory due to the sluggish employment situation since the beginning of 2026. Official statistics show that more than 110,000 jobs have been lost since the beginning of the year. The market had expected 10,000 new jobs in May, but nearly 18,000 were lost instead.

The most significant deviation was in March: 84,000 jobs were lost that month, a huge discrepancy from the expected 10,000 increase. The country’s performance on the index is not the worst in history. It hit a low of nearly -150 at the end of 2022. Economists recall that at that time, the Bank of Canada was heavily pressuring the economy with sharp interest rate hikes to curb the energy supply shock and rising inflation caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Although the current environment also faces an oil supply crisis and inflationary anxieties, they believe that the impact of this weak economic data on interest rate trends may outweigh geopolitical factors. The two scholars corroborated this view with developments in the bond market. The yield on Canadian five-year government bonds continued to decline relative to US Treasuries, a trend consistent with weak domestic economic data. They anticipate further economic weakness, particularly given the apparent threat posed by the USMCA negotiations.

Unlike in 2022, the current economic and inflationary environment gives central banks more room for patience. Policymakers have cut interest rates several times since last year, lowering them from 3.25% to 2.25% to cushion the impact of Trump’s tariff war. Against this backdrop, even if economic surprise indicators flash red, monetary policy is likely to remain on the sidelines.

A new study by the Fraser Institute shows that, after adjusting for inflation, Canada’s total net debt, including federal and provincial debt, will reach C$2.44 trillion this fiscal year, a 97.7% increase from C$1.24 trillion in the 2007-08 fiscal year, almost doubling.

The institute previously projected C$2.2 trillion for 2024, and C$2.3 trillion last year. Over the past 18 years, the federal government alone has incurred an additional $712.7 billion in debt, a staggering 93.7% increase, primarily due to fiscal responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the 2019-20 fiscal year to the current fiscal year, the combined net debt of both levels of government has reached $603.7 billion, an increase of 32.8%. Study author Jake Fuss, director of fiscal research at the Fraser Institute, points out that the Canadian government has completely abandoned the fiscally prudent approach followed from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s, returning to the old path of normalized debt and deficits from the 1970s to the 1990s.

In contrast, in the 12 years prior to the study, federal net debt had been reduced by C$364.5 billion. Fuss describes it as: “The new debt incurred by the federal government in the past 18 years is almost double the amount of debt served in the previous decade.” At the provincial level, Alberta, which was the only province with net financial assets, has transformed into a rapidly indebted province with a net debt increase of CAD 91.3 billion over the past 15 years.

British Columbia saw the most dramatic debt growth, soaring 200% to CAD 70.3 billion over 18 years; Manitoba increased by 144.7% to CAD 22.5 billion, Saskatchewan by 108.9% to CAD 9.4 billion, and Ontario led all provinces with a debt of CAD 459.4 billion, an increase of 94.9%. Quebec and the three Atlantic provinces (excluding Prince Edward Island) all saw net debt increases of less than 35%.

In terms of economic share, the combined net federal and provincial debt is equivalent to 75.4% of GDP, with federal debt accounting for 45.4% and provincial debt for 29.9%. Among the provinces, Manitoba has the highest debt-to-GDP ratio, projected to reach 91.3% in fiscal year 2025-26. Alberta, despite experiencing the largest increase in this ratio (21.5 percentage points), still ranks lowest nationally at 8.1%. Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest debt ratio at 44.5%, followed by Quebec at 38.8% and Manitoba at 38%. Only Quebec and Nova Scotia saw a decrease in their debt ratios, both decreasing by 2.7 percentage points.

After allocating federal debt by population share, Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest per capita debt in the country at $71,611 CAD; Ontario has a per capita debt of $63,574 CAD, with its total net debt exceeding $1 trillion CAD. Alberta has the lowest per capita debt at $42,368 CAD. Fuchs warned that the federal government has projected a 25.6% increase in net debt to reach C$1.86 trillion by fiscal year 2030-31. Except for Manitoba and Ontario, all other provinces are expected to continue running budget deficits from this fiscal year through 2028-29. He believes that the ever-expanding debt will push up long-term interest rates, increase private sector borrowing costs, and dampen capital investment.

Declining investment levels will severely constrain productivity growth and weaken future economic performance. Simultaneously, the government may be forced to raise taxes to repay debt, and interest payments will crowd out funding for public programs such as healthcare, education, and social services, further narrowing fiscal space. Foss emphasized that now that the pandemic is long gone, it is a crucial window to develop a long-term plan to return to a balanced budget.

“If governments at all levels do not embark on the difficult process of curbing debt accumulation and ultimately alleviating the debt burden, the consequences will be increasingly severe.”

A Canadian landlord has been ordered by a court to pay more than $62,000 in damages to two tenants for “malicious eviction,” one of whom was undergoing cancer treatment at the time of the move.

A “For Rent” sign appeared outside a residence in Montreal’s Verdun borough on June 26, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

According to the ruling documents from the Quebec Housing Tribunal (TAL), the landlord claimed that he needed to reclaim the house to allow his stepson to move in, but he demolished the house after the tenants moved out and sold it for more than 1 million Canadian dollars. The ruling stated: “The court is convinced that the landlord took back the property by malicious means with the intention of profiting at the expense of the tenant’s right to continue living there.”

The ruling was made on April 28. The case involves tenant Janet Reside Rosetti and her husband Andrew Rosetti. The couple had been renting the house since 2016 but were forced to find other accommodation after receiving a notice of eviction from the landlord in 2022. Andrew was diagnosed with lung cancer in the summer of 2020 and has been undergoing chemotherapy.

The judgment stated: “He (Andrew) had difficulty even standing at the time. Unable to feed himself, he needed his wife to feed him. During the move, he was even unable to help pack the boxes.”

“His wife took on everything and often broke down crying.” After finding a new place to live, Janet remained sceptical about the landlord’s claim that he was “letting his stepson move in.”

According to the ruling, she continued to drive past the old residence from time to time to check on the situation, but never found that anyone had moved in, and the windows had no blinds or curtains. In October 2023, she discovered that the house had begun to be demolished, so she decided to hire a lawyer. In May 2025, the house was listed for CAD 1.275 million and eventually sold for CAD 1.215 million.

The owner originally purchased it for CAD 255,000. TAL’s judgment clearly states: “There is no doubt that the landlord’s real purpose in evicting the tenant was to demolish the house, not to reclaim it for his own residence.” TAL believes that the tenant couple suffered serious disruption and loss to their lives and are entitled to compensation.

Therefore, the court ordered the landlord to pay 35,000 Canadian dollars in punitive damages, 17,450 Canadian dollars in property damages, and 10,000 Canadian dollars in damages for emotional distress. The ruling stated: “Her husband was suffering from cancer during the move, and she searched for and moved into two different residences.

Since 2016, they had been living in relatively affordable housing, and this move had a huge impact on their lives.” “The whole incident caused her tremendous stress and inconvenience. The court believes that the compensation is sufficient to make up for the losses, pain and distress she suffered.”

A recent ruling by the BC rental regulator found a landlord who was ordered to pay a former tenant $19,570 to “offset” the amount by having someone impersonate the tenant and reach a settlement favourable to himself.

The landlord ultimately paid a heavy price. According to CTV, landlord Sumit Ghai has been ordered to pay an administrative penalty of $16,000, based on a ruling published online this week by the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) of British Columbia, for allegedly attempting to “defraud” a former tenant.

Background and previous impersonation incidents the female tenant, whose name is abbreviated as LS, began renting the property in 2007, before Guy owned it. When Guy purchased the property in February 2021, LS was still living in the unit.

In May of the same year, she signed a new lease with a new landlord. However, in October, Guy sent her a notice of termination of the lease, citing that the landlord wanted to use the unit for his own purposes. The document states that LS moved out in February 2022, and Guy filed a dispute resolution application with the RTB on April 1 of the same year, which concerned “so-called damages and other matters.”

LS filed a counterclaim and won a damages order for 19,570 yuan in May 2023. The ruling did not specify the reasons for LS’s victory or the details of the damages order, but it did point out that Guy’s failure to pay prompted LS to apply for an enforcement order from the provincial court. Guy was ultimately fined $11,700 by the RTB Compliance Enforcement Unit (RTB CEU) in 2025 for failing to comply with the penalty order, submitting false documents, and impersonating LS to submit a review application. The ruling announced this week is not the first time that RTB’s compliance enforcement unit has determined that Guy impersonated LS in front of RTB arbitrators.

“Random” location selection to deceive the court This latest ruling stems from a dispute resolution application filed by Guy with the RTB in July 2024. The application includes a lease agreement listing Guy as the landlord and LS as the tenant, with the rental location in Vancouver.

The application also includes an electricity bill from BC Hydro, a 10-day notice of termination of lease, and a 30-day utility bill payment reminder. The RTB CEU ruled that all of these documents were forged. However, before the forgery was discovered, a hearing was held in August 2024 regarding this dispute resolution application. The subsequent ruling stated: “A woman identifying herself as LS participated in the video hearing and confirmed that her statements were true.” She provided “626” as the correct address. Guy also attended the hearing and confirmed that LS was his tenant, stating that he “owned two units.”

A settlement was reached, and the court issued a damages order against LS for $30,074. LS herself later told investigators that she did not attend the hearing, nor authorized anyone to attend on her behalf, and that she had been living in Chilliwack, not Vancouver, since moving out of Guy’s property in 2022. She also provided a genuine lease agreement, a landlord’s confirmation letter, and phone records to support her claims. Following LS’s appeal, the RTB overturned the compensation order.

Claiming to fabricate evidence to “offset” compensation The CEU subsequently launched an investigation, reviewed the property deeds of the Vancouver property, and confirmed that there was no 626 on that street, and that 636 and its adjacent properties were not owned by Guy.

When questioned by investigators, Guy confirmed that he had never owned, lived in, or been the landlord of the property in question. The ruling states that “he claimed he ‘randomly’ chose address 626 because he believed LS had moved to Vancouver.” He did this to “offset” the previous compensation order, achieving the goal of “if I don’t give her money, she won’t give me money.”

According to a summary published online by the CEU, Guy was fined a total of $16,000 in four separate administrative penalties by the CEU for “repeatedly and intentionally providing false or misleading statements.” The fines were originally $16,500, but the CEU reduced them by $500 at its discretion.

The ruling concluded: “Even taking into account mitigating factors, acts such as intentional forgery, impersonation, and abuse of dispute resolution systems and procedures should still be subject to the maximum applicable fine.”

Recently, Canadian social media has been abuzz with debate over which city is the ultimate liveability benchmark. When North Vancouver was named the most liveable city in Canada, many long-time Vancouver residents were immediately thinking: Are you kidding me? How can a place with a blocked bridge, excessive rain causing mold, and outrageously expensive rents be number one?

Reporter Morgan Leet returned with this very question in mind to prove them wrong. A seasoned mover who had relocated countless times, she initially had no fondness for North Vancouver. Previously, when living in downtown Vancouver, she always felt that North Vancouver, while close, lacked character. But after living there for a while, she was completely “cured,” and even considered moving back. According to Morgan’s experience, North Vancouver’s reputation for being “liveable” is well-deserved.

The most magical moment happened the instant she crossed the bridge into North Vancouver. She said it felt like a pressure valve in her body had suddenly been turned off. The pace of downtown Vancouver always carries a strange anxiety; everyone is rushing around. But in North Vancouver, the air is filled with openness and tranquillity.

The atmosphere here isn’t “Run, you’re going to be late,” but rather “Let’s go get some coffee after we climb the mountain.” This sudden reduction in sensory pressure genuinely slows down the pace of life. Greater Vancouver has become the pinnacle of liveability! Vancouver’s relaxed atmosphere is all thanks to it! North Vancouver strikes a perfect balance between the most agonizing questions of “space” and “convenience.” Want to commute downtown? Take the SeaBus! This mode of transport is practically a dream come true for Vancouver’s working class: no more getting stuck in traffic on the bridge, just a leisurely 10–15-minute ride with the sea breeze on your way to work. And looking back at North Vancouver, there are charming cafes and stylish shops, so you don’t need to cross the bridge every day—it truly has the best of both worlds.

Not to mention the “backyard forest” that outdoor enthusiasts go crazy for. In North Vancouver, nature isn’t a weekend destination requiring a drive; it’s an everyday reality, easily accessible. Morgan remarked that before, after hiking in Vancouver, his biggest fear was getting stuck in traffic on the bridge on the way back—the stress he’d just washed off would instantly return. But in North Vancouver, Lynn Canyon Park is just a short walk from get off work. That ability to instantly switch into “escape the city” mode is truly irreplaceable. Of course, North Vancouver has its drawbacks.

The endless rainy season and the heartbreaking rent starting at $3,000 a month remain real challenges. But Morgan believes that true liveability is having a place where you can truly breathe deeply after a busy day, seamlessly switching between nature and the city. That sense of security—being able to let your guard down simply by crossing a bridge—is expensive, yet incredibly luxurious. If you’re also struggling with mental exhaustion, why not take a trip to North Vancouver? Perhaps you’ll discover that life is no longer a sprint, but a gentle, deep breath.

The Richmond RCMP released the latest crime data, showing that shoplifting has increased by 70%, while most other types of crimes have either decreased or remained unchanged. In the first two months of 2026, Richmond Police received 386 reports of shoplifting, a 70% increase compared to the same period last year. February alone saw 207 of these reports.

Reports of property crimes also rose slightly, with 1,350 cases received in January and February, a 10% increase compared to the same period last year. In addition, sex crimes committed so far in 2026 have increased by 29% compared to the same period last year.

Common and serious attacks decreased, with 75 reports of common attacks received in January and February, a 47% decrease compared to the same period last year. There were 27 serious attacks, a 16% decrease compared to the same period last year.

According to a community safety report to be submitted to the city council next week, one-third of the nine serious assault cases reported to the police in February were domestic violence. The Richmond RCMP will submit its annual work plan, focusing on four key areas: property crime, organized crime, road safety, and vulnerable groups. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report noted that while the overall violent crime rate in Richmond remains low, police are determined to combat organized crime, including drug trafficking, drug manufacturing, fraud, and money laundering.

The report states: “These activities pose numerous public safety risks, including clandestine drug manufacturing facilities and gang violence.” Police have also noted emerging trends in cybercrime, such as cryptocurrency scams. The report states: “These crimes are often linked to organized crime because they are sophisticated, well-organized, and can generate substantial profits for criminals.”

Regarding property crimes, the report notes an overall upward trend, but the situation varies across different types of crimes. For example, shoplifting has “increased dramatically” over the past five years, while residential burglaries and car thefts have decreased.

Four suspects have been convicted of violently breaking into a Vancouver home three years ago and kidnapping a family to Richmond. Vancouver police said the case involved three women and one man who were taken from their home in the 5200 block of St. Catherines Street around 4 a.m. on March 11, 2023, and then taken to a location where they were “held hostage for a period of time.”

The victims included a couple and their two daughters, aged 21 and 18, who were bound with duct tape, their mouths gagged with packing tape and then abducted into several of the family’s vehicles. The three female victims were taken to a car and abandoned on Rice Mill Road in Richmond. They eventually sought help from staff at a nearby BC Ferries service station (pictured above).

The victim’s father was taken to his company on River Road in Richmond, then transferred to another car where he was repeatedly beaten and extorted before being abandoned in a remote location in Surrey.

In April 2024, after a year-long investigation, Vancouver police arrested three of the four suspects and recommended that the prosecution bring charges. The prosecution also prepared to bring charges against the remaining suspect. Two 21-year-old men from Surrey, Duoth Techen Garkouth and Ramadhan Ibrahim-Hussein, have been charged with kidnapping and trespassing, and both have pleaded guilty.

An unnamed 17-year-old pleaded guilty to unlawful entry and unlawful confinement in 2024 and has since served his sentence. Another defendant, 23-year-old Sijuola Obatusa, was convicted on the 2nd of this month on the same charges as the first two defendants after a trial in the British Columbia Supreme Court.

According to police, the 23-year-old defendant is accused of planning and directing the incident and playing a commanding role during the home invasion and kidnapping. Vancouver Police Department Constable Darren Wong stated, “The judge’s ruling affirms the investigators’ extensive efforts in gathering evidence and bringing these offenders to justice. More importantly, it gives the victims a sense that justice has been served.”

The three defendants remain in custody and will appear in court on May 6 to determine the date for their sentencing hearing.

In the 2025 Canadian budget announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney, the federal government emphasized that the engineering, regulatory, and permitting work for Alto, the country’s first high-speed rail project, will be accelerated. However, with the project’s launch, some opposition has recently emerged.

The project is currently facing strong opposition from residents along the route, the Conservative Party, and some local political parties. Most of the criticism comes from the communities whose land will be acquired for development, with rural residents in Ontario and Quebec increasingly opposed to the project. Residents along the route angrily pointed out that the planned high-speed rail route could take away their ancestral businesses, and many rural communities believe that it will destroy the local natural and agricultural environment.

The Quebec Group emphasized that the project lacked sufficient consultation and believed that the government’s approach was hasty and failed to follow reasonable procedures. The Conservative Party criticized the project, questioning its rationale and potential negative impact on rural areas.

In response, Prime Minister Carney stated at a press conference that the project will create more than 50,000 jobs and contribute more than $35 billion to the economy. Carney said, “Overall, high-speed rail is more cost-effective, more sustainable, connects our communities, and is faster.” Carney stated that the project only requires approximately 10 meters of land for road construction, and those who lose their land will receive compensation.

The first phase of the project to connect Montreal and Ottawa is expected to begin in 2029 or 2030, with the entire project estimated to cost between 60 billion and 90 billion dollars. Carney also stated that Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s recusal of the project was in accordance with government ethical standards.

In a letter to Carney last year, Champagne stated that he was proactively conducting a conflict-of-interest review of Alto, the company in charge of the project, “because I have a personal connection with someone in the company with whom I have a close relationship, to prevent any actual or potential conflict of interest.”

Anne-Marie Gaudet, a partner at Champagne, is the Vice President of Environment at Alto, and she will take up the position in August 2025.

With global inflation driving up prices, more people are looking for ways to earn extra income. Tom Blake, a 29-year-old from Canada, has tried dozens of different side hustles and figured out which ones are both profitable and relatively easy to manage.

From a student in debt to earning $100,000 a year in an interview with the Daily Mail, Blake shared that his exploration of side hustles began in 2014. At the time, he was still in college and burdened with student loans. He worked part-time at Starbucks on campus during his spare time, but the income was barely enough to cover living expenses.

To earn more money, he began to try various side jobs, such as reselling textbooks and freelance writing. “At first, I tried many ideas, some of which worked well, while others were complete failures,” he admitted. “I even saw a ‘passive income’ side hustle on Reddit called ‘phone farming,’ which claimed to earn hundreds of dollars a month, but I only managed to earn a measly 30 dollars a month, which was very disappointing.”

He later discovered that there were too many types of side hustles, making it difficult to determine which ones were truly profitable and which were just a waste of time. So, in 2018, he started a blog called This Online World to document in detail every side hustle he had tried.

At the time, he had just graduated from university and was working at a digital marketing company. In his spare time, he tried almost every side hustle he could find and wrote detailed reviews, which he then posted on his blog. “I persisted in publishing income reports, side hustle reviews, and experience sharing, and my fan base gradually expanded,” Blake explained. By the fourth year, he had earned nearly $100,000 from blog advertising alone.

Which side hustles are the most worthwhile? Blake’s “red list” recommendations.

1. Paid surveys: the first choice for beginners.

Blake stated, “These kinds of side hustles may not be very lucrative, but they’re perfect for beginners.” “Many companies pay you to answer questionnaires on various topics such as entertainment, food, music, and politics; market research firms need this data. You get paid for each completed survey, usually withdrawable via PayPal or redeemed for gift cards from companies like Amazon. I highly recommend platforms like Branded Surveys, Prolific, and Survey Junkie.”

2. Taking on odd jobs: Earning money through physical labour Blake also believes that doing odd jobs for others is a great side hustle. “Some people are willing to pay you to help them move, clean, garden, shovel snow—you name it,” he said. “You can also post your services on relevant platforms, sometimes people post for help in Facebook groups, or you can proactively post to promote your services.”
3. Niche delivery and recycling: Avoiding saturated competition in addition, he revealed that many niche apps on the market can make money. “Everyone knows about food delivery and ride-hailing, but DoorDash and Uber are already too saturated. There are many niche apps that pay much more,” he said. “For example, Oppizi pays you to hand out flyers in neighbourhoods. And companies like Sharetown pay you to collect returned furniture, mattresses, and other large items, then resell them on Facebook Marketplace and earn a commission.”
4. Reward apps: Earn an extra few hundred yuan per month Blake also strongly recommended various cashback and reward apps, saying he could earn several hundred dollars a month using them. “There are now many apps and websites where you can get rewards for downloading apps, playing games, or even opening a free checking account,” he said. “Some rewards can be as high as several hundred dollars. The biggest platform in this space is Freecash, which has millions of users worldwide.” “I also like Scrambly and Kashkick, which are also very popular platforms.”
5. Cashback Apps: Turning Consumption into Income Finally, he recommended that everyone try cashback apps, or those free apps that allow you to get cashback when you shop. “For example, Upside offers cashback on gas, restaurants, and grocery shopping,” he added. “I also use Fetch to get cashback on grocery shopping. Now there are newer apps like Franki that even pay you to explore cities, new restaurants, and bars. It’s perfect for beginners.”

Pitfalls to avoid: Blake’s side hustle “blacklist” Regarding which side hustles are not worth doing, Blake strongly advises everyone to avoid projects that “require a large upfront investment.” “For example, if you’re doing drop shipping, you might have to invest thousands in advertising to test the products right away. Or like with Amazon FBA, you need to invest money in inventory upfront,” he said. “While these models may be profitable, starting with debt or emptying your savings can create enormous psychological pressure.”