Back in the day, bike thieves could snip through cheap cable locks, but they were stymied by the more expensive U-locks. Not anymore. An ex-thief explains how one power tool has made it way easier to take off with your fixie. Also, how AI chatbots are levelling the playing field when it comes to dealing with experts. And we talk to Peter Nowak, the journalist behind a new Substack focusing on monopolies and oligopolies.

With gold prices reaching historic highs, more people are channeling their inner prospector. They're combing through thrift stores, estate sales — even riverbeds. Also on the show, why Canadians are choosing to pay out of pocket for minor car accidents rather than make an insurance claim. And with tech optimists and doomsayers predicting wildly different things from artificial intelligence, we talk to an AI realist who says it will be transformative (but just not yet).

The U.S. President would like to see Canadian auto jobs move to the United States. But how likely is that to happen? Also, why Canadians have a tough time switching banks and why it could be hard to redevelop the historic Hudson's Bay buildings.

Al Lewis, who writes Business Blunders on Substack, explains why big companies make big mistakes (Hint: it's money). We'll explore why your money problems may call for a financial therapist, and not just an adviser. Also, we ask Chris Sands of Johns Hopkins University what could happen if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that Trump's tariffs are illegal.

Canada's trade deal with China is good for canola farmers, but for automakers? Not so much. So what does that say about the federal government's hopes for the economy? Also, why many of us are just one "turning point moment" away from chucking it all and quitting our jobs. And, why more women are travelling solo.

Scholastic has been selling books, pens and posters to students for decades. Along the way, it's become one of the world's largest publishers of children's books, with titles like The Hungers Game and Harry Potter. So how did the relationship between a for-profit U.S. company and Canadian schools become so unshakeable? Also, we ask: Does happiness breed success, or is it the other way around?

If it feels like the price of everything from airfares to juice boxes never stay put — you're not wrong. And artificial intelligence could make those prices even more slippery. Also, we explain why more travellers are opting for a seat upgrade and explore how YouTube at the world.

This week, we answer some of your burning questions about the economy. Like, why does Canada import stuff that we produce here? Should you pay in CAD when travelling abroad? And, how expensive is the #rvlife (Originally aired October 12, 2025)