|  Interest rates on hold — for now The Bank of Canada delivered its first monetary policy announcement of the year on Wednesday, and opted to hold interest rates at 2.25 per cent for the second straight meeting. This means borrowing costs aren’t changing for most Canadians anytime soon, with Gov. Tiff Macklem saying after the announcement that the policy rate “remains appropriate.” Macklem cited recent economic data as factors in the decision, including the somewhat weaker Canadian economy in the face of the global trade war and U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. In regard to the impacts of tariffs on Canada’s economy, Macklem said adjusting interest rates in any direction “cannot compensate for the structural damage caused by tariffs.” Some financial experts think there is a growing case for the Bank’s next move to be another cut to interest rates. Read more about what led to the decision and the outlook for the Canadian economy.  Grocery rebate Some Canadians are soon going to be getting a bit more money in their pockets after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced several measures on Monday aimed at making it more affordable for households to purchase food and other needs. The federal government is raising the existing GST credit amount by 25 per cent and providing a one-time payment "equivalent to 50 per cent of the GST credit this year," Carney said, billing it as the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. He said that "will deliver hundreds of dollars more into the bank accounts of more than 12 million Canadians." However, he did not specify what the eligibility criteria for the rebate will be. "Right now, a family of four receives about $1,100 a year with the existing GST credit. With the new Canada Groceries and Essentials benefit, that same family will receive up to $1,890 this year and about $1,400 a year for each of the next four years," Carney said. Read more about what else Carney announced to help with the higher cost of living in Canada.  Check for your cheques Imagine this: You kept an old birthday card from a family member, and when you happened upon it in a storage box one day, you found a cheque inside you forgot to cash. Although personal cheques can expire, one from the federal government never does, and millions of Canadians reportedly have not cashed in those cheques. The latest data from Public Services and Procurement Canada shows there are more than four million outstanding paper cheques that have been sent out to qualified Canadians since 2022, but they have not been cashed in yet. The value of all those cheques is over $2 billion. Some of those payments came from the Canada Revenue Agency, including in the form of GST credits, Canada Child Benefit payments, the former Canada Carbon Rebate and even some income tax refunds. Read more about what you can do if you think you’re missing paper cheques. | 
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