Blog Posts by Jennifer Kwan

BlackBerry is making a big bet in launching a new smartphone that features the physical keyboard adored by loyal consumers. The phone is expected to be a low-cost version of the BlackBerry 10, aimed at bolstering its relevance in emerging markets. BlackBerry Q5 should help the company as it wages the fight of its life in a big, bold turnaround plan.

Here's why. The phone will be available in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa as early as July. It is an essential move because the Q5 represents BlackBerry's attempt to cater to emerging economies where they have a stronghold relative to the developed world, where rivals have swallowed its market share.

At the same time, BlackBerry announced it is opening up its popular instant messaging service to rival manufacturers, pushing the broader brand.

But the company has yet to announce pricing. Even though that infuses an element of uncertainty -- and was probably a big factor in the stock's decline following this week's

I don't know about you, but when I get stressed out at work my complexion gets bumpy and I tend to yell a lot. But, who knew work-related stress makes food taste stronger.

A new study titled "Does injustice affect your sense of taste and smell? The mediating role of moral disgust" from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia suggests unfair treatment at work can sharpen taste buds.

“Our perception of the world is altered by stress – and we show how significant the mistreatment of our fellow humans impacts us, physiologically,” says Daniel Skarlicki, lead author and professor at the business school.

“This is just a glimpse into the kinds of physical effects workplace stress has on us. Managers really need to foster fair environments for employees.”

The study, which focuses heavily on understanding the link between the emotion of "disgust" and sensory perception, involved a number of experiments. The first included asking participants to recall fair and unfair

The shale boom in the United States is creating a "supply shock" that will ripple through global oil markets over the next five years and redraft how oil is transported, stored and refined, the International Energy Agency said in closely-watched report released on Tuesday.

Following several years of stronger-than-expected North American supply growth, the "shockwaves of rising" U.S. shale gas and light tight oil and Canadian oil sands production are reaching virtually all recesses of the global oil market, the Paris-based group said, noting the effects will be as transformative to the market over the next five years as was the rise of Chinese demand over the last 15.

“North America has set off a supply shock that is sending ripples throughout the world,” IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said in a statement. “The good news is that this is helping to ease a market that was relatively tight for several years."

The group said it expects global demand to reach 96.7 million barrels

Ever feel like work is getting you down? If so, you're not alone. It appears a good chunk of Canadians say their workplace fuels feelings of depression, anxiety and other mental illness, according to an Ipsos Reid poll.

Two in 10 working Canadians, excluding self-employed workers, say their place of work is a frequent (11 per cent) or ongoing (5 per cent) source of strife. Nearly 15 per cent say work causes these feelings several times a year, while another 33 per cent experience them more infrequently. On the flip side, four in 10 people workers say work never gets them down.

Overall, nearly half of Canadians surveyed say work and the workplace is the most stressful part of their day.

The data also reveals that there continues to be a lingering stigma against mental illness in the workplace, with nearly two-thirds of respondents saying they would not likely talk to their bosses openly about their mental illness.

That stigma can translate into poor worker productivity, said Heather Stuart,

The country's bank regulator is looking into whether uninsured mortgages of more than 25 years pose a risk to lenders and the broader house market given recent concerns about soaring consumer debt levels.

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions is now in the process of talking to lenders and assessing potential risks in deciding whether it should take action, the Globe and Mail reported on Monday.

Annik Faucher, spokeswoman at OSFI, said the regulator routinely reviews mortgage portfolios with institutions to assess its guidance and effectiveness with industry.

"We are looking at the issue and doing some preliminary consultation with financial institutions. We are working to determine the desirability of some changes given current conditions in housing markets and recent trends in household indebtedness," said Faucher in an e-mail statement.

"A decision in that regard would be taken once we hear back from the industry. Any proposed changes to our mortgage guideline that

Holding the same amount of cash as stocks means you could be missing out on chances to build up investments, says a new Edward Jones poll that shows Canadians are holding 13 per cent in low-risk GICs.

Among Canadians with investments including Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) and Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSA), the majority -- some 41 per cent -- own mutual funds, followed by stocks at 14 per cent and Guaranteed Investment Certificates.

The online survey, conducted by Leger Marketing in early April, showed half of Canadians plan to make some kind of investment this year and of those, one in four plan to buy GICs. Craig Fehr, Canadian market strategist for Edward Jones, questions further adding to cash and short-term holdings.

"Cash is providing little to no return in today's environment," said Fehr. Given the market's performance, with stocks doing well but the potential for rising interest rates going forward, Fehr said it's a good time for investors to review portfolio mixes

Canada's economy added 12,500 mostly full-time jobs in April and the unemployment rate held steady at 7.2 per cent, Statistics Canada said on Friday in a report that was characterized as reasonable following a couple months of wide-ranging volatility.

The report follows March's estimated loss of 54,500 jobs and a report in February that showed a gain of a similar amount.

"A reasonable-looking Canadian employment report for a change following some wild prints ... in the prior two months," Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, said in a research note. "Mediocre job growth is consistent with a still-sluggish economy, and does little to change our view on the Bank of Canada."

Other market observers held similar views. "After two very volatile months where the net impact on hiring was virtually nil," said David Tulk, chief macro strategist at TD Securities.

The mixed report showed full-time employment was up 36,000, but the private sector shed some 20,000 jobs. Employment in the

If you're in Tokyo, look around. Millionaires may be all around you.

That's because the bustling city ranks first when it comes to the place with the most millionaires, according to a new study from WealthInsight, an independent research firm based in London, UK.

Why Tokyo and not London or New York, you might ask?

"It has to do with concentration," Andrew Amoils of WealthInsight told CNBC, who noted the millionaires in New York are spread out over multiple cities.

Tokyo tops the list with 461,000 millionaires, while New York ranks second with 389,000 millionaires. London came in third with 281,000. Millionaires are defined as individuals with $1 million or more in assets.

The ranking is slightly different when it comes to multi-millionaires, or individuals with more than $30 million, with London topping the list, followed by Tokyo and Singapore, FT Alphaville notes.

The United States has the most millionaires, followed by Japan and Germany. However, China may snag the second spot by 2020.