Good morning. A growing movement in finance involves extreme saving and investing to reach retirement earlier in life. Influencers online talk about the journey and the sweet payoff living their best, labour-free life. But now, some Canadians who busted their butts to retire younger are left feeling some not-so-fun emotions: regret and guilt. More on that below, but first:

Autos: Canadian-made auto parts exported to the U.S. will now have a two-year reprieve from steep levies under newly-announced revisions to Donald Trump’s tariff plans. And, General Motors Co. reduced its 2025 profit outlook citing possible exposure to U.S. tariffs worth US$4-billion to US$5-billion this year.

Trade: Meanwhile, China gave another signal today that it is willing to open trade talks with the United States. Goods rerouted to Canada in the tariff war might mean cheaper prices for consumers, but big risks for businesses.

Opinion: Prime Minister Mark Carney should “make the government’s overriding goal as big, simple, difficult and serious as this: raising Canada’s long-term rate of economic growth,” writes Tony Keller.

Investors want advice in a volatile market. ‘Finfluencers’ are trying to fill the gap

• What: Financial influencers are stepping into the role of financial translator, and finding their reach – and responsibility – growing fast.
• For whom: A 2024 survey found that 53 per cent of Canadians use social media for investment information, up from 35 per cent in 2020. Among younger investors, the number jumps to 82 per cent.
• Beware: Unlike traditional advisers, finfluencers don’t charge fees. But most financial influencers aren’t licensed advisers, and many are self-taught. Viewers should be cautious of advice that veers into prediction, or pushes viewers to buy specific products.

Hi, I’m Meera Raman, The Globe’s (new!) retirement and financial planning reporter. This beat covers a lot – everything from navigating RRSPs to purging your belongings before you die to lessen the burden on your loved ones (a.k.a. Swedish death cleaning).

Because retirement isn’t just about money. It’s a massive life transition, and for some, it comes with unexpected emotional baggage.

One of the most fascinating topics I’ve covered so far is the FIRE movement – financial independence, retire early. It’s a dream for a lot of people: Retire decades before 65, live life on your own terms. But as I dug into this world, I found a side of FIRE that doesn’t get talked about as much: the emotional cost.

Imagine this: You’ve worked hard, saved aggressively, maybe skipped out on some fun in your younger years, all so you could retire in your 40s or 50s. But instead of celebrating, you’re feeling … guilty.

That’s what happened to Manon Breton-Couture, 52, who retired last December after a decades-long career in nursing.

Her 72-year-old mother still braves the cold as a crossing guard in Laval, Que. Her 79-year-old father sells mattresses in Quebec City.

“The feeling of shame was very strong,” she said. “I didn’t feel like celebrating at all.”

Breton-Couture is part of a small group of Canadians who have been able to save enough to walk away from work – yet their parents are still punching the clock.

With the average retirement age in Canada at 65.3 in 2024, according to Statistics Canada, it’s rare for someone to retire before their parents. Marlene Buxton, a certified financial planner, estimates that only 2 per cent of her clients fit the bill.

But for those select few who do, many feel a pressure to provide financially for their parents.

Breton-Couture bought her dad a home. Another early retiree, Jash Koradia, 34, still sends money back to his parents in India.

Many early retirees sacrifice a lot – travel, relationships, nights out – to hit their savings goals. But what happens when they realize retirement is not as fulfilling as they imagined?

At 41, Jeremy Finney had enough savings to leave his high-paying tech job forever.

For years, he had pushed himself to the brink – 70-hour weeks, back-to-back meetings, and once, a 50-hour work sprint with no sleep.

When he finally retired, he expect