Chief Economist
Over 30 years of experience providing Canadians with the best economic insights.
Dr. Sherry Cooper is a sought-after speaker, writer and advisor renowned for her ability to simplify and de-mystify the complex subjects of economics and finance. She is Chief Economist of Dominion Lending Centres. Canada’s leading mortgage and leasing company with more than 2,300 members offering free expert advice across Canada.
In this role, Dr. Cooper helps Canadians understand the issues surrounding their most important financial decision—buying a home.
An award-winning authority on finance and economics, Sherry is also TMX Industry Professor at DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University and is Chief Economic Advisor to MDC Partners—a Nasdaq-listed global strategic marketing organization based in New York City. Named “the megawatt celebrity economist” by Canada’s national newspaper –and repeatedly cited as one of the most influential women in Canada, Sherry served as Chief Economist and Executive Vice-President of BMO Financial Group where she was responsible for global economic and financial forecasting as well as country-risk and industry-risk analysis. She joined BMO Financial Group in 1994 when it acquired Burns Fry, where she had been Chief Economist, Co-Head of Fixed Income and the first female director of a Bay Street investment firm. Well-known as a media commentator, Sherry’s third book—The New Retirement: How It Will Change Our Future—was a block-buster best-seller.
Dr. Cooper has an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh. She began her career at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. where she worked very closely with then-Chairman, Paul Volcker and subsequently joined the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) as Director of Financial Economics.
Latest Posts from Dr Sherry Cooper
26 May 2015
Top 5 Things Millennials Should Know When Buying Real Estate
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
Top 5 Things Millennials Should Know When Buying Real Estate There are 9 million Millennials in Canada, representing more than 25 percent of the population. Born between 1980 and 1999, the eldest are in the early stages of their careers, forming households and buying their first homes. Buying a home is a daunting process for Read More
8 May 2015
April 2015 Jobless Figures, More Bad News for Canada
Posted in: Chief Economist, News, Press Releases
More Bad News for Canada Employment data for the U.S. and Canada were released this morning, and once again, there was more bad news for Canada. Employment edged down in April (-20,000) on the heels of relatively flat numbers for the year so far. This was the largest decline in employment since August. Gains in Read More
29 Apr 2015
Fed Issues Dovish Statement–Clearly Concerned About the Economy
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
Fed Issues Dovish Statement–Clearly Concerned About the Economy The tone of today’s Federal Reserve Policy Statement was decidedly dovish as the Fed attributed only some of the slowdown in growth in the first quarter to transitory factors. Coming in at only 0.2%, GDP growth in the U.S. slowed to a crawl in the first three months of Read More
21 Apr 2015
The No-Surprise Budget–$1.4 billion Surplus
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
The most remarkable thing about the 2015 federal budget is how little new is in it. Everything meaningful had been preannounced. Gone are the days of activist government at the federal level. The budget’s message of tax cuts and balanced budgets will form the core of the Conservative Party’s election campaign as it seeks a Read More
15 Apr 2015
Bank of Canada Remains On Hold With Hopes of Economic Rebound
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
As was widely expected, The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 3/4 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 per cent and the deposit rate is 1/2 per cent. Core inflation, at 2 percent, is a reflection of the dampening effects of a slowing Read More
13 Apr 2015
The Bank of Canada Watchful Waiting
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
The Bank of Canada Watchful Waiting I concur with the consensus view that the Bank of Canada will hold overnight rates steady at 0.75 percent when they meet this Wednesday. The post-meeting press conference and the April Monetary Policy Report (MPR) will take a guarded tone of continued unease. First quarter economic growth has been Read More
2 Apr 2015
The Rich Get Richer Thanks to Real Estate
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
The Rich Get Richer Thanks to Real Estate Much has been made about the rise in residential real estate values in major cities around the world. For years, many have pondered the surge in prices in Vancouver and Toronto, as well as New York, San Francisco and LA. To be sure, there have been bumps Read More
24 Mar 2015
Investors Dilemma
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
Investors Dilemma Global economic growth will be flat this year and likely next, at 3.2 percent, as the emerging world slows and the U.S. economy outpaces the rest of the developed world. Despite the relative strength of the U.S. economy, the Fed will keep interest rates low for longer than most pundits expect. To be Read More
18 Mar 2015
Today’s Federal Reserve Decision – Fed Not Impatient
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
Today’s Federal Reserve Decision – Fed Not ImpatientMuch has been made of one sentence in the Federal Reserve’s prior press release in late January: “Based on its current assessment, the Committee judges that it can be patient in beginning to normalize the stance of monetary policy.”Since that Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, U.S. economic growth Read More
9 Mar 2015
Dr. Sherry Cooper How I became an economist. #MakeItHappen #InternationalWomensDay
Posted in: Chief Economist, News
“For girls especially it’s very important to do things other people are not doing.” – Dr. Sherry Cooper, Chief Economist, Dominion Lending Centres Facebook / TwitterToday is International Women’s Day, and to celebrate, our very own Chief Economist, Dr. Sherry Cooper, shares how she became an economist in an industry dominated by men. Currently Dr. Cooper is Read More
