There's nothing like post-holiday credit card bills to inspire New Year's resolutions to take care of our finances.
As we were reminded this week, however, there are still those for whom belt-tightening won't be an issue.
That's because by lunchtime on Jan.2, Canada's top-paid CEOs had already earned a regular person's annual salary.
According to a report released this week, the average compensation to Canada's top CEOs last year was almost $8 million. (That's average, which doesn't even begin to contemplate some of the highest pay packets.) The average Canadian salary, meanwhile, clocks in at a modest $46,600.
The average minimum wage job earner took home about $21,000.
Despite - or perhaps because of - the economic slings and arrows of the past five years, the gap between the uber-rich and the rest of us is growing, rather than shrinking.
According to the same report, the top-paid 100 CEOs now make 171 times what the average wage earner does. Fifteen years ago, the top brass out-earned the rest of us by a mere 105 times.
The rich, as they say, are different. In contrast, back on planet Earth, the New Year will find most of us paying higher medical, EI and pension premiums. There will also be significant hikes to hydro rates. Ferry fares will rise, as will ICBC rates.
Likely such plebeian concerns aren't a problem if your job perks involve use of a corporate airplane for travel.
For the rest of us, a new year translates into "Get ready to pay more."
