![\"Firefighters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5e7d1f7aa2abc3884385db9b1b38c119.jpeg\")
Firefighters putting out a fire <\/p>\n Firefighters putting out a fire <\/p>\n
As geopolitical tensions rise and digital payments underpin nearly every transaction Canadians make, a warning from one of the world\u2019s most cashless countries may hit closer to home.<\/p>\n
In early March 2026, Sweden\u2019s central bank, the Riksbank, urged households to keep enough physical cash at home to cover at least one week of essential purchases, including food and medicine (1). The advice may sound surprising coming from Sweden \u2014 a country where roughly nine in 10 purchases are made digitally (2). But Canada is moving along a similar path toward a largely cashless economy.<\/p>\n
The Riksbank said the recommendation is meant to prepare households for \u201ctemporary disruptions, crises and in the worst case, war,\u201d which could interrupt digital payment systems (3). To reduce that risk, the central bank suggests keeping about C$148 in cash per adult at home to cover basic necessities if electronic payments suddenly fail.<\/p>\n
While Canadians may argue that $150 to $300 per week, for a family household, may be too low, the sentiment remains: Prepare for disruption and develop an emergency game plan.<\/p>\n
Canada isn’t far behind. Digital payments now represent 86% of total payment volume in this country, and contactless transactions account for 58% of all purchases, according to Payments Canada’s 2024 annual report (4). Cash, by contrast, made up just 11% of total payment volume in 2024 \u2014 down from 35% of all transactions back in 2014 (5).<\/p>\n
With this context, it\u2019s easy to appreciate that digital dominance is due to its convenience \u2014 right up until it isn’t.<\/p>\n
The Riksbank\u2019s warning (and suggestion) demands that we consider what happens when there is a network outage, a cyberattack, a major storm or a geopolitical shock takes the grid down? For the vast majority of households, without cash on hand, there is no way to buy groceries, fill a prescription or top up a gas tank \u2014 transactions that underpin the efficiency and effectiveness of every household in Canada.<\/p>\n
The federal government’s own emergency preparedness guidance, updated in 2025, recommends Canadians keep cash at home to cover at least three days of expenses; however, households are also encouraged to keep at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food and water (6).<\/p>\n
Sadly, this suggestion is not actively pursued by most Canadian households. According to Statistics Canada data, which tracks household emergency preparedness as a national quality-of-life indicator, many Canadians remain underprepared for even short-term disruptions (7).<\/p>\n
Even without the threat of a global digital shutdown, emergency preparedness matters. Canada\u2019s Department of Public Safety warned in its 2025\u201326 departmental plan that natural disasters, infrastructure failures and other emergencies are becoming more frequent and more severe \u2014 putting increasing pressure on households to be ready (8).<\/p>\n
Canadians appear to recognize the risk, at least partially. The Bank of Canada\u2019s 2024 payment survey found households held an average of $156 in cash \u2014 about $16 more than the year before (9). But once inflation is factored in, that number has barely changed since 2017.<\/p>\n
In other words, Canadians may be cautiously optimistic and somewhat prepared \u2014 but the cash many households keep on hand would fall far short during a real disruption.<\/p>\n
Read more: The ultra-rich are bailing on volatile stocks right now \u2014 these 4 shockproof assets are their new safe havens<\/a><\/p>\n Using the Riksbank’s benchmark as a guide \u2014 one week’s worth of essential spending per adult \u2014 a reasonable Canadian equivalent would be $200 to $300 per adult, held in small denominations. That means a family of four should keep $400 to $600 in small bills in an accessible location within their home.<\/p>\n This amount should cover a week’s worth of groceries, medications and gas.<\/p>\n You’d also want a backup card from a different payment network \u2014 Visa and Mastercard, for instance \u2014 so that if one system goes down, you still have options.<\/p>\n The Riksbank also encourages people to start using cash regularly, again, so the infrastructure supporting it stays functional.<\/p>\n In Canada, that’s a meaningful consideration: Cash use declined 14% between 2019 and 2024, and more than half of Canadian small businesses are moving toward card-only models (10).<\/p>\n Emergency cash planning is the immediate concern. But the Riksbank’s warning also points to a deeper financial reality: major geopolitical disruptions don’t just affect whether you can tap to pay at the grocery store \u2014 they can reshape the value of money itself.<\/p>\n Investing legend Warren Buffett addressed this directly when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014.<\/p>\n “The one thing you can be quite sure of is if we went into some very major war, the value of money would go down \u2014 that’s happened in virtually every war that I’m aware of,” Buffett told CNBC (11). “The last thing you’d want to do is hold money during a war.”<\/p>\n That’s a sobering thought for Canadians who hold large cash balances in savings accounts or GICs.<\/p>\n The concern is that war tends to ignite inflation through surges in government spending, currency debasement, supply chain disruptions and the printing of money to finance military operations. As a result, the purchasing power of cash can erode quickly, particularly if all these forces converge at once.<\/p>\n Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, has offered clear guidance for investors watching geopolitical risk rise over the last few years. In a recent post on X, Dalio said investors should consider shifting out of debt instruments and toward gold \u2014 because wars are financed through borrowing and money printing, which degrades the value of bonds and cash (12).<\/p>\n Gold has surged more than 55% since early 2025, surpassing US$4,000 per ounce for the first time in October 2025 (13). Analysts at J.P. Morgan Global Research believe gold prices could push higher, reaching US$5,000 per ounce by the fourth quarter of 2026, driven by continued central bank buying and ETF inflows (14).<\/p>\n For Canadian investors, creating gold exposure in an investment portfolio doesn’t always mean buying a safe full of bullion. For investors interested in adding or increasing gold in their portfolio, there are several accessible, tax-efficient options.<\/p>\n Canadian investors can hold gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) \u2014 such as the BMO Gold Bullion ETF (TSX:ZGLD) or the Purpose Gold Bullion Fund (TSX:KILO) \u2014 directly inside a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) or a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), sheltering any gains from tax (15). The Sprott Physical Gold Trust (TSX:PHYS) is another well-established option, backed by more than 3.7 million ounces of physical gold (16).<\/p>\n Physical gold bullion \u2014 such as Royal Canadian Mint Gold Maple Leaf coins \u2014 also qualifies for RRSP and TFSA inclusion, provided the gold is at least 99.5% pure and stored with an approved third-party trustee through a self-directed account (17).<\/p>\n While Buffett has warned that cash loses value in wartime, he has also consistently pointed to productive assets as the better long-term bet.<\/p>\n “You might want to own a farm, you might want to own an apartment house, you might want to own securities,” he told CNBC in that same 2014 interview (18). Citing the Second World War, he noted that stock markets advanced even during the conflict. “You’re going to be a lot better off owning productive assets over the next 50 years than you will be owning pieces of paper,” he said.<\/p>\n His most direct advice for everyday investors? Own a broad market index fund (19). For Canadian investors, the equivalent of Buffett’s beloved S&P 500 index is a low-cost ETF tracking the S&P 500 \u2014 available in Canadian dollars through funds like the Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF (TSX:VFV), which carries an expense ratio of just 0.08% and held over C$20 billion in assets as of early 2025 (20). For those who prefer purely domestic exposure, the iShares S&P\/TSX 60 Index ETF (TSX:XIU) offers broad access to the 60 largest Canadian companies at an expense ratio of 0.18% (21). Both can be held inside a TFSA or RRSP for tax-sheltered growth.<\/p>\n Buffett has long cited rental real estate as a resilient, inflation-resistant asset. In a 2022 shareholder letter, he said he would “write a cheque” for 1% of all the apartment buildings in the country if offered the chance (22). His reasoning: people always need a place to live, and rental income tends to rise with inflation.<\/p>\n For Canadians who don’t have US$25 billion to spare \u2014 and who have no desire to be a landlord who must snake a drain at midnight \u2014 real estate investment trusts (REITs) offer a more practical entry point.<\/p>\n Canadian REITs trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and allow investors to participate in the income from residential, industrial and commercial properties for the price of a single unit.<\/p>\n The Canadian REIT sector delivered an 11.8% total return in 2025, outperforming the global REIT benchmark of 8.3% (23). Top residential picks for income-focused investors include Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX:CAR.UN) \u2014 commonly known as CAPREIT \u2014 and Killam Apartment REIT (TSX:KMP.UN), both of which focus on multi-residential properties across the country. Industrial-focused REITs like Dream Industrial REIT (TSX:DIR.UN) offer a current distribution yield of approximately 5.8% (24).<\/p>\n Like gold ETFs and index funds, Canadian REITs can be held inside a TFSA or RRSP, making the distributions tax-free or tax-deferred depending on the account type.<\/p>\n Every Canadian’s financial situation is different \u2014 income, debt load, risk tolerance, investment timeline and tax situation all matter. What makes sense for one household may be wrong for another. If you’re unsure where to start, a qualified financial adviser can help you build a strategy suited to your circumstances, whether you’re protecting wealth, generating income or planning for the long term.<\/p>\n In Canada, look for advisors who hold recognized credentials such as the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, Sweden’s warning is a useful prompt \u2014 not a reason to panic. Keep some cash at home. Diversify your portfolio. Own productive assets. The basics don’t change just because the world feels more uncertain.<\/p>\n We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sveriges Riksbank: Cash preparedness recommendation, March 2026 (1, 2, 3)<\/a>; Payments Canada: Canadian Payment Methods and Trends Report 2024 (4, 5, 10)<\/a>; Government of Canada: Emergency Preparedness \u2014 Get Prepared (6)<\/a>; Statistics Canada: Quality of life indicator \u2014 Household emergency preparedness (7)<\/a>; Public Safety Canada: 2025 to 2026 Departmental Plan (8)<\/a>; MoneySense: Cash use in Canada remains steady as digital payments grow (9)<\/a>; CNBC: Warren Buffett on war, money and productive assets (11, 18, 19, 22)<\/a>; @RayDalio: Post on geopolitics and gold, X (formerly Twitter) (12)<\/a>; J.P. Morgan Global Research: Gold price predictions and outlook 2026 (13, 14)<\/a>; The Motley Fool Canada: Top Canadian gold ETFs of 2026 (15, 16)<\/a>; Royal Canadian Mint: Holding gold in a TFSA or RRSP (17)<\/a>; ETF Trends: Top Canadian S&P 500 ETFs (20)<\/a>; The Successful Investor: iShares S&P\/TSX 60 Index ETF (21)<\/a>; Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty: Conquering Canada’s REIT landscape \u2014 top picks for 2026 (23)<\/a>; Yahoo Finance \/ The Motley Fool Canada: 3 top Canadian REITs for passive income investing in 2026 (24)<\/a><\/p>\n This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Firefighters putting out a fire As geopolitical tensions rise and digital payments underpin nearly every transaction Canadians make,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":520995,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[28,103,9567,20236,101,134212,235095,235094,724],"class_list":["post-520994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-canada","tag-canadians","tag-central-bank","tag-economy","tag-emergency-preparedness","tag-payments-canada","tag-riksbank","tag-warren-buffett"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=520994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/520995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=520994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=520994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=520994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}