24 Mar

Strong payment discipline masks growing mortgage stress, survey finds

General

Posted by: Dean Kimoto

Despite strong payment performance, a growing share of borrowers report difficulty keeping up and are cutting back on spending to stay current Most Canadian homeowners are still meeting their mortgage obligations, but many are doing so under growing financial pressure, cutting back elsewhere to keep up. True North Mortgage’s 2026 Mortgage Sentiment Survey, released today, found […]

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18 Mar

Bank of Canada maintains policy rate at 2¼%

Latest News

Posted by: Dean Kimoto

The Bank of Canada today held its target for the overnight rate at 2.25%, with the Bank Rate at 2.5% and the deposit rate at 2.20%. The war in the Middle East has increased volatility in global energy prices and financial markets, and heightened the risks to the global economy. The breadth and duration of […]

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17 Mar

Canadian inflation decelerates to 1.8% on base effect

Latest News

Posted by: Dean Kimoto

Canada’s inflation rate slowed by more than expected last month after a sales tax break rolled out of yearly comparisons. By Nojoud Al Mallees (Bloomberg) — Canada’s inflation rate slowed by more than expected last month after a sales tax break rolled out of yearly comparisons. Headline inflation fell to 1.8% in February from 2.3% […]

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27 Feb

Can Canadian investors, advisors manage the mortgage renewal cliff?

Latest News

Posted by: Dean Kimoto

The management of one crisis often creates another. That was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic when central banks cut interests rates to almost zero in the hopes that they could keep a generational health crisis from becoming a spiralling economic crisis. Between late March of 2020 and February of 2022, the Bank of Canada’s […]

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26 Feb

Capital markets expected to drive Q1 bank earnings as loan growth lags

Latest News

Posted by: Dean Kimoto

Canadian banks are set to report first-quarter results that analysts expect will show an earnings boost from trading as well as muted loan growth amid a still-tepid housing market. By Ian Bickis Banks have been able to drive their earnings higher in recent quarters despite economic headwinds as their capital markets divisions have benefited from […]

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23 Feb

Residential Market Commentary – Winter Wallop for January Market

Latest News

Posted by: Dean Kimoto

The country’s housing market was stone cold in January and the Canadian Real Estate Association is blaming the weather – or at least the weather in parts of southern Ontario. Record setting snowfalls and ferociously cold temperatures appear to have kept house hunters indoors. Seasonally adjusted sales were down nearly 6.0% in January compared to […]

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12 Feb

Brokers weigh benefits and trade-offs of Nova Scotia’s 2% down payment pilot

Latest News

Posted by: Dean Kimoto

The province’s new program lets eligible first-time buyers purchase with just two per cent down through select credit unions, but brokers warn the trade-offs could limit flexibility and increase long-term costs. Nova Scotia’s new pilot program to help first-time homebuyers enter the housing market is drawing national attention, as industry experts assess how the initiative […]

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5 Feb

Toronto, Vancouver show biggest signs of mortgage stress: CMHC

Latest News

Posted by: Dean Kimoto

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says it sees signs of financial stress among homeowners in Toronto and Vancouver, with missed mortgage payments projected to steadily increase. First-time buyers who purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic when interest rates were lower also show greater signs of vulnerability. Figures from CMHC show that while missed mortgage payments […]

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