TagVariable rate

Posted October 22, 2015 Interest rates

Have Fixed mortgage rates hit the bottom?

Earlier this year, Fixed rates hit new all-time lows. This must sounds like a broken record, or for those in the modern error, sounds like a glitch or a skip (somehow, ‘broken record’ sounds better).

5 year fixed rates hit 2.59%. This is the lowest we have ever seen. (before you start emailing me that you’ve seen lower rates, yes, I know.. I see them too and have access to them.. but those products are full of restrictions, limitations and inflated prepayment penalty calculations… for our purposes, I’m only discussing quality mortgage products with no gimmicks or strings attached).

Now, looking at the 5 yr govt of Cda bond yields (this is where fixed rates are closely priced from), we have seen this drop down to as low as 0.70%… it’s been holding steady in the 0.80% range since July. Normally, the 5 fixed rate is priced 1.10% to 1.50% above the 5 yr bond yield.. but the spread has been at or over 1.79% for quite a while. So, why haven’t the fixed rates gone down further? Continue reading “Have Fixed mortgage rates hit the bottom?”

Posted August 31, 2015 Interest rates

Rates usually drop leading up to a Federal election!

History tells us that mortgage rates usually drop leading up to an election. And 2015 has followed that trend. It started in January of this year, when the Bank of Canada (BOC) Governor, Stephen Poloz, shocked Economists with his surprise 0.25% Bank Rate cut.

(CanadaMortgageNews.ca readers will remember, not all were shocked, as I had predicted a rate drop just days earlier).

Then in July, the BOC Govr did it again.. this time, it wasn’t as much a shock. The Bank Prime was cut by another 0.25% after months of negative Economist data showed the Canadian economy was slowing. Continue reading “Rates usually drop leading up to a Federal election!”

Posted July 29, 20152 Comments Bank News

BIG SIX BANKS aren’t passing along the Bank of Canada rate cut to consumers?

Today, the actual BANK PRIME rate should be 2.50%, not 2.70%. What am I talking about?… follow me on this and let’s see if this makes sense.

It’s been a few weeks since the Bank of Canada cut the rate. I’ve been waiting to see how this would play out… First, let’s get the terminology clear. Bank of Canada overnight rate, or Key rate as it’s referred to, directly affects the Retail Bank Prime rate and Variable rate mortgages. This does not have a direct impact on fixed rate mortgages.

Last January, the Bank of Canada Governor, Stephen Poloz, surprised most economists and financial experts when he cut the rate by 0.25% (well, not all experts, I called for a rate cut just a week earlier).
Continue reading “BIG SIX BANKS aren’t passing along the Bank of Canada rate cut to consumers?”

Posted January 29, 20153 Comments Bank News

BIG SIX BANKS finally cut Prime rate.. Well, sort of…!

Last week, the Bank of Canada (BoC) cut their overnight rate by 0.25%. The move surprised all the so-called ‘Financial Experts’… (well, not me… As I had suggested rates were likely to drop in the previous week’s article and also in the previous month).

Our BIG SIX BANKS had their own surprise for us. Instead of passing along the usual rate cut to consumers, they sat on their hands and did nothing. In fact, TD Bank felt good about it and made public statements about how their Bank Prime rate wasn’t fully influenced by the BOC rate. (That’s such a load of bull, you can almost smell it coming out of your screens!)

And also last week, the Banks immediately cut the rate they pay you on your savings by that same 0.25%. Continue reading “BIG SIX BANKS finally cut Prime rate.. Well, sort of…!”

Posted January 21, 20151 Comment Bank News

Interest rate surprise? Not to our readers! : Bank of Canada drops key lending rate to 0.75%

Last week, I made a bold statement about interest rates. I said rates will remain low for some time. And they could even decline.

That forecast was met with a certain degree of criticism. Well, no surprise for CanadaMortgageNews.ca followers, the Bank of Canada cut the rate by 0.25% to 0.75%.

This means Variable Mortgage rates will fall by 0.25%. It also means we’ll probably see fixed rate mortgages also fall….. As I predicted.

Stay tuned for more details on this…

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/business/key-interest-rate-unexpectedly-lowered-1.2198493

Your best interest is my only interest. I reply to all questions and I welcome your comments. Like this article? Share with a friend.

Steve Garganis 416 224 0114 steve@mortgagenow.ca