Posts from the ‘Monday Morning Mortgage Rate Updates’ Category

November 28, 2016

The Coming Test for Canadian Bond Yields

The futures market is now giving 94% odds that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise its policy rate when it next meets on December 13, 2016. While there is still much debate about whether the U.S. economy is ready for higher rates, the Fed seems determined to follow through, if only to restore some policy flexibility for fighting the U.S. economy’s next recession. This sets up an interesting test for Government of Canada (GoC) bond yields, which have moved in virtual lockstep with their U.S. equivalents since the start of the Great Recession in 2008.
November 7, 2016

The Real Reason TD Raised Its Mortgage Prime Rate Last Week

Last Tuesday, TD Canada Trust increased its mortgage prime rate (which is the rate that it uses to price its variable-rate mortgages) from 2.70% to 2.85%. In today’s post, I’ll provide a quick example to illustrate the impact of this change, and offer an insider’s point-of-view on why there was more to it than first meets the eye.
October 24, 2016

Want A Cheaper Loonie? No Need to Cut Rates If Jawboning Does the Trick

The most recent MPR was best summed up by BoC Governor Poloz during his press conference, when he said that the report forecasted “a lower profile for economic growth, an extended period of economic slack, and a later return of inflation to the 2% target.” His statement, at the accompanying press conference, provided us with another example of the Bank’s favourite monetary-policy tool of late: jawboning.
October 19, 2016

What Canada’s Fifth Round of Mortgage Rule Changes Mean For You – Part Four

In Part Four, I propose three tweaks that I think our policy makers should make to these latest rounds of mortgage rule changes. Not that they asked mind you - I haven’t found any industry insiders who were consulted before these changes were announced, but here’s hoping they’re open to suggestions and that they read my posts!