Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Oct 24th, 2018

Lisa Manwaring • Oct 24, 2018

The Bank of Canada today increased its target for the overnight rate to 1 ¾ per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 2 per cent and the deposit rate is 1 ½ per cent.

The global economic outlook remains solid. The US economy is especially robust and is expected to moderate over the projection horizon, as forecast in the Bank’s July Monetary Policy Report (MPR). The new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will reduce trade policy uncertainty in North America, which has been an important curb on business confidence and investment. However, trade conflict, particularly between the United States and China, is weighing on global growth and commodity prices. Financial market volatility has resurfaced and some emerging markets are under stress but, overall, global financial conditions remain accommodative.

The Canadian economy continues to operate close to its potential and the composition of growth is more balanced. Despite some quarterly fluctuations, growth is expected to average about 2 per cent over the second half of 2018. Real GDP is projected to grow by 2.1 per cent this year and next before slowing to 1.9 per cent in 2020.

The projections for business investment and exports have been revised up, reflecting the USMCA and the recently-approved liquid natural gas project in British Columbia. Still, investment and exports will be dampened by the recent decline in commodity prices, as well as ongoing competitiveness challenges and limited transportation capacity. The Bank will be monitoring the extent to which the USMCA leads to more confidence and business investment in Canada.

Household spending is expected to continue growing at a healthy pace, underpinned by solid employment income growth. Households are adjusting their spending as expected in response to higher interest rates and housing market policies. In this context, household credit growth continues to moderate and housing activity across Canada is stabilizing. As a result, household vulnerabilities are edging lower in a number of respects, although they remain elevated.

CPI inflation dropped to 2.2 per cent in September, in large part because the summer spike in airfares was reversed. Other temporary factors pushing up inflation, such as past increases in gasoline prices and minimum wages, should fade in early 2019. Inflation is then expected to remain close to the 2 per cent target through the end of 2020. The Bank’s core measures of inflation all remain around 2 per cent, consistent with an economy that is operating at capacity. Wage growth remains moderate, although it is projected to pick up in the coming quarters, consistent with the Bank’s latest Business Outlook Survey.

Given all of these factors, Governing Council agrees that the policy interest rate will need to rise to a neutral stance to achieve the inflation target. In determining the appropriate pace of rate increases, Governing Council will continue to take into account how the economy is adjusting to higher interest rates, given the elevated level of household debt. In addition, we will pay close attention to global trade policy developments and their implications for the inflation outlook.

Here are the remaining announcements dates for 2018 and all of 2019.

December 5th 2018
January 9th, 2019*
March 6th, 2019
Apr 24th, 2019*
May 29th, 2019
July 10th, 2019*
September 4th, 2019
October 30th, 2019*
December 4th, 2019

*Monetary Policy Report Published

To read the October 2018 Monetary Policy Report click here >>

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Bridge Financing and Deposit Lending

By Lisa Manwaring • 15 May, 2024

Let’s say you have a home that you’ve outgrown; it’s time to make a move to something better suited to your needs and lifestyle. You have no desire to keep two properties, so selling your existing home and moving into something new (to you) is the best idea. Ideally, when planning out how that looks, most people want to take possession of the new house before moving out of the old one. Not only does this make moving your stuff more manageable, but it also allows you to make the new home a little more “you” by painting or completing some minor renovations before moving in. But what if you need the money from the sale of your existing home to come up with the downpayment for your next home? This situation is where bridge financing comes in. Bridge financing allows you to bridge the financial gap between the firm sale of your current home and the purchase of your new home. Bridge financing allows you to access some of the equity in your existing property and use it for the downpayment on the property you are buying. So now let’s also say that it’s a very competitive housing market where you’re looking to buy. Chances are you’ll want to make the best offer you can and include a significant deposit. If you don’t have immediate access to the cash in your bank account, but you do have equity in your home, a deposit loan allows you to make a very strong offer when negotiating the terms of purchasing your new home. Now, to secure bridge financing and/or a deposit loan, you must have a firm sale on your existing home. If you don’t have a firm sale on your home, you won’t get the bridge financing or deposit loan because there is no concrete way for a lender to calculate how much equity you have available. A firm sale is the key to securing bridge financing and a deposit loan. So if you’d like to know more about bridge financing, deposit loans, or anything else mortgage-related, please connect anytime! It would be a pleasure to work with you.

Getting a Mortgage While on Parental Leave

By Lisa Manwaring • 08 May, 2024

Chances are if the title of this article piqued your interest enough to get you here, your family is probably growing. Congratulations! If you’ve thought now is the time to find a new property to accommodate your growing family, but you’re unsure how your parental leave will impact your ability to get a mortgage, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s how it works. When you work with an independent mortgage professional, it won’t be a problem to qualify your income on a mortgage application while on parental leave, as long as you have documentation proving that you have guaranteed employment when you return to work. A word of caution, if you walk into your local bank to look for a mortgage and you disclose that you’re currently collecting parental leave, there’s a chance they’ll only allow you to use that income to qualify. This reduction in income isn’t ideal because at 55% of your previous income up to $595/week, you won’t be eligible to borrow as much, limiting your options. The advantage of working with an independent mortgage professional is choice. You have a choice between lenders and mortgage products, including lenders who use 100% of your return-to-work income. To qualify, you’ll need an employment letter from your current employer that states the following: Your employer’s name preferably on the company letterhead Your position Your initial start date to ensure you’ve passed any probationary period Your scheduled return to work date Your guaranteed salary For a lender to feel confident about your ability to cover your mortgage payments, they want to see that you have a position waiting for you once your parental leave is over. You might also be required to provide a history of your income for the past couple of years, but that is typical of mortgage financing. Whether you intend to return to work after your parental leave is over or not, once the mortgage is in place, what you decide to do is entirely up to you. Mortgage qualification requires only that you have a position waiting for you. If you have any questions about this or anything else mortgage-related, please connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to work with you.