Thursday 23 October 2014

Bank of Canada Announcement - October 22, 2014

As you know, your variable rate mortgage, line of credit and/or student loans are all based on the Prime Rate and here is your personal update from me on the recent Bank of Canada announcement on changes to their Overnight Rate which in most cases impacts your Prime Rate. 

At 10:00 am EST, Wednesday October 22nd, 2014 the Bank of Canada again did what we expected them to do, they continue to maintain their overnight rate and in fact are not likely to make any change until possibly 2016 now!   So if you or anyone you know just got a little carried away and have some high interest credit card debt that you can’t seem to pay off in full each month, now is a great time to chat about options with rates so low.  Maybe you are planning a renovation project soon or purchasing a second home or rental property – chat to me about your options so we can work on how much unnecessary interest we can save you but also get you closer to that Mortgage Burning Party!   It’s never too late to start planning. 

The Bank still feels that they won’t consider increasing rates to as far out as 2016!  They continue to wait and see economic growth continue on a more upward direction and sustainable long term.  Remember, that any increase to the prime rate since 1992 has only been by 0.25% at any ONE time, so you won’t see a large significant increase all at once.

Fixed rates haven’t changed much at all since the last announcement and are around 2.99% to 3.09% for a five year fixed term.

Based on this recent announcement, and the anticipation that the prime rate will still remain low for a while now, unless you feel otherwise, I’d recommend that you remain with your current variable rate product as the interest is lower than a fixed term rate right now.  However, if having a fixed payment is important to you, call me so I can calculate what your new payment would look like and also if it is suitable for you. The next announcement on any change to the prime rate is December 3rd, 2014 at which time I’ll be in touch again.


I wonder if I can ask a favour, going with my theme of “Let the sun set and the leaves fall along with Canadian consumer debt with our helpif you hear a friend or family member talk about going through a financially tough time – maybe I can help with some budgeting, credit counselling and debt consolidation options for them.  In either of these cases, would you mind passing my contact information on to them – this is very much appreciated.


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