The “Big Five” Canadian banks include Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion Bank (TD Canada Trust), Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). Are there other viable options?
Latest News
The best credit cards in Canada for 2023 + MORE Sep 15th
Spend
The best credit cards in Canada for 2023
Searching for the perfect credit card? In under 60 seconds, CardFinder narrows down your top matches without impacting your credit score, no SIN required.
Find my perfect card*
.... More »
The First Home Savings Account is finally here. Here’s how it can save you thousands in taxes Apr 11th
The new federal plan has some hiccups — it’s still not available at the Big Six banks — but once it’s up and running, it will allow potential buyers to save for their first home tax-free..... More »
The best GIC rates in Canada for 2025 + MORE Dec 2nd
GIC comparison tool
Find the best and most up-to-date GIC rates in Canada using the comparison tool below. Plus, use the filters to assess your estimated rate of return based on the size of your balance.
Why trust us
MoneySense is an award-winning magazine, helping Canadians navigate m.... More »
Wise Review (formerly TransferWise): A Better Way to Conduct Foreign Exchange? May 14th
The high fees and bloated exchange rates incurred when sending and receiving foreign currency can be a bitter pill to swallow. This is especially true for anyone who has to send international money transfers regularly.
Much of the problem lies in the exchange rates offered by banks, which are priced.... More »
The best high-interest savings accounts in Canada for 2025 Dec 23rd
Savings comparison tool
Find the best and most up-to-date savings rates in Canada using the comparison tool below. Plus, use the filters to assess your estimated return based on the size of your balance.
Advertisement
Why trust us
MoneySense is an.... More »
What the Bank of Canada Rate Increase to 1.5% Means for Canadian Home Owners and Home Buyers
– ratesupermarket.ca

From personal loans to mortgages, simply put, it’s now more expensive and more difficult for Canadians to borrow money.
At the beginning of 2018, new mortgage rules raised the bar for qualification. Under federal law, all financial institutions are now required to put any new applicants under a strict “stress test”, regardless of their down payment amount. Borrowers have to prove they can still make payments at the greater of two options: either the five-year benchmark rate published by the Bank of Canada (currently 5.34 per cent), or the contractual mortgage rate plus two percentage points. Otherwise, those borrowers will not qualify for a mortgage.
And in recent news, the Bank of Canada raised its overnight lending rate to the highest level in almost ten years; the target is now 1.5 per cent. Commercial banks responded right away by raising their prime rate to 3.7 per cent. This means if you have a variable rate mortgage or have borrowed money from a line of credit, it is going to get more expensive to service…
What the Bank of Canada Rate Increase to 1.5% Means for Canadian Home Owners and Home Buyers
– ratesupermarket.ca

From personal loans to mortgages, simply put, it’s now more expensive and more difficult for Canadians to borrow money.
At the beginning of 2018, new mortgage rules raised the bar for qualification. Under federal law, all financial institutions are now required to put any new applicants under a strict “stress test”, regardless of their down payment amount. Borrowers have to prove they can still make payments at the greater of two options: either the five-year benchmark rate published by the Bank of Canada (currently 5.34 per cent), or the contractual mortgage rate plus two percentage points. Otherwise, those borrowers will not qualify for a mortgage.
And in recent news, the Bank of Canada raised its overnight lending rate to the highest level in almost ten years; the target is now 1.5 per cent. Commercial banks responded right away by raising their prime rate to 3.7 per cent. This means if you have a variable rate mortgage or have borrowed money from a line of credit, it is going to get more expensive to service…
MBNA True Line® Mastercard® and True Line® Gold Mastercard® Review
– ratesupermarket.ca

When MBNA recently decided to stop taking applications for their Platinum Plus Mastercard, many customers were disappointed since it was one of the best low-interest balance transfer credit cards in Canada. However, it didn’t take MBNA long to come out with two replacement cards as they revamped their True Line cards with an interest rate of zero per cent for balance transfers in the first six months.
If you’re looking to consolidate and reduce your debt, then the MBNA True Line® Mastercard® and MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® credit cards are worth considering, as they offer some of the lowest interest rates on the market.
Sign Up Bonus and Earning Rate: N/A
Since this is a low interest credit card, you don’t earn any points or cash back. That being said, if your goal is to reduce debt, these cards are excellent choices.
The MBNA True Line® Mastercard® has no annual fee, but after the introduction interest rate of zero per cent ends after six months, your interest rate climbs to 12…


