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What is a line of credit and what is it best used for? We make it make sense + MORE Oct 10th
If people are interested in opening a line of credit, money expert Jessica Moorhouse emphasizes the importance of gaining a full understanding of what you are signing on to before having it set up.... More »
The best TFSAs in Canada for 2023 + MORE Nov 6th
Tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) are more than a simple tax-sheltered savings account. TFSAs allow Canadians to hold cash, guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds within a structure backed by the government. Any interest made during you.... More »
How to fill out a personal tax return for 2023 + MORE Dec 18th
Whether it’s your first time or if you’re a newcomer to Canada, you’ve come to the right place. This step-by-step guide will help you navigate through filling out your tax return.
The most popular method to file your tax return is by using online tax software. According to the Canada Revenu.... More »
Canadian Dividend All-Stars 2024: Past performance Jan 16th
Overview
Top 100 Dividend Stocks
Past Performance
Methodology
It’s all very well to recommend a list of dividend sto.... More »
Student Money Guide Sep 26th
There’s more to college and university than classes. Navigating the costs that come with a post-secondary program is just as much a learning experience as Psych 101—for both students, and the adults in their lives. The best time to start—both saving for school, and learning how to handle money.... More »
Should I Get a Variable or Fixed Mortgage? RBC Cuts Rates and the Answer is No Longer Clear
– ratesupermarket.ca

Last week, Canada’s biggest bank, RBC, cut its five-year fixed rate by 15 basis points. This gave customers the option to lock in their mortgage rate at 3.74 per cent, for a five-year term. And surely enough, TD Bank and BMO Bank of Montreal followed suit and cut their five-year fixed rates to the same level. Currently, CIBC is asking all customers to call in for more details on its five-year fixed rate, and Scotiabank is not showing the same 15-basis-point cut.
The move by some of Canada’s commercial banks is overdue. Unlike variable-rate loans that are affected by the Bank of Canada’s benchmark rate, fixed rates are tied to the bond market, and bond yields have been sinking over the last two months.
The yield for the Government of Canada benchmark five-year bond fell from a high of 2.48 per cent last October to a low of 1.76 per cent on January 3. At the time of writing this article, the bond yield has recovered slightly but still remains lower than two per cent. This means it’s cheaper for commercial banks to borrow money at a fixed rate and, therefore, they can pass down those interest rate savings to their mortgage customers…


