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
Mortgages from big banks consistently cost Canadians more, says rate comparison site + MORE Feb 12th
Mortgage rates from Canada's big banks were consistently more expensive than those offered by smaller lenders last year, according to the latest findings from LowestRates.ca..... More »
This Year’s Best Credit Cards for Travel Perks Dec 7th
For the avid traveler, there are a few things you can’t go without – your passport, travel insurance, and a good travel rewards credit card.
Those who travel pretty often already know – the opportunity to gain rewards with a good travel credit card are hard to resist. You can easily earn deep.... More »
Making sense of the markets this week, October 31, 2021 Oct 30th
Each week, Cut the Crap Investing founder Dale Roberts shares financial headlines and offers context for Canadian investors.
Scotiabank says 8 rate hikes are on the way
Scotiabank’s Derek Holt shared that we could see eight rate hikes in Canada over the next two years. That is ag.... More »
Air Canada teams up with 2 banks and Visa to make offer to buy Aeroplan Jul 25th
Air Canada is teaming up with three financial services giants to try to buy its former loyalty program, Aeroplan, from its current owner for $2.2 billion..... More »
Advice for cash-strapped renters and landlords during COVID-19 May 16th
When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across North America in early 2020, it created a wave of income loss that impacted people from all walks of life. While some individuals have been hit harder than others, it’s difficult to find a group or industry that hasn’t been affected. A small segment of the.... 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…