Bank of Canada Cuts Policy Rate By 25 BPs The Bank of Canada (BoC) reduced the overnight rate by 25 basis points this morning, bringing the policy rate down to 2.75%, within the neutral range of 2.25%—2.75%. Tariff tremors have already led to a decline in consumer confidence and spending, a weakening labour market, and […]

Weak Canadian Job Creation Opens The Way For BoC Easing Next Week Today’s Labour Force Survey for February was weaker than expected, showing de minimis job growth last month. Employment held steady in February (+1,100; +0.0%), following three consecutive monthly increases totalling 211,000 (+1.0%) in November, December and January. On a year-over-year basis, employment was up by 387,000 (+1.9%) […]

Trump Did It–Trade War Starts Today Trump has imposed tariffs of 25% on goods coming from Mexico and Canada, 10% on Canadian energy, and an additional  10% on goods from China. He justified these actions by claiming they would force Mexico and Canada to address issues related to undocumented migration and drug trafficking. However, while […]

Spring is one of the busiest seasons in the real estate market, with buyers eager to find their dream home before summer. If you’re planning to purchase a home in Spring 2025, now is the time to get your finances in order. Being financially prepared can help you secure a mortgage with favorable terms and […]

Canada Finished 2024 on a Stronger Note, But Tariffs Remain a Concern   This morning, Statistics Canada released the GDP data for the final quarter of last year, showing a stronger-than-expected increase in household final consumption spending, exports, and business investment. However, drawdowns of business inventories and higher imports tempered the overall growth. In Q4, […]

Global Tariff Uncertainty Is Not Good For the Canadian Housing Market   Canadian MLS® Systems posted a double-digit jump in new supply in January 2025 when compared to December 2024. At the same time, sales activity fell off at the end of the month, likely reflecting uncertainty over the potential for a trade war with […]

Canadian Inflation Edged Upward to 1.9% Y/Y in January   In January, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1.9% year over year (y/y), up from 1.8% in December. This rise was primarily due to an uptick in energy prices. Excluding gasoline, the CPI increased by 1.7% in January, down from 1.8% in December. Higher […]

Stronger-Than-Expected Jobs Report in January   Today’s Labour Force Survey for January surprised on the high side as businesses expanded employment despite threats of a tariff war with the US. According to Statistics Canada, employment increased by 76,000 last month, bringing the jobless rate down to 6.6%. Economists in a Bloomberg survey expected a smaller […]

One of the biggest benefits to purchasing your own home is the ability to build equity in your property. This equity can come in handy down the line for refinancing, renovations, or taking out additional loans – such as a second mortgage. A second mortgage refers to an additional or secondary loan taken out on […]

Positive News On The Inflation Front   The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 1.8% year-over-year in December, a slight decrease from the 1.9% rise in November. The main contributors to this slowdown were food purchased from restaurants and alcoholic beverages bought from stores. Excluding food, the CPI rose by 2.1% in December. On December […]