Canada’s finance minister said on Wednesday he would rather not tighten mortgage rules again to curb high household debt and that banks themselves are taking on that job by becoming more strict with their lending criteria. Jim Flaherty said he has seen signs of moderation in the Toronto condominium market and expects to see a […]

For three years, the word on the street has been that interest rates have nowhere to go but up. But few Canadian commentators – other than David Rosenberg – got the call on rates right. Although the prime rate has risen since dropping to an all-time low of 2.25% in April 2009, the increase to […]

Despite soaring mortgage lending, Canadian banks are strong enough to absorb any hit that might result from a potential real estate correction, said Ed Clark, chief executive of Toronto-Dominion Bank. Unlike U.S. banks, lenders on this side of the border did not get involved in the kind of risky practices that helped drive the U.S. […]

Economists are pretty much in agreement that the Bank of Canada, while still maintaining its interest rates at a stimulus-level 1.00%, also adopted a more hawkish tone in its latest comments. Mark Carney, governor of the central bank, highlighted an improving global economic outlook while also noting that household debt burdens have become the biggest […]

  Fixed-rate mortgages are at historic lows but if you are locked in to a contract with your bank, those benefits may be yet elusive. First you have to do the math to see if breaking your contract is worth the penalties you may face. “There is no grey area,” says Cindy David, a certified […]

OTTAWA • The federal government and some of the country’s leading economists remain worried about Canada’s housing market and rising household debt, and are cautioning Canadians against borrowing too much. However, they are more optimistic about the overall state of the Canadian economy than they were just last fall, and now project stronger-than-expected economic growth […]

Three annoying things that banks do to customers are about to become history. Following up on commitments made in the past two budgets, the federal government has announced measures that will stop banks from mailing unsolicited credit card convenience cheques to customers, and that will reduce the holding period on newly deposited cheques. The banks […]

Canadians will have to wait another month before finding out how the Conservatives will change Old Age Security and cut federal spending, as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty confirmed his 2012 budget will be released March 29. Even then, after months of hints and suggestions about what may be on the chopping block as Ottawa moves […]

TORONTO – Expectations are muted as Canadian banks get set to report first quarter earnings starting Tuesday, with results likely to come under pressure on a number of fronts, from slowing consumer loan growth and choppy capital markets to stricter regulations. But the main concern is the banks’ exposure to ballooning consumer debt and the […]

OTTAWA — Years of rising consumer debt are coming home to roost, forcing Canadians to rethink traditional plans to retire by age 65. Most Canadians now expect to work past 66, as only 30% think they will be able to fully retire by that age, according to a poll conducted for Sun Life Financial Inc. […]