Bank of Canada Rate Announcement July 15th, 2020
Diane Buchanan • July 15, 2020
Bank of Canada will maintain current level of policy rate until inflation objective is achieved, continues program of quantitative easing.
The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly ½ percent and the deposit rate is ¼ percent. The Bank is also continuing its quantitative easing (QE) program, with large-scale asset purchases of at least $5 billion per week of Government of Canada bonds. The Bank’s short-term liquidity programs announced since March to improve market functioning are having their intended effect and, with reduced market strains, their use has declined. The provincial and corporate bond purchase programs will continue as announced. The Bank stands ready to adjust its programs if market conditions warrant.
While economies are re-opening, the global and Canadian outlook is extremely uncertain, given the unpredictability of the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting this, the Bank’s July Monetary Policy Report (MPR) presents a central scenario for global and Canadian growth rather than the usual economic projections. The central scenario is based on assumptions outlined in the MPR, including that there is no widespread second wave of the virus.
After a sharp drop in the first half of 2020, global economic activity is picking up. This return to growth reflects the relaxation of necessary containment measures put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, combined with extraordinary fiscal and monetary policy support. As a result, financial conditions have improved. The prices of most commodities, including oil, have risen from very low levels. In the central scenario, the global economy overall shrinks by about 5 percent in 2020 and then grows by around 5 percent on average in 2021 and 2022. The timing and pace of the recovery varies among regions and could be hampered by a resurgence of infections and the limited capacity of some countries to contain the virus or support their economies.
The Canadian economy is starting to recover as it re-opens from the shutdowns needed to limit the virus spread. With economic activity in the second quarter estimated to have been 15 percent below its level at the end of 2019, this is the deepest decline in economic activity since the Great Depression, but considerably less severe than the worst scenarios presented in the April MPR. Decisive and necessary fiscal and monetary policy actions have supported incomes and kept credit flowing, cushioning the fall and laying the foundation for recovery. Since early June, the government has announced additional support programs, and extended others.
There are early signs that the reopening of businesses and pent-up demand are leading to an initial bounce-back in employment and output. In the central scenario, roughly 40 percent of the collapse in the first half of the year is made up in the third quarter. Subsequently, the Bank expects the economy’s recuperation to slow as the pandemic continues to affect confidence and consumer behaviour and as the economy works through structural challenges. As a result, in the central scenario, real GDP declines by 7.8 percent in 2020 and resumes with growth of 5.1 percent in 2021 and 3.7 percent in 2022. The Bank expects economic slack to persist as the recovery in demand lags that of supply, creating significant disinflationary pressures.
CPI inflation is close to zero, pulled down by sharp declines in components such as gasoline and travel services. The Bank’s core measures of inflation have drifted down, although by much less than the CPI, and are now between 1.4 and 1.9 percent. Inflation is expected to remain weak before gradually strengthening toward 2 percent as the drag from low gas prices and other temporary effects dissipates and demand recovers, reducing economic slack.
As the economy moves from reopening to recuperation, it will continue to require extraordinary monetary policy support. The Governing Council will hold the policy interest rate at the effective lower bound until economic slack is absorbed so that the 2 percent inflation target is sustainably achieved. In addition, to reinforce this commitment and keep interest rates low across the yield curve, the Bank is continuing its large-scale asset purchase program at a pace of at least $5 billion per week of Government of Canada bonds. This QE program is making borrowing more affordable for households and businesses and will continue until the recovery is well underway. To support the recovery and achieve the inflation objective, the Bank is prepared to provide further monetary stimulus as needed.
Information note
The next scheduled date for announcing the overnight rate target is September 9, 2020. The next full update of the Bank’s outlook for the economy and inflation, including risks to the projection, will be published in the MPR on October 28, 2020.
You’ve most likely heard that there are two certainties in life; death and taxes. Well, as it relates to your mortgage, the single certainty is that you will pay back what you borrow, plus interest. With that said, the frequency of how often you make payments to the lender is somewhat up to you! The following looks at the different types of payment frequencies and how they impact your mortgage. Here are the six payment frequency types Monthly payments – 12 payments per year Semi-Monthly payments – 24 payments per year Bi-weekly payments – 26 payments per year Weekly payments – 52 payments per year Accelerated bi-weekly payments – 26 payments per year Accelerated weekly payments – 52 payments per year Options one through four are straightforward and designed to match your payment frequency with your employer. So if you get paid monthly, it makes sense to arrange your mortgage payments to come out a few days after payday. If you get paid every second Friday, it might make sense to have your mortgage payments match your payday. However, options five and six have that word accelerated before the payment frequency. Accelerated bi-weekly and accelerated weekly payments accelerate how fast you pay down your mortgage. Choosing the accelerated option allows you to lower your overall cost of borrowing on autopilot. Here’s how it works. With the accelerated bi-weekly payment frequency, you make 26 payments in the year. Instead of dividing the total annual payment by 26 payments, you divide the total yearly payment by 24 payments as if you set the payments as semi-monthly. Then you make 26 payments on the bi-weekly frequency at the higher amount. So let’s use a $1000 payment as the example: Monthly payments formula: $1000/1 with 12 payments per year. A payment of $1000 is made once per month for a total of $12,000 paid per year. Semi-monthly formula: $1000/2 with 24 payments per year. A payment of $500 is paid twice per month for a total of $12,000 paid per year. Bi-weekly formula: $1000 x 12 / 26 with 26 payments per year. A payment of $461.54 is made every second week for a total of $12,000 paid per year. Accelerated bi-weekly formula: $1000/2 with 26 payments per year. A payment of $500 is made every second week for a total of $13,000 paid per year. You see, by making the accelerated bi-weekly payments, it’s like you end up making two extra payments each year. By making a higher payment amount, you reduce your mortgage principal, which saves interest on the entire life of your mortgage. The payments for accelerated weekly payments work the same way. It’s just that you’d be making 52 payments a year instead of 26. By choosing an accelerated option for your payment frequency, you lower the overall cost of borrowing by making small extra payments as part of your regular payment schedule. Now, exactly how much you’ll save over the life of your mortgage is hard to nail down. Calculations are hard to do because of the many variables; mortgages come with different amortization periods and terms with varying interest rates along the way. However, an accelerated bi-weekly payment schedule could reduce your amortization by up to three years if maintained throughout the life of your mortgage. If you’d like to look at some of the numbers as they relate to you and your mortgage, please don’t hesitate to connect anytime; it would be a pleasure to work with you.
Thinking of Buying a Home? Here’s Why Getting Pre-Approved Is Key If you’re ready to buy a home but aren’t sure where to begin, the answer is simple: start with a pre-approval. It’s one of the most important first steps in your home-buying journey—and here's why. Why a Pre-Approval is Crucial Imagine walking into a restaurant, hungry and excited to order, but unsure if your credit card will cover the bill. It’s the same situation with buying a home. You can browse listings online all day, but until you know how much you can afford, you’re just window shopping. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is like finding out the price range you can comfortably shop within before you start looking at homes with a real estate agent. It sets you up for success and saves you from wasting time on properties that might be out of reach. What Exactly is a Pre-Approval? A pre-approval isn’t a guarantee. It’s not a promise that a lender will give you a mortgage no matter what happens with your finances. It’s more like a preview of your financial health, giving you a clear idea of how much you can borrow, based on the information you provide at the time. Think of it as a roadmap. After going through the pre-approval process, you’ll have a much clearer picture of what you can afford and what you need to do to make the final approval process smoother. What Happens During the Pre-Approval Process? When you apply for a pre-approval, lenders will look at a few key areas: Your income Your credit history Your assets and liabilities The property you’re interested in This comprehensive review will uncover any potential hurdles that could prevent you from securing financing later on. The earlier you identify these challenges, the better. Potential Issues a Pre-Approval Can Reveal Even if you feel confident that your finances are in good shape, a pre-approval might uncover issues you didn’t expect: Recent job changes or probation periods An income that’s heavily commission-based or reliant on extra shifts Errors or collections on your credit report Lack of a well-established credit history Insufficient funds saved for a down payment Existing debt reducing your qualification amount Any other financial blind spots you might not be aware of By addressing these issues early, you give yourself the best chance of securing the mortgage you need. A pre-approval makes sure there are no surprises along the way. Pre-Approval vs. Pre-Qualification: What’s the Difference? It’s important to understand that a pre-approval is more than just a quick online estimate. Unlike pre-qualification—which can sometimes be based on limited information and calculations—a pre-approval involves a thorough review of your finances. This includes looking at your credit report, providing detailed documents, and having a conversation with a mortgage professional about your options. Why Get Pre-Approved Now? The best time to secure a pre-approval is as soon as possible. The process is free and carries no risk—it just gives you a clear path forward. It’s never too early to start, and by doing so, you’ll be in a much stronger position when you're ready to make an offer on your dream home. Let’s Make Your Home Buying Journey Smooth A well-planned mortgage process can make all the difference in securing your home. If you’re ready to get pre-approved or just want to chat about your options, I’d love to help. Let’s make your home-buying experience a smooth and successful one!
