Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Apr 21st, 2021

Zach Silverman | April 21, 2021

Bank of Canada will hold current level of policy rate until inflation objective is sustainably achieved, adjusts quantitative easing program.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Relations

Ottawa, Ontario

April 21, 2021


The Bank of Canada today held its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of ¼ percent, with the Bank Rate at ½ percent and the deposit rate at ¼ percent. The Bank continues to provide extraordinary forward guidance on the path for the overnight rate, reinforced and supplemented by the Bank’s quantitative easing (QE) program. Effective the week of April 26, weekly net purchases of Government of Canada bonds will be adjusted to a target of $3 billion. This adjustment to the amount of incremental stimulus being added each week reflects the progress made in the economic recovery.


The outlook has improved for both the global and Canadian economies. Activity has proven more resilient than expected in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rollout of vaccines is progressing. A number of regions, including Canada, are experiencing a difficult third wave of infections and lockdowns. The more contagious variants of the virus are straining healthcare systems and affecting hard-to-distance activities, and have introduced a new dimension of uncertainty. The recovery remains highly dependent on the evolution of the pandemic and the pace of vaccinations.


Global economic growth is stronger than was forecast in the January Monetary Policy Report (MPR), although the pace varies considerably across countries. After a contraction of 2 ½ percent in 2020, the Bank now projects global GDP to grow by just over 6 ¾ percent in 2021, about 4 percent in 2022, and almost 3 ½ percent in 2023. The recovery in the United States has been particularly strong, owing to fiscal stimulus and rapid vaccine rollouts. The global recovery has lifted commodity prices, including oil, contributing to the strength of the Canadian dollar.


In Canada, growth in the first quarter appears considerably stronger than the Bank’s January forecast, as households and companies adapted to the second wave and associated restrictions. Substantial job gains in February and March boosted employment. However, new lockdowns will pose another setback and the labour market remains difficult for many Canadians, especially low-wage workers, young people and women. As vaccines roll out and the economy reopens, consumption is expected to rebound strongly in the second half of this year and remain robust over the projection. Housing construction and resales are at historic highs, driven by the desire for more living space, low mortgage rates, and limited supply. The Bank will continue to monitor the potential risks associated with the rapid rise in house prices. Meanwhile, strong growth in foreign demand and higher commodity prices are expected to drive a robust recovery in exports and business investment. Additional federal and provincial fiscal stimulus will contribute importantly to growth. The Bank now forecasts real GDP growth of 6 ½ percent in 2021, moderating to around 3 ¾ percent in 2022 and 3 ¼ percent in 2023.


The Bank has revised up its estimate of potential output in light of greater resilience to the pandemic and accelerated digitalization. The virus and lockdowns have had very different impacts across sectors, businesses, and groups of workers, creating an unusual degree of uncertainty about the amount of slack in the economy and how long it will take to be absorbed. To gauge the evolution of slack, the Bank will look at a broad spectrum of indicators, including various measures of labour market conditions.


Over the next few months, inflation is expected to rise temporarily to around the top of the 1-3 percent inflation-control range. This is largely the result of base-year effects—year-over-year CPI inflation is higher because prices of some goods and services fell sharply at the start of the pandemic. In addition, the increase in oil prices since December has driven gasoline prices above their pre-pandemic levels. The Bank expects CPI inflation to ease back toward 2 percent over the second half of 2021 as these base-year effects diminish, and inflation is expected to ease further because of the ongoing drag from excess capacity. As slack is absorbed, inflation should return to 2 per cent on a sustained basis some time in the second half of 2022. 


Even as economic prospects improve, the Governing Council judges that there is still considerable excess capacity, and the recovery continues to require extraordinary monetary policy support. We remain committed to holding the policy interest rate at the effective lower bound until economic slack is absorbed so that the 2 percent inflation target is sustainably achieved. Based on the Bank’s latest projection, this is now expected to happen some time in the second half of 2022. The Bank is continuing its QE program to reinforce this commitment and keep interest rates low across the yield curve. Decisions regarding further adjustments to the pace of net purchases will be guided by Governing Council’s ongoing assessment of the strength and durability of the recovery. We will continue to provide the appropriate degree of monetary policy stimulus to support the recovery and achieve the inflation objective.


Information note:


The next scheduled date for announcing the overnight rate target is June 9, 2021. 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 July 14, 2021.


Monetary Policy Report April 2021.


For a Stress-Free Mortgage. 

START HERE
RECENT POSTS

What To Do Before Listing Your Home

By Zach Silverman • October 22, 2025
Deciding to list your home for sale is a big decision. And while there are many reasons you might want/need to sell, here are 3 questions you should ask yourself; and have answers to, before taking that step. What is my plan to get my property ready for sale? Assessing the value of your home is an important first step. Talking with a real estate professional will help accomplish that. They will be able to tell you what comparable properties in your area have sold for and what you can expect to sell your property for. They will also know specific market conditions and be able to help you put a plan together. But as you’re putting together that plan, here are a few discussion points to work through. A little time/money upfront might increase the final sale price. Declutter and depersonalize Minor repairs A fresh coat of interior/exterior paint New fixtures Hire a home stager or designer Exterior maintenance Professional pictures and/or virtual tour But then again, these are all just considerations; selling real estate isn’t an exact science. Current housing market conditions will shape this conversation. The best plan of action is to find a real estate professional you trust, ask a lot of questions, and listen to their advice. What are the costs associated with selling? Oftentimes it’s the simple math that can betray you. In your head, you do quick calculations; you take what you think your property will sell for and then subtract what you owe on your mortgage; the rest is profit! Well, not so fast. Costs add up when selling a home. Here is a list of costs you’ll want to consider. Real estate commissions (plus tax) Mortgage discharge fees and penalties Lawyer’s fees Utilities and property tax account settlements Hiring movers and/or storage fees Having the exact figures ahead of time allows you to make a better decision. Now, the real wildcard here is the potential mortgage penalty you might pay if you break your existing mortgage. If you need help figuring this number out, get in touch! What is my plan going forward? If you’re already considering selling your home, it would be fair to guess that you have your reasons. But as you move forward, make sure you have a plan that is free of assumptions. If you plan to move from your existing property to another property that you will be purchasing, make sure you have worked through mortgage financing ahead of time. Just because you’ve qualified for a mortgage in the past doesn’t mean you’ll qualify for a mortgage in the future. Depending on when you got your last mortgage, a lot could have changed. You’ll want to know exactly what you can qualify for before you sell your existing property. If you’d like to talk through all your options, connect anytime! It would be a pleasure to work with you and provide you with professional, unbiased advice.

Not All Mortgages Are Created Equally

By Zach Silverman • October 15, 2025
A no-frills service or product is where non-essential features have been removed from the product or service to keep the price as low as possible. And while keeping costs low at the expense of non-essential features might be okay when choosing something like which grocery store to shop at, which economy car to purchase, or which budget hotel to spend the night, it’s not a good idea when considering which lender to secure mortgage financing. Here’s why. When securing mortgage financing, your goal should be to pay the least amount of money over the term. Your plan should include having provisions for unexpected life changes. Unlike the inconvenience of shopping at a store that doesn’t provide free bags, or driving a car without power windows, or staying at a hotel without any amenities, the so-called “frills” that are stripped away to provide you with the lowest rate mortgage are the very things that could significantly impact your overall cost of borrowing. Depending on the lender, a “no-frills” mortgage rate might be up to 0.20% lower than a fully-featured mortgage. And while this could potentially save you a few hundreds of dollars over a 5-year term, please understand that it could also potentially cost you thousands (if not tens of thousands) of dollars should you need to break your mortgage early. So if you’re considering a “no-frills” mortgage, here are a few of the drawbacks to think through: You'll pay a significantly higher penalty if you need to break your mortgage. You'll have limited pre-payment privileges. Potential limitations if you want to port your mortgage to a different property. You might be limited in your ability to refinance your mortgage (without incurring a considerable penalty). Simply put, a “no-frills” mortgage is an entirely restrictive mortgage that leaves you without any flexibility. There are many reasons you might need to keep your options open. You might need to break your term because of a job loss or marital breakdown, or maybe you decide to take a new job across the country, or you need to buy a property to accommodate your growing family. Life is unpredictable; flexibility matters. So why do banks offer a no-frills mortgage anyway? Well, when you deal with a single bank or financial institution, it’s the banker’s job to make as much money from you as possible, even if that means locking you into a very restrictive mortgage product by offering a rock bottom rate. Banks know that 2 out of 3 people break their mortgage within three years (33 months). However, when you seek the expert advice of an independent mortgage professional, you can expect to see mortgage options from several institutions showcasing mortgage products best suited for your needs. We have your best interest in mind and will help you through the entire process. A mortgage is so much more than just the lowest rate. If you have any questions about this, or if you’d like to discuss anything else mortgage-related, please get in touch. Working with you would be a pleasure!

What You Need To Know About Co-Signing A Mortgage

By Zach Silverman • October 8, 2025
So you’re thinking about co-signing on a mortgage? Great, let’s talk about what that looks like. Although it’s nice to be in a position to help someone qualify for a mortgage, it’s not a decision that you should make lightly. Co-signing a mortgage could have a significant impact on your financial future. Here are some things to consider. You’re fully responsible for the mortgage. Regardless if you’re the principal borrower, co-borrower, or co-signor, if your name is on the mortgage, you are 100% responsible for the debt of the mortgage. Although the term co-signor makes it sound like you’re somehow removed from the actual mortgage, you have all the same legal obligations as everyone else on the mortgage. When you co-sign for a mortgage, you guarantee that the mortgage payments will be made, even if you aren’t the one making them. So, if the primary applicant cannot make the payments for whatever reason, you’ll be expected to make them on their behalf. If payments aren’t made, and the mortgage goes into default, the lender will take legal action. This could negatively impact your credit score. So it’s an excellent idea to make sure you trust the primary applicant or have a way to monitor that payments are, in fact, being made so that you don’t end up in a bad financial situation. You’re on the mortgage until they can qualify to remove you. Once the initial mortgage term has been completed, you won’t be automatically removed from the mortgage. The primary applicant will have to make a new application in their own name and qualify for the mortgage on their own merit. If they don’t qualify, you’ll be kept on the mortgage for the next term. So before co-signing, it’s a good idea to discuss how long you can expect your name will be on the mortgage. Having a clear and open conversation with the primary applicant and your independent mortgage professional will help outline expectations. Co-signing a mortgage impacts your debt service ratio. When you co-sign for a mortgage, all of the debt of the co-signed mortgage is counted in your debt service ratios. This means that if you’re looking to qualify for another mortgage in the future, you’ll have to include the payments of the co-signed mortgage in those calculations, even though you aren’t the one making the payments directly. As this could significantly impact the amount you could borrow in the future, before you co-sign a mortgage, you’ll want to assess your financial future and decide if co-signing makes sense. Co-signing a mortgage means helping someone get ahead. While there are certainly things to consider when agreeing to co-sign on a mortgage application, chances are, by being a co-signor, you'll be helping someone you care for get ahead in life. The key to co-signing well is to outline expectations and over-communicate through the mortgage process. If you have any questions about co-signing on a mortgage or about the mortgage application process in general, please connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to work with you.