It’s Time to Crush Your Credit Card Blues. Although credit cards interest rates have not been affected by the recent surge in the prime lending rate, the fact remains that credit card debt is usually the most expensive debt you can have. The average is around 20% and even the so-called ‘low interest’ cards carry […]

Weaker Than Expected Jobs Report Portends No Rate Hike By BoC. The Long-Awaited Labour Market Slowdown The Canadian economy shed 6,400 jobs in July, far weaker than the 25,000 gain that was expected. The jobless rate was 5.5%, the third consecutive monthly rise. This likely improves the chances the Bank of Canada will remain on […]

Choosing Your Ideal Payment Frequency. Your payment schedule is the frequency that you make mortgage payments and ranges from monthly to bi-monthly, bi-weekly, accelerated bi-weekly or even weekly payments. Below is a quick overview of what each of these payment frequencies mean: Monthly Payments: A monthly payment is simply a single large payment, paid once […]

Market Beware: Subject Free Offers. When it comes to purchasing a home, most offers include conditions or subjects, which are requirements or criteria to be met before the sale can be finalized and the property is transferred. Some of the most common subjects include: Financing approval Home inspection Fire/home insurance protection Strata document review if […]

Strata Insurance: The Importance of Deductible Coverage. Strata insurance has been steadily rising across Canada, but many homeowners are unaware of changes to their policies. In some areas, deductibles are doubling (or even tripling!), which can result in extremely high costs if you are not updating your individual policy. To ensure that you remain up-to-date […]

June Home Sales in Canada Slowed As Prices Edged Downward. Bank of Canada June Rate Hike Spooks the Housing Market The Canadian Real Estate Association says the BoC’s surprise rate hike in early June cooled activity following a two-month solid start to the spring housing season. Home sales posted a 1.5% gain between May and […]

How Job Loss Affects Your Mortgage Application. Whether you’ve made an offer on a home already or are still in the process of looking, you already understand that buying a home is likely the largest investment you’ll ever make. When it comes to your mortgage application, there are a few things that you should avoid […]

The Two Most Costly Words in Personal Finance. Most of us have experienced how YOLO (You Only Live Once) is the one word that often leads to a pile of unpaid credit card bills and more than a few regrets down the road. However, YOLO has a contender for the world’s most expensive word, and […]

Second Mortgages: What You Need to Know. 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. What is a second mortgage? First […]

In an Aggressive Move, the BoC Hikes the Policy Rate by 25 BPs. Holy Smokes, The Bank of Canada Means Business If there were any doubt that the Bank of Canada wanted inflation to fall to 2%, it would be obliterated today. In a relatively surprising move, the Bank hiked the overnight policy rate by […]