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Why Interest Rates Matter for Canadians

Interest rates are the single most powerful lever in Canada's economy.  When the Bank of Canada adjusts its policy rate, the effects reach every household—from the cost of carrying a mortgage to the return on a savings account. With rates currently at 2.25% and significant uncertainty ahead, understanding how rates work has never been more important for your finances. What Is the Bank of Canada's Policy Rate? The Bank of Canada sets the overnight policy rate—the interest rate at which major banks lend money to each other. This rate serves as a benchmark that influences borrowing and lending costs across the entire economy. When the Bank raises or lowers this rate, commercial banks adjust their prime rates accordingly, which directly affects the rates you pay on mortgages, lines of credit, and other loans. The Bank's primary goal is to keep inflation near its 2% target. When inflation runs too hot, the Bank raises rates to cool spending. When the economy slows, it cuts rates...

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China’s recent surge in respiratory illnesses caused by flu and other known pathogens, not COVID-19

 

According to the Chinese health ministry, the recent surge in respiratory illnesses across the country is caused by the flu and other known pathogens, and not by COVID-19. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked China for more data on the respiratory illness spreading in the north of the country, urging people to take steps to reduce the risk of infection . The surge in respiratory illnesses such as flu and RSV has been reported in some parts of China, in the first winter since the country eased its COVID-restrictions. Mycoplasma, which can cause walking pneumonia, is among the bugs that Chinese officials say are behind an outbreak of pneumonia, flu, and COVID-19 in kids.


 


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