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The Mortgage Renewal Wave Just Peaked — Here's What the Data Actually Shows

Published August 30, 2026 For three years, "the mortgage renewal wall" has been the scariest phrase in Canadian personal finance — the idea that a flood of ultra-cheap, pandemic-era mortgages would come due at much higher rates and trigger a wave of forced sales. That wall is now mostly behind us. Two new 2026 surveys, one from Royal LePage and one from Rates.ca, show what actually happened when it hit. The short version: it hurt, budgets tightened hard for a lot of people, but the mass default many feared simply didn't show up. The last big group is renewing right now Royal LePage's 2026 Mortgage Renewal Survey, released August 19 and based on a Leger poll of 1,127 Canadians renewing this year, pins down where things stand: about 12% of all outstanding Canadian mortgages are five-year, fixed-payment loans taken out during the 2020–2022 ultra-low-rate window, and this is their last major renewal wave. The Bank of Canada's overnight rate sat at just 0.25% through m...

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Red Sea Shipping Crisis Worsens After US and UK Strike Yemen

 

The Red Sea, a vital waterway for global trade, has become a hotspot of conflict and insecurity after the US and UK launched airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been attacking commercial vessels with missiles and drones.

The airstrikes, which began on Thursday, were a response to the 27th Houthi attack on shipping since November, according to the US military. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been targeting ships in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a narrow passage that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The escalation of violence has disrupted the flow of oil, gas, grains, and manufactured goods through the region, which accounts for about 12% of global seaborne trade. Many shipping companies have suspended or diverted their operations, opting for the longer and more costly route around Africa. Some insurers have also raised their premiums or restricted their coverage for vessels passing through the area.

The shipping crisis has added to the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, where a civil war has been raging since 2015. The UN estimates that more than 20 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and that millions are on the brink of famine. The airstrikes have also raised fears of a wider regional conflict, as Iran and its allies clash with the US and its allies over various issues, including the nuclear deal and Israel’s war in Gaza.

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