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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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Wall Street Ends Week With Small Gain, But Big Loss


The US stock indexes closed slightly higher on Friday, but it was not enough to prevent the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite from having their worst weekly performance in months. The uncertainty over interest rate cuts has been cited as a major factor in the decline.

The economic data releases offered contrasting views on the state of the US economy: a robust jobs report from the Labor Department, which showed US employers hired more workers than expected in December, and a weak services sector survey from the ISM (,Institute for Supply Management) which showed activity in the services sector fell in December.

Some individual stocks had notable movements on Friday, such as Peloton (up on a TikTok deal) and Palantir (down on a Jefferies report).


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