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Big Bank Earnings Wrap: What RBC and CIBC Reveal About Your Mortgage

  Royal Bank and CIBC reported record or near-record profits before the market opened Thursday, closing out a jam-packed bank earnings week that also included BMO, Scotiabank and National Bank. Beyond the headline numbers, though, the details tucked into these reports say a lot about where mortgage rates, lending standards and household credit stress are actually heading — and it's a more reassuring picture than a lot of the tariff-and-tension headlines this month might suggest. RBC: Record Profit, Credit Quality Barely Budged Royal Bank of Canada posted net income of $6.0 billion for the quarter ended July 31, up 11% from a year earlier and a record for the bank. Diluted earnings per share came in at $4.23, up 13% year-over-year, while return on equity climbed to 17.9%. The number worth watching for anyone with a mortgage isn't the profit line — it's the provision for credit losses (PCL), the money banks set aside for loans that might go bad. RBC's total PCL was $1.0 b...

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Biden and Trump Agree to Two Presidential Debates Ahead of 2024 Election

 

In a surprising turn of events, U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to participate in two general election debates. The first debate is scheduled for June 27, hosted by CNN, and the second will take place on September 10, hosted by ABC. This sets the stage for their first presidential face-off, just over a month away.

The quick agreement on the debate timetable followed Biden’s announcement that he would not participate in the fall presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission that has organized them for more than three decades. Instead, Biden’s campaign proposed that media outlets directly organize the debates between the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees.

The unusually early timing of the first debate means that neither Biden nor Trump will have formally accepted their party’s nomination. Hours after Biden’s announcement, he accepted an invitation from CNN, playfully adding, “Over to you, Donald.” Trump, who had previously insisted he would debate Biden anytime and anywhere, confirmed his participation on Truth Social, saying, “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!” Soon after, they agreed to the second debate on ABC.

The swiftness with which these debates were arranged reflects each candidate’s strategy. Trump and his team believe the debates will highlight voters’ concerns about Biden’s age and competence, while Biden’s team aims to remind voters of why they voted Trump out of the White House four years ago. These debates are particularly crucial in a year when voters express underwhelming enthusiasm for their choices and have concerns about the candidates’ advanced ages—Biden is 81, and Trump is 77.

As the election season heats up, all eyes will be on these debates, where the two candidates will face off in a high-stakes showdown. The outcome could significantly impact the trajectory of the 2024 election, making these debates a critical moment on the political calendar.

Stay tuned for more updates as the candidates prepare to spar on the national stage! 

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