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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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Trump's Semiconductor Tariff Plans Leave Tech Industry on Edge


In a move that has sent ripples through the tech industry, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to introduce tariffs on imported semiconductors. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump hinted at flexibility for certain companies but emphasized the need to bolster domestic production of chips and electronics. This announcement follows a series of tariff exemptions for consumer electronics, which had briefly raised hopes within the tech sector.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified that while some products like smartphones and laptops are temporarily exempt, they will likely face separate tariffs in the coming months. This back-and-forth has created significant uncertainty, with industry leaders expressing concerns over potential disruptions to global supply chains and increased costs for consumers.

The semiconductor tariffs are part of a broader strategy to reshape the electronics supply chain and encourage domestic manufacturing. However, the tech industry remains wary, as these measures could lead to retaliatory actions from trade partners and further volatility in the market. 

The coming weeks will reveal the full scope of these tariffs and their impact on the global tech landscape.

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