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The Fed Decides Wednesday — Here's What It Means for Your Mortgage, the Loonie, and Your RRSP

  Monday, July 27, 2026 The U.S. Federal Reserve hands down its rate decision at 2 p.m. ET on July 29. For most Canadians it will feel like background noise. It isn't — here's the plain-language version of why it touches your mortgage, your cross-border spending, and whatever's sitting in your RRSP. The short version: Markets are pricing roughly a two-in-three chance the Fed holds its rate at 3.50%–3.75% on Wednesday. That's not the story. The story is that this is one of the least certain "sure thing" holds in years — and Chair Kevin Warsh's press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET could matter more than the decision itself. Why this meeting is different The Fed has held its benchmark rate steady at 3.50%–3.75% through every meeting so far in 2026. On paper, Wednesday should be more of the same. Under the hood, it's messier. Persistent inflation, running well above the Fed's 2% target for a fifth straight year, has kept a rate hike on the table. The oil-...
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Norway’s $2 Trillion Wealth Fund Begins Israeli Divestment Amid Gaza Crisis

 

 Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), an arm of Norway's central bank.

 
In a significant move reflecting growing global concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund—the world’s largest—has divested from 11 Israeli companies and signaled further withdrawals may follow.

The $2 trillion fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), announced the decision after an internal review revealed investments in firms linked to Israel’s military operations, including Bet Shemesh Engines Ltd, which supplies parts for fighter jets. NBIM CEO Nicolai Tangen stated that the divestments were prompted by “extraordinary circumstances” and emphasized the need for tighter oversight of investments in conflict zones.

The fund has also terminated contracts with external asset managers handling Israeli portfolios and is bringing all such investments in-house. While the names of the other ten companies were not disclosed, the fund confirmed that it held stakes in 61 Israeli firms as of June 30 and expects to divest from more.

This action follows mounting pressure from Norwegian lawmakers and civil society, as well as media scrutiny over the fund’s ethical responsibilities. The move underscores a broader shift in global investment strategies, where humanitarian concerns are increasingly influencing financial decisions.

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