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What to expect from 2024’s first Bank of Canada interest rate announcement

This tool allows you to make side-by-side comparisons of changes to the Bank Rate and the target for the overnight rate over time. As another example, let’s say Bank A is paying 0.01% APY to their questrade review savings-account customers, and Bank B is paying 1.00% APY. If you had a $5,000 balance in your account, you would earn approximately 50 cents after one year with Bank A versus $50 with Bank B.

The headline news here is the high-interest rate and the fact it has no minimum balance and no monthly fees. With the LBC Digital High-Interest Savings Account, you can access your funds whenever you like and use services like electronic fund transfers and pre-authorized deposits. This last one is important as it means you can move your money to an LBCDigital.ca chequing account, from which you can make unlimited free Interac e-Transfer transactions. GICs and HISAs are safe and secure ways to save money and can be used to earn interest and save money.

With the Federal Reserve expected to cut its benchmark interest rate sometime in 2024, now may be a good time to lock into a certificate of deposit while rates remain high. The bank held its key rate at 4.5 per cent — precisely as experts predicted — until June 7, when it was raised to 4.75 per cent. On July 12, the BoC brought the key rate to 5 per cent, with the bank rate at 5.25 per cent, and on September 6, it announced that it was holding those rates.

MoneySense is a digital magazine and financial media website, featuring content produced by journalists and qualified financial professionals. MoneySense is owned by Ratehub Inc., but remains editorially independent. While our editorial team does its best to ensure accuracy, details change and mistakes happen. If you read something you feel is incorrect or misleading, we would love to hear from you.

At the Bank of Canada, the primary tool we use to control inflation is our target for the overnight rate—also called our policy interest rate. This is the starting point for setting many of the interest rates in the economy that matter for Canadians. The Bank carries out monetary policy by influencing short-term interest rates. It does this by adjusting the target for the overnight rate on eight fixed dates each year. Most banks will take deposits in the form of cash, checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks. If you’re using a check to open an account, there may be a holding period as the new bank ensures the check will clear.

  1. A standard savings account is a good place to keep surplus cash you don’t need for everyday transactions (use a chequing or hybrid account for those needs).
  2. While you can’t prematurely withdraw those funds without paying a penalty, the trade-off is that CDs tend to offer higher interest rates than most savings accounts.
  3. It’s important to note you don’t pay any taxes on the interest earned in a tax-free savings account (TFSA).
  4. Since the penalties for early withdraws can wipe out the interest you’d gain on the funds, you’ll want to be careful that the time period for you CD lines up with when you’ll need the money.
  5. Generally speaking, the banking system in Canada is a safe place to hold your cash.

A savings account is a kind of bank account used to safely store and grow your money by earning interest on your deposits. The cash you deposit in a savings account is “liquid”, which means your money is always accessible and can be withdrawn at any time. It’s why a savings account is an ideal place to set aside extra money for a vacation, upcoming big-ticket purchase (like a new TV), or an emergency fund. The MoneySense editorial team selects the best banking products by assessing the value they provide to Canadians across various categories. Our best high-interest savings accounts ranking is based on an extensive list of features, including interest rates on deposits, welcome offers, transaction fees, monthly fees and CDIC insurance coverage. The addition of links from affiliate partners has no bearing on the results.

Maximize your savings with a high interest account

MoneySense is not responsible for content on external sites that we may link to in articles. MoneySense aims to be transparent when we receive compensation for advertisements and links on our site (read our full advertising disclosure for more details). The content provided on our site is for information only; it is not meant to be relied on or used in lieu of advice from a professional. Advertisers/partners are not responsible for and do not influence any of the editorial content appearing on MoneySense.ca. Our Advertisers/partners are also not responsible for the accuracy of the information on our site.

Understanding Deposit Interest Rates

Plus, with the generous promotional interest rate offer, you can stretch your deposits further and stash away a little extra savings towards your goals. The entire Tangerine banking experience is simple and friendly, and its savings offerings are the same. Account holders can set up an Automated Savings Program online to help plan and meet savings goals.

So online banks can pass on savings from their operational costs to customers in the form of higher interest rates. When you deposit money into some bank accounts, it can earn interest. This means that, at fixed intervals, a small percentage of the account’s total is added to the amount of money already in the account. Interest can compound at different rates and frequencies, depending on the terms of the bank. Most investments portfolios reserve a small allocation of the money invested to deposit accounts as, in majority, they provide the benefit of liquidity and capital preservation.

When you purchase a GIC, your funds are insured with CDIC or a provincial insurance organization depending on the financial institution you purchased the GIC from. For example, if you are buying a GIC from one of the big banks, your deposit will be insured up to $100,000 by the CDIC. GICs purchased through credit unions, on the other hand, are provincially insured and the total deposit amount insured will differ depending on the insurance organization. Known for its flexibility, this account doesn’t require a minimum balance.

Financial System Hub

The Bank of Canada (BoC) is set to issue the first interest rate update of the year next week on Wednesday, January 24. For information and to confirm most recent rates, please contact any HSBC branch. Banks https://broker-review.org/ and government agencies will never request gift cards or prepaid cards in payment of a debt or bill. 3 The offer only applies to clients opening their first CIBC eAdvantage Savings Account (“eSA”).

TD Personal Banking

Wealthsimple Cash was launched in January 2020 by the Canadian online financial services provider Wealthsimple. Joining the fintech’s original robo-advisor offering and its more recently added discount brokerage Wealthsimple Trade, Wealthsimple Cash is a hybrid chequing and savings account. Unlike many of the big banks, this institution offers a regular high interest rate. Plus, as with a good chequing account, this one gives you unlimited transactions with zero fees.

Daily Interest Savings Account – TD Canada Trust RSP/LIRA/RLSP/LRRSP4

That being said, even if the federal funds rate dips below zero in the future, there’s no guarantee that banks would pass that savings on to you. Neo Money is a no-fee hybrid account that lets you spend and save—and earn cash back rewards—all in one place. Financial institutions don’t have to borrow from each other to balance their payments—they can also use the Bank. They can deposit money with us at the deposit rate for one night or borrow money from us at the bank rate for one night.

Other TD Businesses

The main difference between the two financial products is that when you make a deposit into a GIC, you have to leave it there for a certain amount of time or you will pay a penalty. The banks can count on having access to your money for a given period (usually GICs are available for terms of six months to 10 years), so they tend to pay more interest than HISAs. But HISAs are more flexible and are a great place to save money for a short term.

Be sure to review the provider’s terms and conditions for all products and services displayed on MoneySense.ca. For complete and current information on any product, please visit the provider’s website. Generally speaking, the banking system in Canada is a safe place to hold your cash. But for extra reassurance, check to see if the financial institution where you have your savings account is covered by the CDIC. CDIC stands for Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, and it insures accounts of up to $100,000 against failure. Even when the economy is strong, the interest rates on savings accounts tend to be low.

The rates shown are the most typical of those offered by the major chartered banks, on the last Wednesday of the month. With a savings account, you can separate money that is in surplus to your day-to-day requirement and earn a little extra. While we are independent, we may receive compensation from our partners for featured placement of their products or services. A negative interest rate could be a way to stimulate the economy, but so far it isn’t something we’ve tried out in Canada. Economists are divided over whether or not it would be a good idea — it would encourage spending and inject cash into the market, but it would also make it more difficult for people to save.