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While we know this is happening, it can be difficult to understand why, and who makes these decisions. It seems counterintuitive raising interest rates when inflation is skyrocketing, but in actuality, it does help to balance out the Canadian economy. Let's dive into the details.
Who Decides on Interest Rate Increases
When it comes to increases and decreases in Canada's benchmark rate, the decisions are made by Canada's central bank: The Bank of Canada. They are responsible for formulating Canada's monetary policy. They are also responsible for promoting a safe financial system in Canada.
The Bank of Canada has actually been around longer than you think. They were first founded in 1935. That said, it didn't become a Crown corporation that belongs to the Federal Government until 1938. They are governed by the Bank of Canada Act and, while that has been changed several times over the years, the premise behind the Bank of Canada is the same. This, as mentioned above, is to keep Canada's financial system safe.
While the Bank is owned by the federal government, it's made up of two different governing bodies.
- The Governing Council which is made up of the Governor, the Senior Deputy Governor and the Deputy Governors. They are responsible for conducting monetary policy as well as promoting a safe and efficient Canadian financial system.
- The Executive Council which is made up of the Governing Council, the Chief Operating Officer and the Executive Director - Supervision. Their job is to map out the direction of the bank.
Why These Increases Happen
The main reason that the Bank of Canada will choose to increase the prime interest rate is monetary policy. Monetary policy says that the average inflation rate per year in Canada should be around 1%-3%, with the average yearly rate being around 2%. When it gets higher than this, this is when the Bank of Canada needs to get involved to bring the rate of inflation down. They do this by raising interest rates.
Since January of 2022, the interest rates have steadily increased. This is because in January 2022, the rate rose to 5.1%. By January of 2023, it sat at 5.9%. Rates haven't been this high with Canada's historic interest rates in over 25 years. Raising the interest rates will make it more difficult for those who want to borrow money, but it will help to slow down inflation.
Schedule of Interest Rate Increases Since 2022
With the more recent Bank of Canada rate announcement, many are wondering if the overnight rate will stay the same, or if it will increase again. This can be difficult to determine. That said, people are understandably concerned. These rate affect everything including:
- Consumer prices
- The Canadian dollar
- Consumer spending
- The real estate market
- Oil prices
- Service prices
These are just a few of the most notable things. Many Canadians were already struggling to get into the housing market because of housing affordability due to inflation. The interest rate increase makes things more difficult. That said, interest rates fluctuate and the Bank of Canada, the country's central bank, already has a predetermined schedule of rate announcement dates. We also listed some of the rate hikes that have already occurred.
| Date | Increase Amount |
| July 13, 2022 | Up 1.00% |
| September 7, 2022 | Up 0.75% |
| October 26, 2022 | Up 0.50% |
| December 7, 2022 | Up 0.50% |
| January 25, 2023 | Up 0.25% |
| March 8,2023 | - |
| April 12 , 2023 | - |
| June 7, 2023 | Up 0.25% |
| July 12, 2023 | Up 0.25% |
| September 6, 2023 | - |
| October 25, 2023 | - |
| December 6, 2023 | - |
These are just the increases that have already happened. There are more scheduled dates for 2024. Also, keep in mind that the day the interest rate change is announced, it comes into effect the next business day.
Upcoming 2024 Dates
- January 24, 2024
- March 6, 2024
- April 10, 2024
- June 5, 2024
- July 24, 2024
- September 4, 2024
- October 23, 2024
- December 11, 2024
With the current increases, the Bank of Canada's interest rate (target overnight rate) sits at 5.00%, but we don't know what it will sit at by the end of the year.
Overview
When we think about the interest rate increases, it can be scary. It affects a lot of things like current line of credit interest rates, mortgage renewal interest rates and variable rate mortgages. That said, the idea behind it is to slow down the rate of inflation. In Canada's current economy, the rate of inflation has made it difficult for families to pay for essentials, let alone purchase a home. It's important that we do all that we can to mitigate the inflation rate as much as we can. The nation's monetary policy aims to keep inflation within the inflation control target. When you control inflation, it also affects the country's housing market, economic recovery as well as economic growth.
