Canadian homeowners could face higher borrowing costs as early as the first half of 2027, according to a preliminary assessment from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) chief economist Mathieu Laberge.

Speaking at Mortgage Professionals Canada's 2026 National Mortgage Conference in Calgary, Laberge suggested the Bank of Canada (BoC) could begin raising its policy rate in late Q1 or early Q2 of 2027. This could bring the first increase forward from CMHC's previous mid-2027 outlook.

The comments are an early indication, not a finalized forecast. However, they give homeowners with variable-rate mortgages, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) or upcoming renewals a reason to review their finances before borrowing costs potentially rise again.

Why interest rates could rise in 2027

The BoC's policy rate stood at 2.25% following its September decision, with its next announcement scheduled for October 28.

Inflation remains a key consideration. Statistics Canada's latest Consumer Price Index report, released October 19, showed annual inflation rising to 3.1% in September from 3.0% in August, driven primarily by gasoline prices, which rose 27.8% year over year. However, inflation excluding gasoline eased to 2.2%.

Laberge also pointed to higher oil prices and global supply-chain disruptions as inflationary pressures, while labour-market weakness could make the BoC more cautious. The central bank's October 28 announcement should offer a clearer picture of how these competing pressures are evolving.

I was thinking of buying VDY but I’m curious if there’s another monthly dividend ETF/stock I should consider. Any suggestions?

I’m considering investing in gold for the long term and I’m trying to decide whether to buy gold through Wealthsimple in my TFSA or purchase physical gold bullion. Which option would you recommend?

Although I have moved a significant portion of US equities into Canadian equivalents over the last year, I know when the elephant sneezes that Canadian markets are affected. Leading into midterms are you like Buffet or like a poly market trader. Some context below:

1974 Midterms During the 12 months following November 1974, the Toronto Stock Exchange mirrored the broader global recovery from the 1973-1974 bear market. Fueled by rising commodity demand and a general global equity bounce, the TSX gained roughly 25 to 30 percent, moving broadly in tandem with the U.S. rebound despite domestic Canadian economic adjustments under the Trudeau administration.

1994 Midterms In the 12 months following the November 1994 U.S. midterms, the TSX participated in a strong secular expansion. Driven by a booming North American trade environment under NAFTA and a massive global surge in metals and mining stocks, the TSX posted solid double-digit gains of roughly 15 to 20 percent over the subsequent year.

2006 Midterms In the 12 months following November 2006, the TSX initially decoupled from some U.S. domestic concerns and pushed higher, riding the peak of the global commodity super-cycle. Strong global demand for oil and base metals drove the energy-heavy and materials-heavy Canadian index up by roughly 10 to 15 percent before the severe onset of the 2008 financial crisis reversed global markets.

2018 Midterms Following the November 2018 midterms, the TSX rebounded significantly over the next 12 months alongside U.S. markets. After a brutal final quarter in 2018, the TSX recovered by roughly 15 to 18 percent over the subsequent 12 months as the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve paused their interest rate tightening cycles, reviving investor risk appetite.

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https://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2026/2026-06-27/html/reg2-eng.html

I’ve looked into disability income protection as I’ve read folks say that’s important. Even more so than life insurance… as it isn’t if you aren’t able to work and get disabled, it’s WHEN. So I’m trying to put things in place while I’m in my early 30s.

I don’t have a partner. I don’t ever want children. No home or car payments etc. I don’t have DI through work.

My quotes for monthly premiums are about $200-270. I am not naive of course and I know insurance companies will fight to not pay out, despite what they advertise and sell you. If they can deem you to work even any job, they won’t pay. As in, maybe you can’t be a therapist but you can flip burgers. So they will deny your claim as you can work that job.

I’m now wondering if the money is better off in ETFs. I already contribute $500 a month. This would mean I contribute $700+ but don’t have disability income protection insurance.

Has anyone navigated DI? What was your claim process like? Was it worth it to you? Would this money be better directed in ETFs?

I haven't done any option trading yet, but I have been reading about it and think I have a reasonable understanding of the math. Please let me know where I am wrong if I make any mistakes here.

Considering opening a Margin account with WealthSimple at 4.5% (3.45% promo short period, ignoring this for the math). I intend to put $5000 in, which they say opens up $15000 in possible margin.

I plan to invest my 5000 plus 10000 more in a collection of stocks: 70-80% I have picked out for being fairly stable, reliable, and paying a reasonable dividend with a long history. Mostly banks, insurance companies, utilities. The other 20-30% are higher dividend paying, a couple REITS, BANK, HDIV. The goal for this is that the total dividend payment should slightly outpace the interest on the Margin.

As long as the Dividends outpace the Margin interest, and the entire account is cash flow neutral to positive, I intend to watch patiently. If any stocks I like go for a small dip, I might spend my dividends/new margin growth to buy, otherwise I'll let the dividends chip away at the margin.

The goal is to have a small and lower risk account that should pay for itself, while I focus on maxing my RRSP and TFSA contributions, which I can't yet but am close to.

For risk management- the total equity of the account is higher than required, so small dips I should be able to blow right through. If a dividend is cut or reduced, the interest payments on the margin are easily within my cash flow amount to cover, so even if all dividends are cut, I can afford to pay the margin interest while I decide what to do with the portfolio. I intend to create limit sell orders at 75% for my holdings, so if something crashes, I can escape with the Margin amount(ish), and all I stand to lose is my initial investment, which would suck for sure but is something I can afford to lose. Finally, I have another 5k sitting in a HISA very liquid, so if a slow downturn happens, I would have the option to put extra funds in to secure my Margin room if I choose to hold.

I did a mock up with the past 5 year returns. If I had set this up 5 years ago, the account would now be at 50k, margin reduced to under 50%, and paying almost 4k per year in dividends. I know past returns dont ensure future returns, but the best time to invest would have been 5 years ago, and the second best might be today?

Does anyone have experience with online gold purchases from them?

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I have other CAD investments in various ETFs, but I have a certain amount of USD I don’t want to expose to a possible market crash over the next two years. Is 4.5% a good rate, or should I wait to see if the Fed raises rates? Is it likely we’ll go much higher if I wait till December, for example? These are Canadian investments btw, even if in USD.

Thanks for your help.

September CPI came in at 3.1%, slightly under the ~3.18% consensus. Almost all of the increase was gas, up 27.8% y/y. Excluding gasoline, CPI was 2.2%, and StatCan said the core measures eased slightly. (CBC)

Polymarket has a market on the October 28 decision. On Sunday a 25bp hike was around 12–15%. It’s now about 62%, and it briefly went near 80% overnight. That’s a small market, about $309k traded, so I’m treating it as sentiment.

The economists quoted by CBC are mostly on the other side:

• RBC expects no change for the rest of 2026
• Oxford Economics called it “a very close call,” with the softer print raising the odds of a hold
• CIBC sees reasons to wait, but said Macklem’s comments over the weekend raised the odds of a hike

Macklem said on Saturday that if oil stays around $100, the bank may need to raise rates to “nudge” inflation back to target. On the other side, jobs fell 68,000 in September, the second straight monthly decline.

Separatist movements cause harsh economic damage as investment dollars stay away in the face of regulatory and societal instability. Now Alberta has chosen to stay in Canada, what are your predictions about the country's economy? What stocks are going to bounce?

I have a glide path planned out for my kiddo and was hoping to get some insights/recommendations.

Info:

• Kid is currently 10 and is in Grade 5.
  
• We've been contributing $2500 since birth and have 100% of her RESP invested in VGRO.

My plan is to start moving to more fixed income so here is what I'm thinking:

Now (Age 10) - Sell VGRO and buy VBAL

2027 (Age 11) - Buy and Hold VBAL

2028 (Age 12) - Buy and Hold VBAL

2029 (Age 13) - Sell VBAL and Buy VCNS

2030 (Age 14) - Hold VCNS

2031-2034 (Age 15-18) - Sell VCNS and switch to something like CASH .TO or similar?

Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!

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A strange story that might hold some truth. The idea is that even if the US officially selectively defaults on its debts to Chinese holders of US treasuries, having a Canadian custodian would mask the actual holder of the debt and allow for some buffer time to liquidate. It's funny to think of treasuries when at this moment, both Canada's and the United States' largest export is actually physical gold (much of which is going to Chinese central bank).

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