June 19, 2007 Change to the Official Time Base Reference Period for the Canadian Consumer Price Index: Implications for Government of Canada Real Return Bonds Today, along with the release of the consumer price index (CPI) for May 2007, Statistics Canada converted the official time base reference period for the CPI (the period for which the value 100 is assigned to the index) from 1992 to 2002 . This conversion was previously announced on 23 January 2007. Content Type(s): Press, Market notices
June 13, 2007 Governor Dodge Discusses the Implications of Demographics on Monetary Policy Media Relations St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Demographic trends and the effect of Canada's aging population have begun to have an impact on the Canadian monetary policy, Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge said today. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
Unanticipated Defaults and Losses in Canada's Large-Value Payments System, Revisited Staff Discussion Paper 2007-5 Devin Ball, Walter Engert Recent work at the Bank of Canada studied the impact of default in Canada’s large-value payments system, and concluded that participants could readily manage their potential losses (McVanel 2005). In an extension of that work, the authors use a much larger set of daily payments data – with three times as many observations – to […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Financial institutions, Payment clearing and settlement systems JEL Code(s): E, E4, E44, E47, G, G2, G21
May 29, 2007 Bank of Canada keeps target for the overnight rate at 4 1/4 per cent Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 4 1/4 per cent. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
May 21, 2007 Making Global Economic Institutions Work – What the World Needs Now Remarks David Dodge Chicago Council on Global Affairs Chicago, Illinois For 85 years, the Council has promoted the idea that the United States should take a leading role in addressing global challenges. And it has done so consistently through the years, even during times when isolationism was more fashionable. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks
May 21, 2007 Governor Dodge Says Leadership Needed to Strengthen International Institutions Media Relations Chicago, Illinois The global economy could run more smoothly if G-7 countries showed the leadership that would strengthen international financial institutions, Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge said today. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
May 17, 2007 The Bank of Canada's Target for the Overnight Interest Rate: Policy Implementation Framework The Bank of Canada has released The Bank of Canada's Target for the Overnight Interest Rate: Policy Implementation Framework. This document outlines the framework within which the Bank implements monetary policy, including the target for the overnight interest rate, the operating band, open market buyback operations, and settlement balances. Content Type(s): Press, Market notices
Should Central Banks Adjust Their Target Horizons in Response to House-Price Bubbles? Staff Discussion Paper 2007-4 Meenakshi Basant Roi, Rhys R. Mendes The authors investigate the implications of house-price bubbles for the optimal inflation-target horizon using a dynamic general-equilibrium model with credit frictions, house-price bubbles, and small open-economy features. They find that, given the distribution of shocks and inflation persistence over the past 25 years, the optimal target horizon for Canada tends to be at the lower […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Central bank research, Credit and credit aggregates, Economic models, Inflation targets, Monetary policy framework, Monetary policy transmission JEL Code(s): E, E4, E42, E44, E5, E52, E58, E6, E61
Vulnerabilities in Defined-Benefit Pension Plans Staff Discussion Paper 2007-3 Jack Selody An effective pension system enhances economic and financial efficiency. A majority of pension plans in Canada are defined-benefit (DB) plans, but DB plans are under stress from increasing longevity, low long-term interest rates, and the shrinking equity premium. DB plans are vulnerable to such shocks because they are complex financial vehicles, with interdependencies not fully […] Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Research Topic(s): Financial institutions JEL Code(s): G, G2, G23
May 10, 2007 Spring 2007 Consultations Document – Auction Plan for Real Return Bonds In April 2007, officials from the Department of Finance and the Bank of Canada sought the views of institutional investors, government securities distributors, and other interested parties regarding the auction plan for Real Return Bonds (RRBs). The consultations were undertaken in view of the announcement, in the Debt Management Strategy for 2007/08, of an increase in the issuance of RRBs to slightly over $2 billion. Content Type(s): Press, Market notices