Interest rates

• Assessing the US and Canadian neutral rates: 2025 update

  Staff Analytical Note 2025-16 Frida Adjalala, Felipe Alves, William Beaudoin, Hélène Desgagnés, Wei Dong, Ingomar Krohn, Jan David Schneider

  We assess both the US and Canadian nominal neutral rates to be in the range of 2.25% to 3.25%, unchanged from the range assessed in 2024.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Research Topic(s): Economic models, Interest rates, Monetary policy JEL Code(s): E, E4, E40, E43, E5, E50, E52, E58, F, F4, F41

• Exploring the drivers of the real term premium in Canada

  Staff Analytical Note 2025-3 Zabi Tarshi, Gitanjali Kumar

  Changes in the term premium can reflect uncertainty about inflation, growth and monetary policy. Understanding the key factors that influence the term premium is important when central banks make decisions about monetary policy. In this paper, we derive the real term premium from the nominal term premium in Canada.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Research Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods, Financial markets, Interest rates, Monetary policy and uncertainty JEL Code(s): C, C5, C58, E, E4, E43, E47, G, G1, G12

• Monetary policy, interest rates and the Canadian dollar

  Staff Analytical Note 2025-2 Jean-Sébastien Fontaine, Ingomar Krohn, James Kyeong, Rishi Vala, Konrad Zmitrowicz

  Changes in domestic interest rates affect the value of the Canadian dollar less than changes in the risk premium do. These variations often occur when a broad shift in risk sentiment occurs in global markets. Ultimately, the value of the currency reflects long-term, slow-moving features of the economies.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Research Topic(s): Asset pricing, Econometric and statistical methods, Exchange rates, Interest rates, Monetary policy JEL Code(s): E, E4, E43, F, F3, F31, G, G1, G12

• High-Cost Consumer Credit: Desperation, Temptation and Default

  Staff Working Paper 2025-6 Joaquín Saldain

  I study the welfare consequences of regulations on high-cost consumer credit in the United States and find that borrowing limits have distributional impacts on households with self-control issues.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Research Topic(s): Credit and credit aggregates, Financial markets, Interest rates JEL Code(s): E, E2, E7, E71, G, G5, G51

• Using new loan data to better understand mortgage holders

  Staff Analytical Note 2025-1 Odae Al Aboud, Saarah Sheikh, Adam Su, Yang Xu

  The Bank of Canada is using an enhanced dataset that tracks the stock of outstanding mortgages and home equity lines of credit held by federally regulated lenders. This paper highlights some of the new details in the dataset and how they impact the Bank’s understanding of the mortgage market.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Research Topic(s): Credit and credit aggregates, Financial institutions, Interest rates, Recent economic and financial developments JEL Code(s): D, D1, D12, D14, G, G2, G21, G28
• November 26, 2024

  Keeping inflation at 2%

  Speech summary Rhys R. Mendes Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

  In his first public speech as a deputy governor, Rhys Mendes explains why higher interest rates were needed to get inflation back down to the 2% target and why we want it to stay there.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Speech summaries Research Topic(s): Credibility, Expectations, Inflation and prices, Inflation targets, Interest rates, Monetary policy, Monetary policy communications, Price stability
• November 26, 2024

  Sticking the landing: Keeping inflation at 2%

  Remarks Rhys R. Mendes Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

  Deputy Governor Rhys Mendes discusses how monetary policy worked to bring inflation back down to target and why the Bank wants inflation to stay close to 2%.

  Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks Research Topic(s): Credibility, Expectations, Inflation and prices, Inflation targets, Interest rates, Monetary policy, Monetary policy communications, Price stability

• Consumer Credit Regulation and Lender Market Power

  Staff Working Paper 2024-36 Zachary Bethune, Joaquín Saldain, Eric R. Young

  We investigate the welfare consequences of consumer credit regulation in a dynamic, heterogeneous-agent model with endogenous lender market power. Lenders post credit offers and borrowers—some informed and others uninformed—apply for credit. We calibrate the model to match characteristics of the unsecured consumer credit market and use the calibrated model to evaluate interest rate ceilings.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Research Topic(s): Credit and credit aggregates, Financial markets, Interest rates JEL Code(s): D, D1, D15, D4, D43, D6, D60, D8, D83, E, E2, E21, G, G5, G51

• Estimating the Portfolio-Balance Effects of the Bank of Canada’s Government of Canada Bond Purchase Program

  Staff Working Paper 2024-34 Antonio Diez de los Rios

  Using a novel dynamic portfolio balance model of the yield curve for Government of Canada bonds, I find that the Bank of Canada’s Government of Canada Bond Purchase Program reduced Canadian 10-year and 5-year zero-coupon yields by 84 and 52 basis points, respectively.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Research Topic(s): Asset pricing, Central bank research, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Interest rates, Monetary policy JEL Code(s): E, E4, E43, E5, E52, G, G1, G12, H, H6, H63

• Evaluating the portfolio balance effects of the Government of Canada Bond Purchase Program on the Canadian yield curve

  Staff Analytical Note 2024-22 Antonio Diez de los Rios

  The Bank of Canada’s Government of Canada Bond Purchase Program, launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, lowered the weighted average maturity of the Government of Canada’s debt by approximately 1.4 years. This in turn reduced Canadian 10-year and 5-year zero-coupon yields by 84 and 52 basis points, respectively.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes Research Topic(s): Asset pricing, Central bank research, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Interest rates, Monetary policy JEL Code(s): E, E4, E43, E5, E52, G, G1, G12, H, H6, H63