Canadian retail sales are weaker but not as weak as anticipated. Statistics Canada (StatCan) retail sales fell in September, with the drop attributed to a single (but large) category. While retail sales are holding up stronger than the headline data suggests, the longer-term issue of stagnation remains. Canadian Retail Sales Flat Excluding Gas and Vehicles […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canadian Investor Mortgage Crackdown Set For 2026, Delayed 3 Years Canada’s financial watchdog is finally moving its banks up to global risk standards after three years of delays. OSFI has told lenders to prepare to adopt the Basel III minimum output floor […]
Canadian consumer insolvencies are surging to levels not seen since the financial crisis, despite stronger employment. The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) just reported the highest September filings since 2009, countering any recent signs of improvement. If anything, the trend appears to be just getting started. Canadian Insolvencies Surge To Highest Level Since […]
Canada’s latest budget could cost households more than just higher taxes. Fitch Ratings warns Canada’s sovereign credit rating is at risk of a downgrade, citing persistently large deficits and no credible path back to fiscal normalcy. A downgrade would act as a red flag for investors—eroding confidence and raising borrowing costs across the economy, from […]
Canadians will soon answer an age-old question—if home values are inflated to facilitate mortgage leverage, will regulators actually do anything? Canadian lenders are increasingly using blanket appraisals, treating pre-construction contract prices as market value to maximize leverage and close new home purchases. The move shifts risk from developers to buyers—especially those who bought at peak, […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canada Sees Foreign Investment Surge, But They Want Debt—In US Dollars Canada just saw foreign investment return—but not in a good way. The country saw a net inflow of C$25.9 billion in August, the largest in over a year, and it was […]
Canada just got another recession warning—falling new vehicle sales. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows new motor vehicle sales fell sharply in August, marking the biggest drop for the month since 2010. Durable goods like vehicles and homes see sales fall after the peak of the business cycle, signaling a recession that can’t be managed with […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canadian Big Six Mortgage Arrears Surge Above National Average Mortgage arrears at Canada’s Big Six banks are rising faster than the national average, with five of the six now exceeding it. These lenders typically post much lower delinquency rates, making the sudden […]
Canadian households are once again piling on debt faster than their incomes can keep up—if they ever stopped. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data show the household debt-to-income (DTI) ratio climbed for a third straight quarter in Q2 2025. It’s still below the 2021 peak, but that drop has less to do with deleveraging and more to […]
Canadian mortgage borrowing is suddenly surging, despite tepid home sales. Bank of Canada (BoC) data reveals uninsured mortgage originations rose to the second-highest June on record. Rapid credit growth typically signals rising confidence, but this spike likely reflects completions from the pre-construction boom during the pandemic-era low-rate frenzy. With near-record housing under construction, originations are […]
