MLN NewsStream

It's increasingly looking like Canada's first rate cut is teed up for June 5 or July 24. But borrowers would be a lot more confident of that if it weren't for the U.S. timetable being pushed back.

Based on the latest Fed powwow on Wednesday, the key stars-and-stripes interest rate is likely to remain at its 23-year peak of 5.50%—at least through the summer.

On a positive note, the Fed did reassure us that further U.S. rate hikes are off the table for now. Despite bubbly growth, employment and inflation south of the border, Fed Chair Powell chose to relieve markets with a dovish spiel—one that can be summarized in these two quotes:

Now, here's something that'll get mortgage shoppers' juices flowing.

TD has slashed its discounted variable rates. And not just a little.

For Alana Riley, Head of Mortgage, Insurance and Banking at IG Wealth Management, getting people into a mortgage that builds their net worth is not only her passion, it's her job.

She oversees a team tasked with doing just that, so we thought a quick chat might be informative. When we spoke last week, she filled us in on how IG now approaches mortgages. We also got the latest on the firm's nesto partnership.

Like every other broker lender, Marathon Mortgage already had business development managers. But that wasn't enough, so it decided to launch a "Broker Concierge" this week.

The government is on a mission to help renters get more credit. It plans to do that by incorporating rental payments into credit reports.

They say the move will help more renters qualify for mortgages. But there are several other implications, and this won't be an overnight Cinderella story. We're told it could be a long haul from Ottawa's announcement to real-world widespread results.

MLN spoke with Sue Hutchison, President and CEO of Canada's largest credit bureau (Equifax Canada), for a sneak peek at how this change could play out.