Canadian High Interest Savings Bank Accounts - Forum: GIC discussions

JenE on Finding the best GIC Rates

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 02:30:26 -0700

Windsor Family Credit Union are offering, through my broker, 3.9% for 1 year $5,000 minimum, and 3.92% $25,000 minimum.

AltaRed on US Treasury Bills - where can we buy in Canada

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:08:00 -0700

Questrade will have a range of corporate and government bonds for sale, both investment grade and high yield (junk) but their inventory at any given time will not be as extensive as the big 6 banks. The inventory and yield will also change daily.

You would have to sort through their list yourself to see what, if anything, works for you. Never buy anything less than BBB credit quality and none of them are as risk free as CDIC insured deposits, though AA or AA+ is essentially just as good for practical purposes.

I would recommend doing some research on bonds and the nuances of buying and selling them before dipping into them.

Norman1 on US Treasury Bills - where can we buy in Canada

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:07:29 -0700

Questrade: Buying GICs and Bonds describes how to search Questrade's bond inventory and place orders for bonds.

Questrade charges a commission of $24.95 per bond trade.

BMO Investorline has Ford Credit Canada 6.382% bonds maturing 2028-Nov-10 for 105.335 to give a yield-to-maturity of 3.871%. They are rated BBB(low) by DBRS, right at the edge between investment grade bonds and junk bonds.

zgic on US Treasury Bills - where can we buy in Canada

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:24:48 -0700

Can someone please give me a Bond ID which would give me better returns than a 2 year GIC. I currently get approx 3.80% in a 2 year GIC.
I have NEVER invested in Bonds and would like to know if they are better than GICs not considering Liquidity, holding till maturity and no more risk than a CDIC insured GIC.
If they are better if I could get a BOND example, just 1, with the BOND ID which would give me better returns than 3.80% on a 2 year. Also where I could purchase the same? Can I on Questrade?
I hear talk about using BONDS for fixed income and have never indulged in that.

Thank you

RetirEd on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:10:26 -0700

I'm still collecting on high-rate 3- and 5-year paper from the peak. Wish I'd had the balls to take more, but the 3-year paid well despite the shorter span. After all, we have no crystal balls.

I guess the people who shorted Canada are cackling like vultures now.

Norman1 on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:28:43 -0700

Dean said
Careful what you with for❗

That's right. No-one wants to see those conditions again that pushed interest rates so high:

Norman1 said
Yes, inflation was a serious problem at that time.

Adding the inflation rate and 5-year GIC rates (from David Trahair's article "GICs and the Inflation Argument" mentioned by Bill earlier) to the table gives a better context for those CSB rates:

Series Issue Date 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987

S36 01/11/1981 19.50 12.00 10.50 11.25 10.50 10.50 10.50

Inflation (CPI) 12.50 10.90 5.80 4.30 4.00 4.10 4.40

5-year GIC 15.36 14.57 11.52 11.97 10.80 9.73 9.61

NCC1701Z on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:58:39 -0700

https://lifeannuities.com/term.....e/male.php
10 year Term certain pays 3%
20 year pays 3.7%

https://apps.royalbank.com/app.....uilder-gic
pays 3.3% 10 years

Provincial bonds and strips pay almost 5%

Dean on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:21:53 -0700

.
That ⬆️ was 'Then'.

This is Now.

Careful what you with for❗

Dean

NCC1701Z on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:04:41 -0700

Dean said
.
I can't imagine being locked-in to a 10 Yr (a whole Decade) GIC❗

It's no wonder they're rare as hen's teeth.

To each their own, I guess.
Dean

Back in the 80's when GIC rates were 19% I would have locked in for 20+ years !

Wrayzor on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:43:41 -0700

From the CDIC FAQs:

What were the changes to the coverage of term deposits?

Effective April 30, 2020, term deposits of more than five years are eligible for CDIC protection. The five-year term limit has been removed. Keep in mind that the deposits with terms of over five years would not receive separate coverage but would be combined with other deposits within the same category.

https://www.cdic.ca/depositors.....rces/faqs/

saver99 on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 03:19:48 -0700

Bill said
saver99, cdic.ca has your answer re GICs coverage.

Thanks for the post and apologies for the laziness for not looking this up before chiming in. I visited the CDIC website just now and could not locate the specific information on this question. I have since reached out to them for more details and look forward to their response.

Dean on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:31:38 -0700

.
I can't imagine being locked-in to a 10 Yr (a whole Decade) GIC❗

It's no wonder they're rare as hen's teeth.

To each their own, I guess.

Dean

Bill on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:00:23 -0700

saver99, cdic.ca has your answer re GICs coverage.

AltaRed on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:42:51 -0700

Wrayzor said
The big 5 used to have them. BMO still does.

BMO today pays 3.25% for a 10 year GIC vs 3% for a 5 year GIC. That is a minimal premium for being locked in an additional 5 years...in an era of unpredictable forward inflation.
https://www.bmo.com/main/perso.....gic-rates/

Wrayzor on GIC's over 5 years

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:08:24 -0700

The big 5 used to have them. BMO still does.

Series	Issue Date	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987
S36	01/11/1981	19.50	12.00	10.50	11.25	10.50	10.50	10.50
Inflation (CPI)		12.50	10.90	5.80	4.30	4.00	4.10	4.40
5-year GIC		15.36	14.57	11.52	11.97	10.80	9.73	9.61