2026 Bank of Canada Rate Dates: Plan Ahead

A single Bank of Canada rate announcement can change your monthly mortgage payment, the interest on your line of credit, and the “safe” return on a high-interest savings account—often within days. And because we’re heading into a new calendar year (and a new round of renewal season for a lot of Canadian mortgages), the smartest move is boring but powerful: put the 2026 rate decision dates on your calendar now.

The Bank of Canada has published its 2026 schedule for policy interest rate announcements, plus the release dates for major reports and surveys that often shape market expectations. If you follow the Interest Rates, Banking & Personal Finance series, you know the pattern: markets react not only to the decision, but to the tone, the forecasts, and the data behind the scenes. Knowing the schedule helps you plan, not panic.

Below is the 2026 calendar, what tends to happen around these dates, and how to use them to make better decisions about mortgages, savings, investing, and debt.

The 2026 Bank of Canada rate announcement schedule

Answer first: The Bank of Canada’s 2026 policy interest rate announcements are set for eight Wednesdays, with decisions released at 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time.

Here are the 2026 dates:

• Wednesday, January 28, 2026
• Wednesday, March 18, 2026
• Wednesday, April 29, 2026
• Wednesday, June 10, 2026
• Wednesday, July 15, 2026
• Wednesday, September 2, 2026
• Wednesday, October 28, 2026
• Wednesday, December 9, 2026

The Bank also reconfirmed the remaining 2025 rate decision dates:

• Wednesday, September 17, 2025
• Wednesday, October 29, 2025
• Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Why the schedule matters more than most people think

Answer first: These dates are “event risk” days—lenders, bond markets, and the Canadian dollar often reprice quickly, and that flows through to borrowing and savings rates.

Even if you don’t trade stocks or bonds, rate decision days can influence:

• Variable-rate mortgages (often affected quickly)
• HELOCs and variable loans (typically prime-rate linked)
• High-interest savings accounts and GIC pricing (more competitive shifts around expectations)
• Bond ETFs and balanced portfolios (price moves when expectations change)

If you’ve ever watched a lender change a special mortgage rate offer mid-week, this is usually why.

The “big four” dates: when the Monetary Policy Report lands

Answer first: The Bank of Canada publishes the Monetary Policy Report (MPR) at the same time as the rate decision in January, April, July, and October.

That means these 2026 decisions come with extra information that markets care about:

• January 28, 2026 (Rate decision + MPR)
• April 29, 2026 (Rate decision + MPR)
• July 15, 2026 (Rate decision + MPR)
• October 28, 2026 (Rate decision + MPR)

How to use MPR days if you have a mortgage

Answer first: If you’re choosing between fixed vs. variable, or timing a renewal, MPR days are when you get the clearest “why” behind the Bank’s stance.

The decision (hold/hike/cut) is the headline. The MPR is the context—growth outlook, inflation path, and risks. In practice:

• If you’re renewing a mortgage within 90 days of an MPR date, I’ve found it’s worth watching that release closely. It often changes what lenders are willing to discount.
• If you’re on a variable rate, MPR language can help you decide whether to accelerate payments (when the Bank sounds concerned about inflation) or rebuild cash reserves (when downside risks rise).

How to use MPR days if you invest

Answer first: MPR days can move bond yields, which affects bond prices—especially longer-term bonds.

If you hold bond ETFs (even inside balanced funds), you don’t need to trade around announcements. But you should understand why your portfolio might wiggle:

• More cuts expected often lifts bond prices (yields fall).
• More hikes expected often pressures bond prices (yields rise).

If you’re planning a big contribution (TFSA/RRSP) or a portfolio rebalance, avoid making a rushed change in the hour after the decision. Let the day settle.

The surveys that hint at where rates could go next

Answer first: Two quarterly releases—the Business Outlook Survey and the Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations—offer a window into price pressures, demand, and inflation psychology.

The Bank’s 2026 survey release dates (all at 10:30 a.m. ET):

• Monday, January 19, 2026
• Monday, April 20, 2026
• Monday, July 6, 2026
• Monday, October 19, 2026

Why regular people should care about these surveys

Answer first: These surveys often surface problems before they show up in official data—like whether businesses plan to raise prices or whether households expect inflation to stay high.

If you’re trying to answer “Should I lock in my mortgage rate?” or “Will savings rates drop soon?”, expectations matter because they feed into policy.

Here’s the practical translation:

• Businesses planning bigger price increases can keep inflation sticky → the Bank is less likely to cut quickly.
• Consumers expecting inflation to fall can help inflation actually fall → cuts become easier.

You don’t need to read every chart. You just need to know the direction of travel.

The Financial Stability Report: the underappreciated release

Answer first: The Bank of Canada’s Financial Stability Report (FSR) is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

This report isn’t about the overnight rate directly. It’s about the plumbing: household debt stress, housing vulnerabilities, liquidity, and risks in the financial system.

What the FSR can signal for borrowers

Answer first: The FSR is where the Bank often gets blunt about debt and housing risk—factors that can influence how cautious policymakers stay.

If the Bank highlights rising delinquency risk or household strain, it can change the tone of future decisions even if inflation is behaving. That matters for:

• People stretching to qualify at renewal
• Landlords refinancing rental properties
• Anyone relying on a HELOC as an emergency fund (a common risk I dislike—your credit line can change when you need it most)

A practical “rate decision” playbook for 2026

Answer first: Your best move is to pre-decide what you’ll do for each scenario (hold/hike/cut) before the announcement, when emotions are low.

Here’s a simple, useful routine for the Interest Rates, Banking & Personal Finance crowd.

1) If you have a mortgage renewal coming up

Answer first: Start shopping 120–180 days before renewal, then use the schedule to time your decision window.

Do this:

1. Lock a rate early (many lenders hold a fixed rate offer for a set period). This gives you downside protection if rates jump.
2. Use the next one or two BoC dates to decide whether to switch products.
3. If you’re torn between fixed and variable, pick your risk rule:
   • Choose fixed if a payment increase would force lifestyle cuts.
   • Consider variable only if you can comfortably absorb higher payments and you plan to stay put long enough for the cycle to matter.

Snippet-worthy reality check: A “slightly lower” variable rate isn’t a deal if you can’t sleep through the next two announcements.

2) If you carry revolving debt (credit card, HELOC, variable loan)

Answer first: Rate announcements matter most when your interest cost is high and flexible—revolving debt is the priority to kill.

My stance: if you’re paying credit-card-level interest, don’t wait for rate cuts to rescue your budget. Instead:

• Set a fixed weekly payment that’s automatic
• Use any windfall (bonus, tax refund) to reduce principal
• Treat rate decision dates as check-ins to renegotiate, consolidate, or refinance if it lowers your rate meaningfully

3) If you’re building savings (or rebuilding an emergency fund)

Answer first: Rate cycles change savings account and GIC competitiveness; you can use the schedule to time decisions.

A clean approach:

• Keep your emergency fund liquid (cashable, accessible), even if it earns a bit less.
• For money you won’t need for 12–24 months, consider laddering GICs so you’re not forced to guess one perfect moment.

Rate announcements can shift posted savings rates quickly—sometimes down. If you’re sitting on a large cash balance for a planned purchase in 2026, monitor the decisions closest to your timeline.

4) If you invest for the long term

Answer first: Don’t trade the announcement; rebalance to your plan.

Rate decisions create noise. Your retirement plan should be signal-driven:

• If your stock/bond mix drifted, rebalance on a schedule (quarterly or semi-annually).
• If you’re buying a home soon, reduce risk months in advance—don’t gamble on one rate decision.

2026 calendar cheat sheet (copy/paste)

Answer first: Put these in your calendar once, then stop doomscrolling.

• BoC rate decisions (9:45 a.m. ET): Jan 28, Mar 18, Apr 29, Jun 10, Jul 15, Sep 2, Oct 28, Dec 9 (2026)
• MPR included: Jan 28, Apr 29, Jul 15, Oct 28 (2026)
• Business Outlook + Consumer Expectations (10:30 a.m. ET): Jan 19, Apr 20, Jul 6, Oct 19 (2026)
• Financial Stability Report (10:00 a.m. ET): May 28 (2026)

Use the schedule to make money decisions earlier, not faster

Bank of Canada rate decisions get treated like sports highlights—who won, who lost, what happens next. That mindset is expensive. The schedule is a planning tool, and planning is where you get your edge.

If you want one habit to carry into 2026: review your mortgage, debt, and cash plan one week before each rate announcement. Decide what would make you act (or not act), and write it down. When the headline hits at 9:45 a.m., you’ll already know what you’re doing.

Where do you feel the most exposed going into 2026—your mortgage renewal, variable debt, or cash savings returns?