A Canadian Savings bond is an investment instrument which is offered by the Government of Canada and they go on sale between October and April of each year. But unlike a true marketable bond the Canadian Savings bond (CSBs) are debentures. These bonds are issued by the Bank of Canada and not only do they offer their customers a competitive rate of interest but they also guarantee a minimum interest rate on them.
The first one we will look at is the regular savings bond. They can be purchased in denominations of $300, $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000. The first year's interest is guaranteed but will then fluctuate with market conditions over the next 9 years until it reaches maturity.
Now we shall have a look at compound interest bonds. They differ from regular bonds as they are only redeemable on in each anniversary month of each year after they have been purchased. They are available for purchase in denominations of $100, $300, $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000. They are sold with rates up to year 3 and offers a much higher rate of interest during this time compared to regular Canadian savings bonds. However the interest rate on these fluctuates during the last 7 years along with market conditions until it has reached maturity. Before this time, the rates were determined for 5 years and then they would fluctuate for the last 5 years.
So why is it that Canadian Savings Bonds have become so popular?
The main reason is that they offer security to the investors. As they are backed by the Canadian Government they will make an excellent addition to the secure portion of a person's financial portfolio. Plus they come with a guaranteed interest rate which can increase along with market lines and they never fall below a stated percentage for each investment period. Also they are affordable for almost everyone to purchase as their prices start as low as $100.
But just who is eligible to purchase these bonds?
Unfortunately these bonds are only available to those residents in Canada and they can be purchased either online or by phone as well as in person at a bank or from an investment broker during the 6 month enrollment period. You can even acquire them by making a deduction directly from your payroll which makes them accessible to anyone in Canada. Plus as there are no brokerage fees involved in purchasing a Canadian savings bond many millions of Canadians invest in them each year. |
