GIC Rates Could Work Well For You

By Adriana Noton

In Canada there is a type of investment called a guaranteed investment certificate. This investment offers the investor a rate of return that is guaranteed, over a fixed period of time. For example, if invested for three years the rate of return will be 25% regardless of what occurs in the markets. Because of the GIC rates, this has become quite a popular type of investment within the Canadian banking industry.

Certainty is the name of the game with GIC and this is something that a lot of people crave in the very volatile markets that we are now experiencing. If you think about the fact that there are already so many people that have lost their money as a result of the economic uncertainty, then it is not surprising at all that they crave certainty. The GIC means that you know that you are going to get a certain level out and it also means that you know that you are placing your money in a safe investment. This is really important for worried investors.

The guaranteed percentage will depend on how long you invest for and of course also on how much you are going to invest. If you decide that you are going to invest for ten years then you are definitely going to get more out than if you were only going to put money into a bond for three years. The great thing about GIC is not only in the certainty that they bring, but also in the flexibility as you can invest from anywhere between six months to ten years. So you are going to be the creator of your own destiny with this investment product.

Another contributing factor that helps to determine the interest rate of the guaranteed investment certificate is the interest rate that has been specified by the Bank of Canada. These rates cannot be altered and will have a heavy influence on the rate of interest earned for each certificate.

However if you opt for the market growth or stock indexed guaranteed investment certificate, your interest rate is determined by the amount of growth of a specific stock within the market. This type of certificate is also seen to be a low risk investment when compared with stocks and bonds but can also be seen as slightly high risk when compared to the standard GIC.

A period of three years of investment guarantees you a maximum return of 25% and this is unfortunately the highest that you can go. Another potential downfall to the GIC investment is that if the stock does lose or perhaps doesn't make any gains then you could find that you are not going to get an interest rate above 0%.

But all the time it is important to remember that you are never going to lose money.

So no matter which investment type you decide to take, you can rest assured in the knowledge that with GIC rates you are always going to do better than you would with another type of investment vehicle. So go ahead and make the most of your future. - 31366

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