Canadian Lenders Report

The Definitive Report on Canadian Lending Trends

We publish Quarterly Canadian Lenders Reports in several versions each quarter, with a primary focus on Real Estate Secured Lending (RESL). These are among the most comprehensive banking market reports in Canada, covering a wide range of lenders, including banks and credit unions. While much of the report is based on aggregated, publicly available data from hundreds of institutions, we also integrate proprietary insights derived from user activity on our website, WOWA.ca, which now attracts approximately 500,000 unique visitors each month.

Granular RESL & Mortgage Risk Analysis

The core emphasis of the quarterly report is RESL, meticulously detailing market share, risk exposure, and geographic distribution across all five Canadian regions. Beyond RESL, we provide granular analysis on key mortgage and lending risk indicators:

• Mortgage Origination Dynamics: Detailed breakdowns of new mortgage originations by term and rate type (Fixed vs. Variable).
• Mortgage Portfolio Health: In-depth analysis of remaining amortization terms and the dramatic drop in negative amortization at the Big Seven banks.
• Collateral and Insured Status: Average Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratios for RESL portfolios, alongside portfolio balances broken down by Insured vs. Uninsured status.
• Renewal Forecasts: Contractual maturities to assess future renewal volume and risk.

Credit Risk, PCL, and ACL Breakdown by Segment

The report provides a deep dive into lender risk management, equipping financial executives and equity researchers with critical data.

• PCL & ACL Trends: Analysis of Allowance for Credit Losses (ACL) and Provision for Credit Losses (PCL) as a percentage of gross loans and acceptances for large Canadian lenders including the Big 6 banks over the past decade.
• Segment Risk Allocation:PCL and ACL figures broken down by business segment, including Residential Mortgages, Credit Cards, Personal Loans, and Business & Government Loans.

Institutional Metrics & Digital Performance

We analyze key institutional metrics to provide a holistic view of banking sector performance.

• Balance Sheet Composition: Global Loan Portfolios, overall Net Global Loan Portfolios of major lenders, and the composition of these portfolios (e.g., mortgages, credit cards, business loans).
• Efficiency & Margins: Analysis of Efficiency Ratios and Net Interest Margin (NIM) of Canadian lenders including the Big 6 Banks.
• Deposit Analysis: Global Deposit Balances and the composition of deposits by type (Demand, Notice, Term) for the Big Seven lenders.
• Digital Adoption: Key metrics for the digital transformation of the Big 5 banks, including Digital Adoption Rate and Self-Serve Transaction Rate.

Commitment to Accuracy & Visual Clarity

Accuracy and clarity are central to our mission. To uphold these standards, each section of the report undergoes a rigorous, multi-step review process: data collected by one team member is first reviewed by a peer, and then a third reviewer conducts random audits of data points, outputs, and visuals to ensure consistency and reliability.

Furthermore, our findings are communicated through hundreds of detailed tables, charts, and data-rich visualizations—including time-series graphs and histograms comparing advertised versus real mortgage rates—to equip you with a precise, data-driven perspective.

This report is designed to equip financial executives, policymakers, and equity researchers with a rigorous, data-driven perspective on current conditions and emerging trends in Canada's banking and credit union sectors.