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Hoots : Are there any other considerations for picking a GIC besides interest rates? When looking for a GIC I get a table of options that looks something like this: Is there any reason why I shouldn't go with the higest offered - freshhoot.com

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Are there any other considerations for picking a GIC besides interest rates?
When looking for a GIC I get a table of options that looks something like this:

Is there any reason why I shouldn't go with the higest offered interest rate? E.g. in this case with HOME TRUST COMPANY? Is there any risk or are there other hidden costs?


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You need to consider a few things:

Risk. Is the bank (HOME TRUST COMPANY) a large company with fairly stable assets, or are they at risk to go under? You probably don't have enough information to completely evaluate this, but you can do a little digging at least. Verify that they're insured at the CDIC link from Brian here, and even if they are I'd avoid a very risk bank as the insurance process may tie up your earnings for a period of time.
Other terms. Is this for the same exact GIC, or are there different minimum investment amounts? Do they have any costs associated with them? How easy is it to roll the GIC over to a new one when the certificate matures?
Ease of management. Will it end up taking you more time to manage the GIC from (wherever) than it would if you took a slightly lower rate at your primary bank (who presumably allows you to manage it with a few mouse clicks)? Do you have to mail a check somewhere and wait a week to see if their customer service gets back to you? Definitely do at least a little research to verify the bank doesn't have major customer service issues, particularly if it doesn't have a local branch.

However, if that's all equal, then yes, choose the highest rate. The rates will vary significantly at any one time, both because some banks need additional deposits more than others and have an easier/harder time getting them, and because rates change periodically - maybe they're going up, and HOME TRUST COMPANY simply has updated their offer more recently (or they're going down, and they're slower) than other banks.


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