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Published March 30, 2023

Best Short-Term GIC Rates in Canada for 2023

Use a short-term GIC to earn interest on your savings and keep a strategic distance between yourself and that hard-earned cash.

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JUMP AHEAD to compare the current highest rates available on short-term GICs

Guaranteed investment certificates, or GICs, come in many varieties. One popular type is the short-term GIC.

Choosing which short-term GIC to put your money into often depends on how much interest you can earn. Below, you’ll find the best rates currently available in Canada for short-term, non-redeemable and fixed-rate GICs.

ALSO CONSIDER: The best 1-5 year GIC rates

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Current highest short-term GIC rates available

The best rates overall as of March 30, 2023.

Compare top short-term GIC rates

Financial institutions do not present term lengths the same way, and some banks prefer to use days instead of months to indicate the length of the GIC’s term.

Before buying a GIC, confirm the term deposit’s actual date range so you can accurately calculate the return you can expect to earn on your investment.


Best 30-day and 60-day GIC rates

Top rates currently available for GICs with terms up to 30 days (1 month) and up to 60 days (2 months). The estimated return is based on a $10,000 deposit.

Financial Institution1 mo.est. return2 mos.est. return
Canadian Western Bank2.10%$17.262.30%$37.81
Home TrustNot offeredN/A4.25%$68.70
HSBC Bank Canada1.50%$12.332.00%$35.56
Kindred Credit Union (Ontario only)Not offeredN/A2.20%$7.27
Manulife BankNot offeredN/A2.00%$32.33
Meridian Credit Union2.25%$18.492.75%$45.21
Motusbank0.95%$7.811.00%$16.44
Oaken FinancialNot offeredN/A2.25%$36.37
Peoples Bank of Canada3.40%$27.953.40%$55.89
TD Bank2.25%$18.492.50%$41.10
VersaBankNot offeredN/A4.26%$68.86

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Best 90-day and 120-day GIC rates

Top rates currently available for GICs with terms up to 90 days (3 months) and up to 120 days (4 months). The estimated return is based on a $10,000 deposit.

Financial Institution3 mos.est. return4 mos.est. return
ATB Financial (Alberta only)1.12%$27.311.28%$41.73
Bank of Montreal (BMO) 2.50%$60.962.75%$89.66
Canadian Western Bank2.40%$59.182.70%$88.77
Coast Capital Savings1.85%$45.622.15%$70.68
EQ Bank2.65%$65.34Not offeredN/A
Home Trust4.25%$103.634.25%$138.56
HSBC Bank Canada2.25%$55.482.30%$75.62
Kindred Credit Union (Ontario only)2.35%$57.30Not offeredN/A
Manulife Bank2.00%$48.77Not offeredN/A
Meridian Credit Union3.00%$73.97Not offeredN/A
Oaken Financial 2.25%$54.864.26%$73.36
Peoples Bank of Canada4.00%$98.634.00%$131.51
Royal Bank of Canada2.25%$54.86Not offeredN/A
Scotiabank1.20%$29.261.50%$48.90
Tangerine Bank1.50%$36.99Not offeredN/A
TD Bank2.75%$67.813.00%$98.63
VersaBank 4.26%$103.874.26%$138.89

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Best 180-day and 270-day GIC rates

Top rates currently available for GICs with terms up to 180 days (6 months) and up to 270 days (9 months). The estimated return is based on a $10,000 deposit.

Financial Institution6 mos.est. return9 mos.est. return
Bank of Montreal (BMO)3.00%$147.123.25%$239.52
Bridgewater BankNot offeredN/A3.80%$280.05
Canadian Western Bank3.10%$152.883.45%$255.21
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) Bonus Rate GIC3.25%$160.273.50%$258.90
Coast Capital Savings2.20%$109.702.80%$208.66
EQ Bank3.60%$179.513.75%$279.45
Haventree Bank1.10%$53.952.01%$148.13
Home Trust4.25%$208.424.30%$316.90
HSBC Bank Canada2.75%$135.623.00%$221.92
Kindred Credit Union (Ontario only)2.40%$117.703.30%$243.21
Laurentian Bank of Canada2.00%$98.083.25%$239.52
Manulife Bank2.85%$139.773.70%$272.68
Meridian Credit Union3.75%$184.934.25%$314.38
National Bank of Canada1.50%$74.791.85%$137.86
Oaken Financial2.25%$110.342.25%$165.82
Peoples Bank of Canada4.00%$197.264.00%$295.89
Royal Bank of Canada2.50%$122.602.75%$202.67
Scotiabank1.60%$78.471.75%$128.97
Tangerine Bank3.25%$160.273.50%$258.90
TD Bank3.25%$160.273.50%$258.90
Valley First (British Columbia only)0.75%$36.783.05%$224.78
VersaBank4.26%$208.924.31%$317.64

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» MORE: Looking for a GIC with a longer term? Explore more of the best GIC rates in Canada


What to know about short-term GICs

What is a short-term GIC?

A short-term GIC is a type of GIC that pays a set amount of interest over a period that’s less than a year. Common term lengths for this investment product include 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-days.

Your principal deposit is guaranteed with a short-term GIC, so you’ll never come away with less than you originally invested. But, because the terms are short, you’ll earn limited interest. Some 90-day GICs, for example, pay less than 1% interest.

How do interest rates work on short-term GICs?

Financial institutions usually advertise fixed-rate GICs with annual interest rates, which means you can find out exactly how much interest you’d earn on your investment over the course of a year.

However, since you’ll hold a short-term GIC for less than one year, you won’t earn that total annual rate of interest. Instead, you’ll only earn interest at that annual rate of return during the GIC’s term, and that return on your principal investment will be less than you may expect.

How to calculate GIC return

While long-term GICs earn compounding interest — interest on your principal investment plus any interest you’ve already earned — short-term GICs do not. Instead, you’ll only earn interest on your principal investment, so you’ll need to use simple interest to calculate the rate of return.

To determine how much interest you’ll earn on your principal, follow this formula:

Simple interest earned = Principal investment x Interest rate x Time (in years).

This is quite easy with a one-year GIC.

For example, let’s say you put $1,000 into a one-year GIC paying 5% interest.

  1. Simple interest earned = $1,000 principal investment x 5% interest x 1-year term
  2. Simple interest earned = $1000 x .05 X 1
  3. Simple interest earned = $50

In this scenario, your GIC would earn $50 in interest at maturity.

However, this calculation gets more complicated for GICs held for less than a year. To calculate the rate of return here, you’ll need to convert the number of days in your term to a number measured in years before using the same simple interest formula.

For example, let’s say you put $1,000 into a 182-day GIC paying 5% interest.

  1. Simple interest earned = $1,000 principal investment x 5% interest x (182 days in the term / 365 days in a year).
  2. Simple interest earned = $1,000 x 0.05 x 0.499.
  3. Simple interest earned = $24.95.

In this scenario, your short-term GIC would earn you $24.95 in interest at maturity.

Are GICs good for a short-term investment?

Depending on the interest rate offered, a GIC can be a smart alternative to some basic and high-interest savings accounts. They’re secure, the returns are guaranteed and they don’t require much maintenance. If that’s important to you, a GIC investment is likely worth your money.

If you have an amount of cash that you don’t plan on touching for several months, a short-term GIC can help you earn a few extra dollars. It’s a great way to start investing. You can even earn tax-advantaged interest by purchasing a GIC within your TFSA or by using funds in your RRSP to buy GICs.

To get maximum value from a GIC, you need to keep your money parked for the full term. And if you’re not comfortable committing to that, make sure you get a cashable or redeemable GIC that allows you to withdraw your money early without penalty.

And if you’re comfortable investing your money for a little longer, you can always consider purchasing longer-term GICs, which are sold in yearly increments, to get access to higher interest rates and the ability to grow your return through a GIC ladder.

About the Author

Clay Jarvis

Clay Jarvis is NerdWallet’s mortgage and real estate expert in Canada. Thus far, his entire professional writing career has revolved around real estate. Prior to joining NerdWallet, he was the…

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