Ontario Savings Bond

Last updated

Ontario Savings Bonds (OSBs) were bond securities offered by the province of Ontario from 1995 to 2018. Unlike the Canada Savings Bond, OSBs were sold only to residents of Ontario, and their principal and interest were backed by the Province of Ontario. The OSBs were available from financial institutions, credit unions, caisses populaires and investment dealers.

Contents

The Government of Ontario discontinued the sale of future Ontario savings bonds after 2018. All current bonds will continue to be honoured.

Types of Bonds

There were three types of savings bonds offered by the province. The variable-rate bond was a three-year bond that had its interest rate reset every six months (prior to 2009) or every year (since 2009). The step-up bond was a five-year bond that had an interest rate that increased every year until maturity. Finally, there were three different terms of fixed-rate bond, a 3-year, 7-year, and 10-year, each with interest rates that were unchanging throughout their term. [1] While the fixed-rate bond could only be redeemed at maturity, step-up bonds could be redeemed semiannually on June 21 or December 21 (and 14 days thereafter), and variable rate bonds purchased 2009 and later could only be redeemed June 21 annually and 14 days thereafter. [2]

Related Research Articles

Bond (finance) Instrument of indebtedness

In finance, a bond is a type of security under which the issuer (debtor) owes the holder (creditor) a debt, and is obliged – depending on the terms – to repay the principal of the bond at the maturity date as well as interest over a specified amount of time. Interest is usually payable at fixed intervals.

Government bond Bond issued by a government

A government bond or sovereign bond is a debt obligation issued by a national government to support government spending. It generally includes a commitment to pay periodic interest, called coupon payments, and to repay the face value on the maturity date. For example, a bondholder invests $20,000 into a 10-year government bond with a 10% annual coupon; the government would pay the bondholder 10% of the $20,000 each year. At the maturity date the government would give back the original $20,000.

Convertible bond Type of bond

In finance, a convertible bond or convertible note or convertible debt is a type of bond that the holder can convert into a specified number of shares of common stock in the issuing company or cash of equal value. It is a hybrid security with debt- and equity-like features. It originated in the mid-19th century, and was used by early speculators such as Jacob Little and Daniel Drew to counter market cornering.

War bond Government debt security issued to finance wartime expenditure

War bonds are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war. They are also a means to control inflation by removing money from circulation in a stimulated wartime economy. War bonds are either retail bonds marketed directly to the public or wholesale bonds traded on a stock market. Exhortations to buy war bonds are often accompanied by appeals to patriotism and conscience. Retail war bonds, like other retail bonds, tend to have a yield which is below that offered by the market and are often made available in a wide range of denominations to make them affordable for all citizens.

United States Treasury security US government debt instruments

United States Treasury securities, also called Treasuries or Treasurys, are government debt instruments issued by the United States Department of the Treasury to finance government spending as an alternative to taxation. Since 2012, U.S. government debt has been managed by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, succeeding the Bureau of the Public Debt.

A certificate of deposit (CD) is a time deposit, a financial product commonly sold by banks, thrift institutions, and credit unions in the United States. CDs differ from savings accounts in that the CD has a specific, fixed term and usually, a fixed interest rate. The bank expects the CD to be held until maturity, at which time they can be withdrawn and interest paid.

Bond duration Weighted term of future cash flows

In finance, the duration of a financial asset that consists of fixed cash flows, such as a bond, is the weighted average of the times until those fixed cash flows are received. When the price of an asset is considered as a function of yield, duration also measures the price sensitivity to yield, the rate of change of price with respect to yield, or the percentage change in price for a parallel shift in yields.

Liberty bond

A Liberty bond was a war bond that was sold in the United States to support the Allied cause in World War I. Subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States and introduced the idea of financial securities to many citizens for the first time.

Floating rate note

Floating rate notes (FRNs) are bonds that have a variable coupon, equal to a money market reference rate, like LIBOR or federal funds rate, plus a quoted spread. The spread is a rate that remains constant. Almost all FRNs have quarterly coupons, i.e. they pay out interest every three months. At the beginning of each coupon period, the coupon is calculated by taking the fixing of the reference rate for that day and adding the spread. A typical coupon would look like 3 months USD LIBOR +0.20%.

A medium-term note (MTN) is a debt note that usually matures in 5–10 years, but the term may be less than one year or as long as 100 years. They can be issued on a fixed or floating coupon basis. In opposite to conventional bonds, these can be offered continuously through various brokers, instead of issuing the full amount at once. Also, in contrast to conventional bonds market, the agent in MTM market is not obliged to underwrite the notes for the issuer and the agent is thus not guaranteed funds. Floating rate medium-term notes can be as simple as paying the holder a coupon linked to Euribor +/- basis points or can be more complex structured notes linked, for example, to swap rates, treasuries, indices, etc. The amount of the issues usually ranges from $100 million to $1 billion. In the recent years, MTNs have become major source of financing in international financial markets, both in US and EU.

Bond market Financial market where participants can issue new debt or buy and sell debt securities

The bond market is a financial market where participants can issue new debt, known as the primary market, or buy and sell debt securities, known as the secondary market. This is usually in the form of bonds, but it may include notes, bills, and so on for public and private expenditures. The bond market has largely been dominated by the United States, which accounts for about 39% of the market. As of 2021, the size of the bond market is estimated to be at $119 trillion worldwide and $46 trillion for the US market, according to Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA).

Hybrid security

Hybrid securities are a broad group of securities that combine the characteristics of the two broader groups of securities, debt and equity.

Gilt-edged securities are bonds issued by the UK Government. The term is of British origin, and then referred to the debt securities issued by the Bank of England on behalf of Her Majesty's Treasury, whose paper certificates had a gilt edge. Hence, they are known as gilt-edged securities, or gilts for short.

The Canada Savings Bond was an investment instrument offered by the Government of Canada from 1945 to 2017, sold between early October and December 1 of every year. It was issued by the Bank of Canada and was intended to offer a competitive interest rate, and had a guaranteed minimum interest rate.

War savings stamps of the United States

War savings stamps were issued by the United States Treasury Department to help fund participation in World War I and World War II. Although these stamps were distinct from the postal savings stamps issued by the United States Post Office Department, the Post Office nevertheless played a major role in promoting and distributing war savings stamps. In contrast to Liberty Bonds, which were purchased primarily by financial institutions, war savings stamps were principally aimed at common citizens. During World War I, 25-cent Thrift stamps were offered to allow individuals to accumulate enough over time to purchase the standard 5-dollar War Savings Certificate stamp. When the Treasury began issuing war savings stamps during World War II, the lowest denomination was a 10-cent stamp, enabling ordinary citizens to purchase them. In many cases, collections of war savings stamps could be redeemed for Treasury Certificates or War Bonds.

In finance, maturity or maturity date is the date on which the final payment is due on a loan or other financial instrument, such as a bond or term deposit, at which point the principal is due to be paid.

Lottery bonds are a type of government bond in which some randomly selected bonds within the issue are redeemed at a higher value than the face value of the bond. Lottery bonds have been issued by public authorities in Belgium, Ireland, Pakistan, Sweden, New Zealand, the UK and other nations.

United States Savings Bonds Debt issued by the government of the United States.

United States savings bonds are debt securities issued by the United States Department of the Treasury to help pay for the U.S. government's borrowing needs. U.S. savings bonds are considered one of the safest investments because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. The savings bonds are nonmarketable treasury securities issued to the public, which means they cannot be traded on secondary markets or otherwise transferable. They are redeemable only by the original purchaser, or a beneficiary in case of death.

Morgan v. United States, 113 U.S. 476 (1885), was a case involving several judgments of the United States Court of Claims in four cases against the United States for the payment of United States bonds known as "five-twenty bonds."

Singapore Savings Bonds (SSBs) are a type of Singapore Government Securities that are issued for investors who want to participate in the Singapore Government Securities (SGS) market but in smaller denominations.

References

  1. "Ontario Savings Bonds' Products". Ontario Savings Bonds. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  2. "Ontario Savings Bonds Terms and Conditions". Ontario Savings Bonds. Retrieved 2011-12-07.