GIC ladder calculator
Split a deposit across several terms so part of it matures every year. Enter your amount and see what comes back, and when.
Available at the end of year one$10,370
Annualised return4.07%
Value at year 5$61,044.09
Interest earned$11,044.09
Single 5-year at 4.30%$11,715.12
Cost of laddering$671
Locking everything for 5 years earns $671 more, but none of it is reachable until Sep 2031. The ladder gives up that amount to put $10,370 back in your hands after the first year.
Both figures run to year 5 so they are comparable. Rungs that mature earlier are assumed to be reinvested at today's best posted rate for the remaining term — which is an assumption, and the very thing a ladder exists to hedge. If rates rise, the ladder does better than shown.
$50,000
$1,000$250,000
Split across$50,000 divided equally, one GIC per term, each at the best posted rate we track for that term.
Your ladder
Best posted rate per term · verified 2026-09-04
| Term | Issuer | Rate | Matures | Available then |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | WealthONE Bank of Canada | 3.70% | Sep 2027 | $10,370 |
| 2 years | WealthONE Bank of Canada | 3.95% | Sep 2028 | $10,806 |
| 3 years | WealthONE Bank of Canada | 4.05% | Sep 2029 | $11,265 |
| 4 years | WealthONE Bank of Canada | 4.10% | Sep 2030 | $11,744 |
| 5 years | WealthONE Bank of Canada | 4.30% | Sep 2031 | $12,343 |
What a ladder is for
A ladder is a liquidity structure, not a yield trick. It usually earns slightly less than the longest term and buys you access instead.
Access without breaking anythingOne rung matures each year, so you can reach part of your money annually without paying an early-redemption penalty on the rest. A non-redeemable GIC has no other exit.
It hedges the rate directionYou are not betting everything on one rate. If rates rise, each maturing rung reinvests higher; if they fall, your longer rungs are already locked in. The comparison above assumes rates stay put, which is the one case where the ladder has least to offer.
It usually costs a little yieldShort terms normally pay less than long ones, so a ladder tends to earn slightly less than putting everything in the longest term. The figure above is what that costs at today’s rates.
Rates verified 2026-09-04 · no affiliate links