There’s no industry-wide data on this, but whenever prime rate starts climbing, lenders tell us that at least 1 in 20 variable-rate borrowers lock in (convert) their variable rate to a fixed rate. And a good number of those borrowers are getting one stinky bum biscuit of a rate. One poor mortgagor I spoke with recently asked his lender to lock in....

Knowing the future wouldn’t help you pick the right mortgage. Unless you knew all the future. Imagine a fantasyland case where it was 100% certain that all mortgage rates would be higher in five years. With that priceless information most people would take a 2.49% five-year fixed over a 2.59% one-year fixed. But initial rates and ending rates are only two...

Your mortgage is portable, right? Almost all mainstream lenders claim their mortgages are portable. But portability clauses have more caveats than a prenuptial agreement—so many that people hoping to port are routinely disappointed. Back in 2011, about 3 out of 8 home sellers used to port their mortgage. But the percentage who port has been steadily sinking since then. We’d...

Remember the days of: VCRs Paper maps Beepers Being able to rely on banks lowering prime rate when the Bank of Canada cut its overnight rate? Well, times change. And so has the pressure on banks to grow earnings each quarter. Falling rates and a flattening yield curve have squeezed bank profitability, leading them to resort to unconventional earnings tactics....

The #1 financial priority for people with a mortgage is, you guessed it, paying down their mortgage. 42% of Canadians with mortgages say that is their top money goal, according to Manulife Bank’s latest Canadian Debt Survey. And it’s a number that may rise. Fuelling the Trend The urgency to become mortgage-free could intensify further over time, for several reasons: Mortgage Balances Have Grown: Mortgage...

Ever since decade-long mortgages slipped under 3% for the first time in May, those offering such rates have fielded more inquiries than ever before. And today, we saw another record breaker, with Sigma Mortgage offering the lowest 10-year fixed of all time: 2.89% (details below). But the more interesting aspect may be this: The company who just advertised that rate...

In a normal universe, people who lock in a floating-rate mortgage lock into a fixed rate. And that fixed rate is almost always higher than their current variable rate. But this is not a normal universe. In the world we now live in, variable borrowers are actually locking into five-year fixed rates that are lower than their current rate. For...

Back in 2016 some poor souls were getting variable-rate mortgages with unsavoury discounts. We’re talking prime – 0.50% or worse in some cases. That compares to prime – 1.00% or better today. If you’re in this boat, you need to do some math because breaking your mortgage early may be your best option. Here’s a simple example. Assume you’ve got...

Imagine spending hours of your life to: research the best mortgage negotiate for a better rate apply to refinance at a new lender answer all the new lender’s questions collect all your documents get an appraisal review all the paperwork submit all the documents find a lawyer to close the mortgage get ready to close …then be told just five...

You’ve probably never thought about not paying the principal on your mortgage. It sounds almost un-Canadian. But it’s a crazy-sounding idea that, in limited cases, is not so crazy. Out of thousands of home loans in Canada, only two products let you pay just the interest each month: A Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) An interest-only mortgage (I/O). HELOCs...