Here’s a stat that’s got debt and housing critics talking: Almost 3 in 4 homeowners say they’d suffer “financial difficulty” if their mortgage payment rose by 10%. This warning comes from a new Manulife Bank survey released today. This number...

The “Trump Bump” it was called — that 50+ basis point run-up in rates following President Donald Trump’s surprise presidential win. Well, the Trump Bump has become the Trump Dump. Bond yields dove to a 6-month low yesterday on fresh reports of White...

Fixed and variable rates began the year on totally different trajectories. Fixed rates were on the way up. Variable rates were on the way down. But in the last eight weeks, the gap between the two has conspicuously narrowed, with fixed rates falling up to 20...

It’s easy to stoke fear of a crisis when there’s already a purported crisis. Towering housing valuations in Canada’s internationally renowned cities have prompted bubble-talk for years. Housing bears are constantly speculating on what it’s going to take to “pop” it. Well,...

The foundation for all Canadian interest rates is the overnight target rate. It’s been stuck at or below 1% for an incredible eight years. That’s never happened before. We’re living in bizarro economic times and those with big mortgages are hoping they’ll last. But...

This week on RateSpy TV: Sky High Prices & Your Mortgage: Big-city home prices are going orbital. That’s making it harder to score a mortgage approval. The Spy tells you how hard. Check Your Broker: A tiny fraction of mortgage brokers are not on...

We’ve all heard this line before: “A mortgage is probably the largest financial commitment you’ll make in your lifetime.” So what happens when the process goes sour? Who’s got your back? People run into mortgage service problems all the time. The three most...

A reader asked this on one of our message boards this week: “I don’t understand why every site doesn’t have a refinance selector. How are you supposed to find a rate for a refinance otherwise?” Heck of a good question....

This week on RateSpy TV: Conventional Rate Discounts Squeezed: If you’ve got 20% to 34.99% equity, the lowest available rates have risen. The Spy tells you why. NEW! Refinance Finder: The best mortgage rates on refinances are not the same as the best...

As previously announced, CMHC is jacking up default insurance premiums on Canadian borrowers. Effective today, anyone purchasing a home with less than 20% down will fork over up to 1.00%-point more in fees. If you’re down payment is: Less than 10%: You’ll pay...