If you’re hoping the mortgage stress test gets easier—so you can qualify for bank financing—you’ve got more waiting to do. Canada’s banking regulator, OSFI, says it’s not ready to adjust the stress test just yet, despite proposing last February to ease it. OSFI spokesperson Michael Toope tells us: “On March 13, 2020, OSFI suspended all of its consultations and policy...
Effective this week, it gets a little easier to buy a house or refinance. On Saturday, BMO and CIBC shaved 15 basis points off their posted 5-year fixed rates. That’s enough to drop the benchmark 5-year posted rate to 4.79%. Given regulators use this benchmark rate to calculate Canada’s minimum mortgage stress test, today’s cuts mean you’ll now need less...
The Department of Finance today announced changes to Canada’s benchmark qualifying rate, a key component used in stress-testing insured mortgages. The new benchmark rate will come into effect on April 6, 2020. It means insured borrowers (including those buying with less than a 20% down payment) will have to prove they can afford a monthly payment based on a rate...
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