'A ticking time-bomb': The rise of the variable-rate, fixed-payment mortgage

Episode 197 of Down to Business podcast

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Variable-rate, fixed-payment mortgages were all the rage in Canada during the pandemic when interest rates were at rock bottom.

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Under these types of loans: The homeowner pays the same amount each month whether interest rates rise or fall. But the amount of that payment that goes towards paying interest and the amount that goes towards paying down the mortgage principal changes with interest rates.

As of November 2022, variable rate, fixed payment mortgages represented three quarters of all variable-rate mortgages, which in turn represent about one-third of all outstanding mortgage debt, according to the Bank of Canada.

This week on Down to Business, Jimmy Jean, chief economist at Desjardins Group, talks about the risks that these types of loans create, for both homeowners and for banks and other lenders; but Jean also talked about the risks to Canada’s economy, particularly for younger people, as housing prices continue to increase.

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• Email: gfriedman@postmedia.com | Twitter: GabeFriedz

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