Sign Up
Logo
Log In
Home
Newsletters
Podcast
Water Cooler
chart-line-up
Get our free daily news briefing for Canadians

It’s comeback season for variable-rate mortgages

Sep 19, 2024

It’s comeback season for variable-rate mortgages

As the Bank of Canada continues cutting interest rates, variable rate mortgages are starting to look more appealing. Variable mortgages — which adjust directly with the central bank’s key interest rate — dealt with some hate when anyone who locked in a mortgage rate under 1% in 2020, 2021 and 2022 got hit when rates spiked to about 5% by mid-2023. But as economists start predicting a drop in interest rates over the next year, variable-rate mortgages are making a comeback. Around 20% of people taking out new mortgages are going for variable rate mortgages over fixed rate, up from just 5% before the rate cuts, according to non-bank lenders. It would still take four or five more rate cuts to make variable-rate mortgages cheaper than the current five-year fixed options, though. If you think analyst estimates are to be believed (though rate cut projections are never guaranteed), a variable mortgage could be right for you. 

Get the newsletter 160,000+ Canadians start their day with.

“Quickly became the only newsletter I open every morning. I like that I know what’s going on, but don’t feel shitty after I finish reading.” -Amy, reader since 2022

The Peak

Home

Peak Daily

Peak Money

About

Advertise

Contact

Search

Login

Reset Password

Sign Up