Today, Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, announced changes to the benchmark rate used to determine the minimum qualifying rate for insured mortgages, also known as the “stress test.” These changes will come into effect on April 6, 2020. The new benchmark rate will be the weekly median 5-year fixed insured mortgage rate from mortgage insurance applications, plus a two percent (2%) buffer.
Additionally today, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) announced that it is considering implementing the same benchmark rate of the weekly median five-year fixed insured mortgage rate from mortgage insurance applications, plus a two percent (2%) buffer for uninsured mortgages, which will align minimum qualification limits for the insured and uninsured mortgage market.
Our professional association, MPC, has been recommending uncoupling the stress test rates from the Bank of Canada posted 5 year fixed rate since its introduction to the insured 5 year terms in 2016. Setting the floating rate on the insured contract rate will make the test more dynamic and responsive to market and bond rates.
