TagNDP government

NDP polls up and Variable rate mortgages more costly… coincidence?

This week, we saw two major mortgage lenders raise their Variable rate pricing from Prime less 0.75% to Prime less 0.65% and Prime less 0.50%…

This is really quite unexpected…. We cannot ignore what is happening…  The explanation given for the prices changes is ‘profitability concerns’.  But the cost of Variable Rate funds hasn’t really changed.  We believe there are a few other possible explanations. 

First, we are seeing more borrowers flock to Variable rate mortgages again…. With a 2.20% difference between a 5 year fixed rate and a Variable rate, it’s been much easier to choose to Variable.  Banks make more money on 5 year fixed rate mortgages and would rather push you into these products….     And yet another reason is the possible gains in the recent polls by the NDP.

According to this article in the Globe and Mail, we should brace ourselves for more costly mortgages if the NDP keeps moving in the polls.  Here’s a quote from the article that says it well, “This interest rate premium on social democratic governments is unfair and tragic. But dismissing it is unrealistic.”