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What to do, what to see? In Port Alberni, BC

Posted rates set to maximize penalties

Posted on Aug 13, 2012 in Mortgage Market Updates and News

There’s a very good reason why some banks continue to advertise unusually high posted rates, argue some brokers, even as other lenders move to slash theirs to the point of precipitating a rate war.

Some brokers believe banks are posting “artificially high rates” only to then offer significant discounts more in line with market forces. The practice is all about increasing interest rate differentials.

“What is not always made clear is that the artificially high rates are used by some banks to calculate IRD and this will make for higher penalties down the line when borrowers refinance or break the mortgage,” Keith Leighton, a broker at Mortgage Intelligence - Ideal Mortgage in Halifax, told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. “Brokers should warn borrowers that by biting at the discounted rate offered by the banks, borrowers could end up being dinged with steep IRD fees when it comes time to refinance the loan.”

The warning comes as many brokers struggle to retain clients lured by the deep discounting at bank branches across the country. Those rate cuts average anywhere from 2 percentage points to a whopping three.

Last month, MortgageBrokerNews.ca reported on what appears to be a looming rate war. But as some lenders were racing towards 2.84 per cent on a five-year fixed, others have decided to hold to posted rates above 5 per cent. They’ve also resisted offering special rates.

The potential IRD penalties for borrowers opting for bank discounts are very real, said another broker, Michael Marini, with Dominion Lending Centres Funds in Toronto.

“Yes, this happens,” he told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. “Although the terms are written in the contract, many borrowers are not aware of what they mean.

“People could end up paying high penalties because banks some banks calculate IRD based on the difference between posted rates at the time of the loan and posted rates at the time of the refi. Other banks calculate using the posted rate versus the discounted rate given to the borrower.”

By Nestor Arellano | 08/08/2012 6:05:00 PM
www.mortgagebrokernews.ca

As people who read my blog on a regular basis know, mortgage penalties are one of my favorite things to write about. I think the average person needs to be much more informed on this topic before signing onto a mortgage. Yes all bank and lenders have penalties if you break  your fixed rate mortgage early, but there can be huge differences in the penalties from one lender to the next, and people need to know and understand this.

Read my older article for more information on mortgage penalties.

http://portalbernimortgage.com/blog_article.php?pid=676