Personal Finance

Securing Your Today and Tomorrow

Is It a Scam to Pay a Full Year’s Rent in Advance?

Learn what is legal and what is practised when competing for a place to rent.

10 Commandments of Mortgages

Looking to buy your new home is an exciting experience. All the possibilities. You look and you look and you look. You go to open houses, have your realtor take you into house after house, then all of of sudden you walk into one house and bang it hits you, home! You...

Basis Points: Key to Smarter Mortgage Decisions

Learn what basis points are, why they are used and their impact on the mortgage application process.

Canadian Utilities Costs

Explore the cost of utilities in Canada to manage your household expenses better. Gain insights into average rates and cost-saving strategies.

Using a Cash-Back Realtor

In today’s real estate market, many Canadian homebuyers don’t know about the benefits of a cash-back realtor. Imagine getting a part of the agent’s commission for every property deal. This is what cash-back home buying offers, making homes more affordable in Canada.

Gifts Ineligible for Net Worth Programs

Discover why gifts are not generally eligible to be used as part of the down payment or source of income for people applying for a mortgage under the Net Worth Program

Smart Second Mortgages

Smart Second Mortgages: A smart second mortgage is more than a fallback, it’s an intelligent strategic tool.

John and Mary Canuck: Refinancing Strategy

Learn how Canadians are leveraging home ownership to generate income, reduce taxes, and build wealth.

What’s Your Best Rate?

Rate is important, but going for the lowest rate mortgage could cost you far, far more. Learn about the ‘hidden’ risks of low-rate mortgages and discover your best rate.

Lenders’ View: Second Mortgages

Lenders’ View: Second Mortgages. Every lender views second mortgages through a completely different lens of risk, control and structure.

Canadian Utilities Costs

Jun 8, 2026

Explore the cost of utilities in Canada to manage your household expenses better. Gain insights into average rates and cost-saving strategies.

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On Commission Mortgage Secrets

Commission income isn’t difficult for lenders to approve—but it does require a more thoughtful underwriting strategy.

Second Mortgage Disallowed

Second Mortgage Disallowed: How your mortgage contract determines whether and how a second mortgage is allowed.

Everything You Need to Know About The Risk-Free Rate (Base Rate)

Explore the intricacies of the risk-free rate (base rate), a crucial concept in finance that serves as a benchmark for assessing risk and determining discount rates.

How to Merge Ownership

How to Merge Ownership: Two people fall in love, their lives start to merge, and eventually the question comes up: What about the house?

Maybe one partner bought the home years earlier. Maybe they built up equity on their own. Now the relationship has grown serious—marriage is on the table or the couple has decided to live common-law—and the other partner wants to contribute financially and build equity too.

Understanding the Credit (Default) Premium

Determining how the Credit (Default) Premium compensates investors for the risk that the bond issuer may default on its payments.

Understanding the Bond Liquidity Premium

Learn how the Bond Liquidity Premium compensates investors for the increased risk associated with longer-term bonds. .

Ultimate First-Time Homebuyer Pre-Approval Calculator

Ultimate First-TIme Homebuyer Pre-Approval Calculator: Most mortgage calculators out there are glorified guess machines. This isn’t a toy. It’s not a marketing gimmick. It’s a full underwriting-style analyzer designed to show you how a lender actually looks at your file—before you ever submit an application.

Exceptions that Bend the Rules

Behind every approval—or decline—is a framework called underwriting policy. These policies give lenders structure and consistency. But they also leave room for exceptions, where a skilled mortgage professional can present a file in a way that helps a lender say yes instead of no.