So you got ultra lucky and managed to secure a 3.29% fixed 5 year mortgage on your recent home purchase.  This incredibly low rate is a consequence of our recent years of economic uncertainty and it is bound to increase in the years to come.

 

A great way to avoid the shock of the rate change later on is to use the low rate as a double benefit in paying down your mortgage.

Act as if you had a higher rate today and save yourself thousands of dollars in interest costs.

An example: Using a $400,000 mortgage with 30 year amortization and comparing a 3.29% to a 4.29%  rate. This would be a common scenario for an average single family home purchase in Calgary.
The difference in payment is about 13% or $224 per month. Monthly payments based on 3.29% are $1745 vs a payment of $1968 if the rate was 4.29%.

If you prepare yourself now by opting to raise your regular payments by 13% (using the privileges within the mortgage contract) to $1968 per month you will actually save $21,000 in interest costs which equate to 5.5 years off the mortgage amortization.

 

Not sure if you can make the change? Add the extra $224 per month into a savings account and put down the lump sum payment on your mortgage once you are comfortable with the payments.  If the extra $224 is a challenge, then you know now that you will need to make financial adjustments when your mortgage term expires if rates are higher.

 

If you want to know all of your options in paying down your mortgage faster, speak to your mortgage advisor.