The Fixed / Variable Conundrum

Why Go Variable?

1. Statistics, Statistics: 77% of the time, variable wins—historically speaking. That’s according to the usual widely-quoted mortgage research. (This conclusion is based on fully discounted rates.) BMO says variables have been cheaper 83% of the time, but we’re not sure what assumptions they used.
2. Lower Penalties: People often break their mortgages early, for various reasons (including refinancing, selling, divorce, moving to a mortgage with a better rate/more flexibility, etc.). The average duration of a 5-year variable is about 3.3 years according to bank sources. Most variables let you escape your contract with a 3-month interest penalty, whereas fixed rates can hit you hard with interest rate differential (IRD)—even if rates stay relatively flat (many people don’t know that). “Everyone I know that’s mad about their mortgage attributes it to IRD,” says Peter Majthenyi, one of Canada’s highest volume brokers.
3. Less Rate Risk: Compared to prior economic recoveries, economists believe that it won’t take as many rate hikes to cool Canada’s overleveraged slow-growth economy this time around. A 3% policy rate may do the trick today, whereas it’s taken a 4.20%+ rate (on average) to bring the economy and inflation to equilibrium in the past (see: neutral policy rate). If true, a 3% key lending rate implies a 5% prime rate over the next five years. That’s a quite tolerable 2% higher than today.
4. Slower Rate Hikes: CIBC economist Benjamin Tal says: “We know the five-year (fixed) rate is attractive, but we also know short-term rates are not [rising].” The U.S. Fed has pledged to remain on hold till 2013. Moreover, TD says: “The Bank of Canada has repeatedly noted that there are limits to how much Canadian short-term rates can diverge from those in the United States.” Here’s an associated factoid: Since 1996, when the BoC started adjusting rates in 25 bps increments, rate-increase campaigns have lasted an average of 14.6 months, during which time rates increased an average of 170 bps. Of course, by definition, each rate-increase cycle was followed by a plateau, and then a rate decrease cycle.
5. A Free Option: Variables let you lock in anytime for free. Majthenyi is a big proponent of variables largely for this reason. “If you have huge vacillations in rates and you want to take advantage of those (i.e., lock in if rates drop further, or lock in if rates look like they’ll blast off), you can do it for free in VRM…but not in a fixed.” Being able to renegotiate sooner appeals to Majthenyi, and he applies that logic to shorter fixed terms as well. Even if a 4-year fixed had the same rate as a 2-year fixed for example, he says: “I’d rather come up for renewal sooner so I’d take the 2-year over the 4-year hands down.”
6. Fixed Payments: Some lenders let you fix your payments so that they don’t move when prime rate moves. Fixed payments, therefore, provide some peace of mind when rates start climbing. The exception is if prime skyrockets and your “trigger rate” is hit (i.e., rates jump so high that you’re not covering all your monthly interest). In that case, your payments will generally be adjusted higher.
7. Payment Matching: When variable rates are lower than fixed rates, you can increase your variable payments to match a 5-year fixed payment. That whittles down principal faster and cuts your interest paid (not interest rate) by perhaps three-quarters of one percent over five years. For example, if you pay $50,000 of interest over five years on a $300,000 mortgage, this strategy might save you something like $350-$400 in a slow rising rate environment. It’s not as much savings as some advocates of this strategy make it sound, but it’s definitely something. (Note: The precise savings depends on your mortgage terms, rate trends, etc. We’ve made certain assumptions including: a 25-year amortization, a prime – 0.50% rate vs a 2.99% four-year fixed, 100 bps of rate hikes starting Dec. 2012, 100 bps more starting Dec. 2013.)
8. Timing is Futile: Even if you had the ability to predict rates one year ahead of time, it wouldn’t help. That’s what Prof. Moshe Milevsky found in a 2008 study (See “Locking In” on page seven of this.) The problem is, knowing short-term rates doesn’t help you predict long-term rates, and the majority of mortgages are 3+ years. In the past, short-term rates have often surged, only to fall back within 18-24 months. People who lock in on the way up frequently lose out as a result. Associated fact:  In the four previous rate cycles, rates reversed lower within 4 months (on average) from the last rate hike.

Why Go Fixed?

1. Research Bias: Historical research clearly establishes that variable rates have had an edge, but past performance does not foretell the future. Rates have fallen steadily since 1981. By definition, variable mortgages can’t help but outperform with that kind of trend.
2. Cheap Insurance: The difference between today’s variable rates (prime – 0.45% on the street) and good fixed rates (e.g., 2.99% for a 4-year) is remarkably tight at 44 basis points. That “safety premium” is the equivalent of less than two Bank of Canada rate hikes. Knowing that you won’t get skewered by escalating rates is worth something.
3. Economic Lows: It’s somewhat debatable, but one could assume that we’re somewhere near the bottom of an economic cycle. If so, rates will ascend as the economy makes a comeback. RBC writes: “Our assessment is that the market has become too pessimistic on the growth outlook and that the economy will re-accelerate, resulting in steadily rising rates during 2012.” Adds BMO: “Considering the likely upward trend in interest rates, this may be one of those rare periods when a fixed rate turns out to be the superior choice.” (If you think banks have a fixed-rate bias and that statement makes you cynical, we can’t blame you.)
4. Abnormally Low Yields: Fixed rates are at generational lows, largely for temporary reasons (like the safe-haven bond buying that’s driving down yields). Remember, bond yields lead fixed mortgage rates. Could yields go lower? Yes. Will they stay that low? Many think not. 1.40%-1.50% is a meagre reward for loaning the government money for five years—however safe it may be. Mind you, people said the same thing about Japanese bonds (exceptions to economic “rules”  never cease).
5. Certainty: Not having to monitor and time the market means one less thing to worry about in life. If you intend on locking in your variable down the road, you’ll need to be exceptionally accurate with your timing. People who are that prescient may be better off quitting their jobs to manage a hedge fund.
6. Fixed Demand: When the BoC starts tightening next, some think fixed mortgage rates could shoot up faster than normal. According to John Bordignon of Paradigm Quest, there is as much as $350 billion worth of variable-rate mortgages at the moment. “This is probably the highest level (of outstanding VRMs) we have seen in the Canadian mortgage market.” If there were a flood of variable-to-fixed conversions in any given quarter, and demand for fixed rates doubled in that quarter, “There is just not enough 5-year money out there,” he says. June 2010 provided a small taste of what could happen. “Fixed-rate cost spiked 60 basis points. Merix (a prominent non-bank lender) experienced four times the number of conversions as normal. People panic.” This, of course, increases the risk of locking at a bad rate.
7. Qualification: High-ratio borrowers cannot always qualify for a variable rate. That’s because lenders approve you based on your ability to make much higher payments (See: qualification rate). But don’t despair, you can always get a fixed-rate today and then go variable at renewal. In fact, when you renew you may not even have to qualify at a higher rate. (Default insurers don’t require requalification on renewal, assuming you’ve paid your mortgage as agreed. That is subject to your lender’s own policies of course.)
8. Costly Conversion: Variables are sold with the benefit of being able to convert to a fixed rate anytime. But that entails “slippage.” In other words, the fixed rate you’ll get when converting is worse than the rate you may expect. Some banks’ conversion rates are as high as posted – 1%. Meanwhile, those same banks give new customers posted – 1.50%. Never expect a great rate when locking in a variable to a fixed. You’ll get an okay rate, even a decent rate if you’re really lucky, but never a great rate. That slippage multiplied by several months can boost borrowing cost materially.
9. Assumptions Favour Fixed:When making decisions in uncertainty, you’re forced to make assumptions. If you’re a bearish mortgage analyst, you might assume:
   • Prime rate will stay as is until April 2013 (near when the U.S. Fed’s conditional rate-hold pledge expires)
   • Rates will then rise 150+ bps in the next 1.5 years.

   In this scenario, a 2.99% four-year fixed costs less than a variable over five years, other things being equal (including payment matching for equal monthly payments).

 

(Click chart to enlarge) 

Parting thoughts…

Term selection relies on so many things:

• fixed/variable suitability factors
• the probability of breaking the mortgage early (and needing to pay a penalty)
• the chance you’ll want/need to lock in
• interest rates (present and future),
• etc. etc.

The above conclusions and five years of research have convinced us of one thing. It’s a Vegas-style gamble to select a variable-rate mortgage with intentions of locking in “at the right time.”

You’re better off either:

a) Going variable and staying variable (barring a personal/financial crisis that would necessitate locking in).

b) Going fixed and staying fixed (assuming you find an unusually good fixed rate).

c) Going half fixed and half variable (In that case, you’ll never be more than half wrong.)

Keep in mind, there are lots of fixed terms besides the age-old 5-year. The sweet spot today—assuming economist rate forecasts are remotely accurate—is a 4-year fixed under 3%. You’ll find this through approved Street Capital and Industrial Alliance brokers, among other places (no telling how long that rate will last).

Qualified borrowers should also consider Scotia’s 2-year special. It has a tantalizing fixed rate of 2.49%, which is below most variables on the market.

Whatever you pick, the good news is this. The cost of choosing the wrong term has probably never been lower. Fixed-variable spreads are tight as a vice, money is almost as cheap as ever, and expectations are that long-term rates will stay “lower for longer.” (Economists seem to love that buzzphrase.)

As a result, if you screw up and select the wrong term, it should be a lot less costly than it would have been in years like 1980-81, 1989-90, and 1999-2000.

Canadian mortgage rates falling

Interest Rates: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

A famous bard once said, “All the World’s a Stage.”  That, as it turns out, is very much the case in terms of global economics and the ensuing drama that has unfolded since the Bank of Canada’s last rate announcement in July.

In the last six weeks, there has been a bi-partisan showdown, nervous hours in advance of the raising of the US debt ceiling, a consequent debt downgrade, renewed fears of financial collapse in various areas of Europe- and a roller coaster ride up and down on world markets, with peaks and valleys sharp and swift enough to rival an amusement park ride.

There has been released several sets of data- most recently Stats Can reporting that the Canadian economy has actually retracted for the first time in several months, suggesting that the hold on economic recovery, that seemingly has kept the engines of commerce for the past months, may be more tenuous than once thought.It had seemed an absolute certainty- not very long ago, that rates would be raised this fall, after having been so low for such an extended period of time.What a difference a few weeks makes, especially on the stage of global economics.

If history is any guide at all, the Bank of Canada will have little choice but to hold their current position come Wednesday in the next rate announcement.

A recent  economist poll done by Reuters suggests overwhelmingly that there will be no big surprises in the next interest rate announcement.

The surprises have come in the form of sustained blows as one major economic event took swings at global economic stability. 95% of those polled indicate that they feel that the Bank of Canada will not do much of anything on Wednesday.In fact, many have indicated that it may be as long as Q2 2012 before the rates start their ascent again.

Good news for consumers? Perhaps- as this seemingly time-limited offer for low cost borrowing seems to have been extended. 

This will, no doubt be well received by the housing industry- that is seeing a slow and steady climb in both sales activity and prices across the country- and will likely continue to be buoyed by consistent affordability.

Some members of our Propertywire.ca  community  echo the sentiment reflected by many of the economists.

Newmarket Realtor Mike Cartwright points out that despite our good fortune here at home, world economies are intricately interconnected- and that Canada is not an economic island: “I believe that the Bank of Canada will keep rates the same. Canada seems to be weathering the Global economic climate quite well with a strong housing market and our banks making record profits. But we cannot ignore the environment of slower growth in the U.S. and Euro zone….Based on the Global Economy we will keep our rates the same to create higher growth.”

Adam Hawryluk, Mortgage Advisor, Canadian Mortgage Experts DLC, supports the majority opinion “As you’ll probably hear from almost everyone, I believe the overnight rate will stay the same from BoC.”“As far as rates from lenders, I feel rates are going remain relatively stable, then eventually sluggishly move up. We’ve seen the discount on variable rates being reeled in a bit recently, but with no huge gains for either the Canadian or US economy recently, we should be spoiled with low fixed rates for a while still.”

So then, the question of “not if, but when,” that has been a thematic thread for several of the last rate announcements has been replaced with “why and how- and what will be the impact?”

Stay tuned for Wednesday’s Bank of Canada interest rate announcement. Rates remained steady

 

Canadians fell even deeper in debt in the first quarter of this year, Statistics Canada reported Monday, as they used low interest rates to buy into the housing market.

Photograph by: File, Reuters

OTTAWA — Canadians fell even deeper in debt in the first quarter of this year, Statistics Canada reported Monday, as they used low interest rates to buy into the housing market, sending household debt to a new record high.

The report showed that household debt has risen to a new record of $1.548 trillion from $1.526 trillion in the previous quarter. On a per-capita basis, the amount rose to $45,000 from $44,500 in the previous quarter.

Also worsening was the capacity of Canadians to handle that debt.

The ratio of household debt to personal disposable income increased to 147.3 per cent between January and March, the federal agency said. That surpassed the previous mark of 146.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010. Household debt includes mortgages, consumer credit and loans.

“The increase in household consumer credit debt slowed in the first quarter, as consumer spending on durable goods fell,” the federal agency stated, adding however that “mortgage debt advanced, partly reflecting “relatively stable borrowing costs as well as higher housing resale and renovation activities.”

Despite strong warnings last week from the Bank of Canada about rising debt — along with an analysis from the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada saying that the situation is “dire” for some Canadians — Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Monday he had no plans to tighten mortgage rules again, stressing that the real estate market remains healthy.

“We just took action” in March and activity is already starting to moderate, Flaherty said at a speech in Toronto.

The impact of Canadians’ indebtedness is that “households must devote more of their income to paying off debt, leaving less room for saving and consumption,” said Diana Petramala, an economist at TD Securities.

“Overall we expect households will continue to cool their pace of borrowing, but household the household balance sheet will remain highly leveraged for sometime. This will thereby constrain consumer spending growth into a range of two to 2.5 per cent over the next three years,” Petramala said.

Household net worth also climbed, reaching a new record of $6.37 trillion — or $184,700 per capita in the first quarter, up from $183,300 in the previous three-month period — as the value of homes and equity prices continued to rise in the first quarter.

However, “the growth in credit market debt exceeded that of both assets and new worth,” RBC economist David Onyett-Jeffries said in a research note.

As Petramala pointed out, “With a large share of financial assets tied to equity gains, the household balance sheet is likely to suffer a setback in the second given that the S&P/TSX has retreated roughly nine per cent since the end of the quarter.”

Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, said “Canadian households can’t fully resist the lure of interest rates at persistently rock-bottom levels . . . leaving their U.S. counterparts in the rear-view mirror.”

But Porter said his bank has been less alarmist that others on the debt buildup, as in many cases, there are solid assets on the other side of the ledger.

Household debt should stabilize once interest rates start to rise in the year ahead, he added

Failing that, “look for Governor Carney to become more vocal in his warnings to households and financial institutions, to potentially push for another round of regulatory moves to curb credit growth, and to possibly raise interest rates more aggressively than he (or the economy) would like.”

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