Methodology & Sources
Where our numbers come from, and how the calculators work.
Rate and benchmark data
Mortgage rate benchmarks on this site are attributed to their original publisher and carry the date the publisher issued them. Our primary rate sources are the Bank of Canada (policy interest rate and selected lending rates), Statistics Canada (new housing price and mortgage credit data), and CMHC (mortgage insurance and housing market data). Where a rate is lender-specific and not published by an official body, we show the official reference rate and tell you to confirm the current lender rate rather than printing a number we cannot source.
Rules and thresholds
Qualification rules — including the federal mortgage stress test, maximum amortization periods, minimum down payments, and mortgage insurance requirements — are sourced from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Department of Finance Canada, CMHC, and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. Provincial land transfer taxes, rebates, and consumer protection rules are sourced from the relevant provincial government or its published tax guidance.
Calculator formulas
Our mortgage calculators use standard Canadian amortization mathematics. Payments are calculated with the fixed-rate amortization formula using a nominal rate compounded semi-annually, which is the convention used for Canadian fixed-rate mortgages, and the equivalent periodic rate for the payment frequency you choose. Amortization schedules apply each payment to interest first, then principal. Affordability and stress-test calculators apply the gross debt service (GDS) and total debt service (TDS) ratios and the higher-of qualifying rate rule. Every formula is tested against independently computed values before it is published.
Estimates, not quotes
These are educational estimates. Lenders apply their own criteria, fees, and rounding, and may use a different compounding or qualifying convention. Treat every result as a planning figure and confirm the real numbers with your lender or a licensed mortgage professional.
Report a problem
If a source link is broken or a figure looks out of date, email hello@mortgagor.ca with the page URL and we will review it.