ZT-BMO study says variable-rate mortgages better deal for borrowers most times

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Fri Oct 23, 5:12 PM
6 x* R, w8 M1 _8 `& SBy The Canadian Press

: u( B9 h: H4 v7 {' ^  LTORONTO - Fixed mortgage rates may help you feel secure in your budgeting, but the Bank of Montreal (TSX: BMO.TO) says the more volatile variable rate mortgages will save you money in the long run.
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8 `8 ^( V6 V5 R9 L* k9 qThe bank put out a report Friday showing that, over the past 30 years, variable-rate mortgages have been more cost-effective about 82 per cent of the time. That may come as a surprise to some after studies have shown many Canadians prefer a fixed-rate mortgage.
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: v# u+ b7 |1 ^! D/ vA fixed rate locks the borrower into a set interest rate for a certain period of time.
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That gives many borrowers peace of mind knowing how much money to set aside each month for their mortgage payment.
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5 k& e/ d& ^* K2 x% rVariable rates change along with interest-rate moves.
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BMO said the Bank of Canada's overnight lending rate is at its lowest possible point now, which could mean there are fewer benefits to a variable rate in the foreseeable future.
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2 G3 ?9 [) r3 m) K9 |7 cBMO highlighted two historical periods when fixed rates were considered beneficial - in the late 1970s and late 1980s - and both were just before interest rates started rising again.
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  c& J! g) X, x# I& ]% G$ W2 fThe bank added that the current interest environment is similar to both of these periods.

$ c; q' w, V/ z1 \* f"Short-term rates are at extreme lows and pressure is likely to build for higher rates in the year ahead," said deputy chief economist Doug Porter in the report.

$ E; B* c8 ~  l9 U1 ~3 `5 e: l"The question of whether to lock in to a longer-term fixed mortgage rate or stay in a variable rate has become an increasingly complex and important issue."
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Canada has been in a long-term declining rate environment since the early 1980s, the bank suggested.
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As a result, the spread between five-year fixed mortgages and variable mortgages has been pushed wider in recent years, and is now near an all-time high.

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