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

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Fri Oct 23, 5:12 PM
0 L8 }$ _9 o  _) j8 ^0 j$ \By The Canadian Press

8 G' F' B; L( J7 E' l3 l, yTORONTO - 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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6 Y9 l! p$ r8 U. p: n& `The 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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2 K/ R/ t' a1 @8 R: B" o. CA fixed rate locks the borrower into a set interest rate for a certain period of time.

1 k3 W& \, g2 {& i+ F# IThat gives many borrowers peace of mind knowing how much money to set aside each month for their mortgage payment.
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Variable rates change along with interest-rate moves.
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! t* g9 Q( [, KBMO 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.

* o1 `! v1 @: V# `. w  nBMO 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.

The bank added that the current interest environment is similar to both of these periods.
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"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.
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0 _: J- D0 |, |7 e$ o( A6 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."

Canada has been in a long-term declining rate environment since the early 1980s, the bank suggested.
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4 t8 H( W; B' N0 d$ m2 M0 m( AAs 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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