Mortgage Market & MBS Nuggets
Securitization versus the U.S.
Risky mortgage securitization was blamed for feeding the U.S. housing crisis. In comparison, not only is Canadian MBS regulated far more rigidly than that toxic American MBS of old, but our overall securitization share of mortgage finance remains well below U.S. levels
MBS Outstanding
There are $440 billion of outstanding NHA MBS in Canada, all fully guaranteed by our government. NHA MBS benefits from Canada being one of only 10 countries in the world with a triple-A credit rating (Australia, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland are the others).
Distribution of MBS
The majority of NHA MBS are held in Canada Mortgage Bonds (CMBs), of which there are $215 billion outstanding. Big 6 Banks hold another $172 billion of MBS, leaving roughly $39 billion in the hands of secondary investors.
Canada’s Banks are Titans
Canada’s major banks hold almost twice as much mortgage market share as do U.S. banks.
Regulatory Impact on Credit
Check out how CMHC’s average borrower profile has improved over the past year and a half, thanks in large part to the Department of Finance’s stricter lending policies.
anadian Versus U.S. Delinquencies
Total mortgage delinquencies in Canada have typically remained under 0.50%. Compare that to U.S. prime fixed-rate defaults, which soared to about 2.4% during the financial crisis. Over the past two decades, Canadian delinquencies have never surpassed 0.7%.
Canadian Versus U.S. Insurer Capitalization
CMHC’s insurance in force is $523 billion. Backing that is about $16 billion in capital, or 3%. By contrast, there’s “a congressionally mandated 2% capital target for the FHA in the US,” says BofAML, a capital level that must cover “an arguably weaker borrower credit profile.”
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!