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Mortgage Squad Advisors
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Mortgage default insurers

Canada Guaranty mortgage — a broker's perspective

Canada's only Canadian-owned private mortgage default insurer. Identical pricing to CMHC and Sagen. Strong on BFS and self-employed programs.

Founded 2010| Toronto, ON| Mortgage default insurers| FSRA #13737 broker
Founded
2010
Headquarters
Toronto
Products
1 types
Tier
Mortgage default insurers
ZA
Reviewed by
Mortgage Squad Advisors Editorial Team · Licensed Mortgage Advisors · Reviewed under the Principal Broker
FSRA #M08006059 · 20+ years · Last reviewed May 13, 2026
Overview

Who is Canada Guaranty?

Canada's only Canadian-owned private mortgage default insurer. Identical pricing to CMHC and Sagen. Strong on BFS and self-employed programs.

Canada Guaranty sits within the mortgage default insurers tier of Canada's mortgage market. CMHC, Sagen, Canada Guaranty. Not lenders — they insure under-20%-down mortgages for the lender. Premium financed into the mortgage.

From thousands of funded files across 99+ Canadian lenders, our brokerage has placed thousands of mortgages with Canada Guaranty and we know their underwriting appetite intimately — what they say yes to, what they push back on, and what file structure gets a clean approval the first time.

Where Canada Guaranty stands out

What we send to Canada Guaranty.

From thousands of funded files across 99+ Canadian lenders, here’s what we know about Canada Guaranty’s preferences.

BFS + self-employed insurance
Canadian-owned
Identical pricing
Faster on certain file types
Live rate context

Canada Guaranty rate context — May 13, 2026

We can't publish lender-specific rates by name (lender confidentiality + daily-changing rate sheets), but here’s the live market context for mortgage default insurers pricing today. Your actual Canada Guaranty rate depends on file strength, term, insurance status, and product family.

5-yr fixed (insured)
4.19%
5-yr variable (insured)
4.04% (Prime −1.91%)
5-yr fixed (conv.)
4.59%
Prime
5.95%
Product menu

Canada Guaranty funds these mortgage types

As a broker we access Canada Guaranty’s full broker-channel product menu. Explore the relevant product page for your file.

Insurance only — not a lender
Our process

How we work with Canada Guaranty

We’re not employees of Canada Guaranty. We’re an independent FSRA-licensed brokerage that submits files to Canada Guaranty on your behalf when they’re the best fit — and to a different lender when they’re not.

01
Discovery

5-minute call to understand your file — income, credit, down payment, property, timeline. No bureau pull to start.

02
Match

We benchmark your file against 99+ lenders' appetite, not just Canada Guaranty. If they're the best fit, we go there. If not, we go elsewhere.

03
Submit

Full document package to Canada Guaranty's broker desk — structured the way their underwriters want to see it for clean first-time approval.

04
Funding

Conditional approval → conditions cleared → lawyer instruction → funding. We project-manage every milestone end-to-end.

File-fit guidance

Is Canada Guaranty a good fit for your file?

Honest take from thousands of funded files. We send the right file to the right lender — not the loudest one.

Strong fit for

  • Files matching the lender's specific specialty
  • Borrowers who fit the lender's primary file profile
  • Borrowers we've identified as a strong match after intake

Probably not the right fit if

  • !Files outside the lender's appetite
  • !Borrowers who would be better priced or approved elsewhere

Not sure where your file fits? Start a free pre-qualification and we’ll diagnose your fit across 99+ lenders — without a bureau pull to begin.

Alternatives

Other mortgage default insurers we shop alongside Canada Guaranty

Same tier, often comparable rates. We benchmark Canada Guaranty against these every time.

By city

Canada Guaranty mortgage broker — major Canadian cities

We place Canada Guaranty files across Canada. Tap your city for local market context and start a pre-qualification with your file in mind.

Don’t see your city? Browse all Canadian markets — we lend nationally.

Bank direct vs broker channel

Going direct to Canada Guaranty vs. through us

Same lender, different access points. Here’s what changes when you go through a broker.

AspectDirect with Canada GuarantyThrough Mortgage Squad Advisors
Rate sheetBroker-channel only — no direct retail accessDirect broker-channel access — our day-one cost
Lenders shoppedJust Canada Guaranty99+ lenders incl. Canada Guaranty
If declinedApplication ends; reapply elsewhereRe-route to next-best lender same day
Cost to borrower$0 — bank pays its own staffDisclosed up front (private/alt files only)
Underwriting strategyCanada Guaranty's lens onlyWe structure your file to Canada Guaranty's preferences before submission
Renewal benchmarkingCanada Guaranty sends a single offer; you accept or counterWe benchmark across 99+ lenders 120 days before renewal

Same Canada Guaranty loan documents. Different shopping power. Start a pre-qualification to see what your file looks like across 99+ lenders.

FAQ

Canada Guaranty — common questions

Don’t see yours? Ask Maya.

What are Canada Guaranty's current mortgage rates in Canada?
Canada Guaranty's rates change daily and are channel-specific — branch rates differ from broker-channel rates. As a brokerage we access Canada Guaranty's broker-channel sheet, typically 15-30 bps below their walk-in rate. Our live rate board (last reviewed May 13, 2026) shows current best-in-network across 99+ lenders. See our live rate board.
How do I qualify for a mortgage with Canada Guaranty?
Standard Canadian qualifying: 5%+ down (under 20% requires CMHC/Sagen/Canada Guaranty default insurance), OSFI B-20 stress test at the higher of contract rate + 2% or 5.25%, GDS ≤ 39% and TDS ≤ 44%. Canada Guaranty's underwriting has specific preferences we know from working with them — we'll tell you whether your file is a strong fit before submitting.
Is Canada Guaranty a good mortgage lender?
Canada Guaranty is genuinely strong on: BFS + self-employed insurance, Canadian-owned, Identical pricing. As your broker we evaluate Canada Guaranty against 99+ other Canadian lenders for your specific file — sometimes they're the best fit, sometimes a different lender is. The honest answer depends on your file profile, not the lender's marketing.
Can I switch to Canada Guaranty at renewal?
Yes, if your file qualifies. A transfer-in at renewal typically costs you $0 — Canada Guaranty covers the discharge fee from your old lender and the appraisal as a transfer incentive. We benchmark Canada Guaranty's offer against your existing lender's renewal rate and the broader market 6 months before renewal so the switch (or stay) is timed properly.
Does Canada Guaranty work with self-employed borrowers?
Canada Guaranty focuses on standard A-lender files. For self-employed borrowers we'd typically place at a specialty BFS lender (Home Trust, Equitable, RFA, Haventree) and refinance to Canada Guaranty once 2 clean NOAs accumulate. See our self-employed mortgages.
How long does Canada Guaranty take to approve a mortgage?
Canada Guaranty's commitment turnaround on a clean broker-channel file is typically 24-72 hours from submission. Complex files (BFS, foreign income, atypical down payment) can take 5-10 business days. Conditional approval to funding is usually 14-30 days depending on appraisal, lawyer, and conditions.
What's the difference between Canada Guaranty branch rates and broker rates?
Canada Guaranty is broker-channel only — they don't operate retail branches, so there's no "branch rate" to compare to. Their entire pricing comes through licensed brokers.
Does Canada Guaranty offer pre-approvals?
Yes — Canada Guaranty, like all major Canadian lenders, offers rate holds (typically 90-120 days) for pre-approved borrowers. We can submit your file to Canada Guaranty for a real underwritten pre-approval, not just a soft rate-hold. This means if rates rise you're locked, and if they fall most lenders honour the lower rate. Start your pre-approval here.
What prepayment privileges does Canada Guaranty offer?
Most major Canadian lenders including Canada Guaranty offer 15-20% annual lump-sum prepayment plus 15-20% payment-increase privileges per anniversary year. The exact privilege depends on the specific product family (insured/insurable/conventional) and term selected. We disclose the privileges and IRD calculation method up front so you know your exit cost before you sign.
What if Canada Guaranty declines my mortgage application?
As a broker we don't single-submit — if Canada Guaranty declines, we have 98+ other lender options across A-tier, alt-A, MIC, and private. We'll diagnose the decline reason (credit, income, LTV, property type, beacon), fix what's fixable, and re-strategize. A bank decline ends your bank application; with us, it's one route taken off the map and we pivot.
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Editorial commitment

This page is an editorial profile written from our brokerage’s perspective. We are not employed by Canada Guaranty and receive no payment from Canada Guaranty for this content. We compensate-disclose: on A-lender files the lender pays our brokerage compensation, and we earn the same regardless of which A-lender funds your file — so our recommendations are rate-agnostic. Rates and program details are reviewed quarterly; last reviewed May 13, 2026.

Related reading

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In-depth playbooks paired with the product types Canada Guaranty funds. Free, no email required.

Browse other lender tiers

Same broker. Different lender appetite.

Get the best rate from the best-fit lender.

5-minute pre-qualification. No bureau pull to begin. We model your file against 99+ lenders — including Canada Guaranty — and recommend the right one for your file.