Mortgage rates are on the rise again, prompting concern—and questions—from homeowners and buyers across the country.

After a brief dip earlier this month that saw high-ratio fix-year fixed rates fall as low as 3.64%, the market has since reversed course. Fixed rates, both insured and uninsured, have crept up by 10 to 20 basis points and the trend is consistent across the board.

But it’s not just fixed rates that are being affected. Variable-rate mortgages, once a popular choice for their lower interest rates and flexibility, are becoming more expensive in their own way. The discounts typically offered off the prime rate—currently sitting at 4.95%—are shrinking.

Major lenders like CIBC and Scotiabank have reduced their variable-rate discounts, and this shift is happening gradually across the entire industry.

This rising-rate environment comes at a time of broader economic uncertainty. Global trade tensions, tariffs, and stock market volatility are all contributing to an unpredictable financial landscape. For Canadians navigating mortgage decisions, this uncertainty complicates........

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