Who writes it
I'm Michael Giligson. I'm a financial planner based in Vancouver, and before that I spent more than 10 years as a mortgage broker.
As a broker, I worked on the lending side of the decisions this site covers: first purchases, renewals, refinances, and reverse mortgages. As a financial planner, I now look at the mortgage as one part of a household's whole financial picture, alongside savings, retirement, taxes and cash flow. Seeing it from both sides is why I care so much about borrowers understanding the numbers themselves.
I wrote Unlocking the Mortgage Code, a 22-chapter guide to the Canadian mortgage system from first purchase to renewal to reverse mortgage, to put what I learned in those years into plain language. This site's calculators, guides and worksheets are built from it.
Why this site exists
Most mortgage calculators online are built for American mortgages, and most mortgage content is written to generate leads. I wanted tools that use the actual Canadian rules, such as semi-annual compounding, IRD penalties and the stress test, and explanations that show the math instead of asking you to trust it.
Every calculator here comes with its formula and a worked example, so you can check it, and check your lender.
How the content is kept accurate
- Rules are checked against official sources, including the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, OSFI, CMHC and the federal Interest Act.
- Each page shows the date it was last updated. Pages are reviewed whenever federal mortgage rules change, and at least once a year.
- Worked examples are calculated with the same code that runs the calculators.
- If you spot an error or an outdated rule, please tell me. Corrections are made promptly.
How the site is funded
The calculators, guides and worksheets are free. The site is supported by sales of the book and may display advertising served by Google. Ads are labelled and never influence what's written here. Any paid relationship with a lender, broker or other company will be disclosed on this page.
What this site isn't
It isn't personal financial, legal or mortgage advice. Everyone's situation is different, and rules and rates change. Use these tools to understand your options and ask better questions, then confirm the details with a licensed professional. See the full terms and disclaimer.