A gut check means slowing down and reviewing the written offer before responding. Check the rate, term, payment assumptions, fees, restrictions, and deadline without assuming the offer is good, bad, negotiable, or cheaper elsewhere.
Already received a renewal offer from your lender?
Check the rate against current Canadian mortgage benchmarks before you sign. FairRate is paid by you, not by lenders, and does not sell your information to brokers.
Most borrowers compare only after they have already signed. Free check first; paid report options after the check: Rate Fairness Report CA$24 · Full Renewal Decision Report CA$49. No broker calls. No data sold.
What exact rate is written in the offer, and is it a supported 5-year fixed renewal offer?
Are you comparing the same term and fixed or variable structure?
What balance, amortization, and payment frequency were used?
What penalties, prepayment privileges, portability rules, fees, restrictions, and expiry date apply?
Does the mortgage include a HELOC, collateral charge, refinance request, added borrowing, or other feature that could affect options?
What happens if you do not respond before maturity or before the offer expires?
FairRate Canada's benchmark-backed free checker and paid benchmark reports currently support Canadian 5-year fixed renewal offers only. Variable-rate offers, shorter fixed terms, refinances, purchase mortgages, and complex restructuring scenarios should not be forced against that reference.
FairRate provides educational market-context and scheduled-payment comparison. It does not arrange mortgages, guarantee approval, guarantee another rate, guarantee savings, or provide legal, financial, brokerage, underwriting, or lender advice.
Important limitation: FairRate Canada is an independent consumer-paid educational comparison and reporting product — not a lender, mortgage broker, mortgage agent, law firm, financial advisor, or mortgage underwriter. FairRate does not arrange mortgages, take applications, approve credit, or sell mortgage inquiries to lenders or brokers. The current benchmark-backed checker and paid benchmark reports support 5-year fixed renewal offers only and use fresh public 5-year fixed comparison context when a usable source is available. Broader Bank of Canada data may be used for contextual purposes. Results are not a lender quote, approval, qualification result, personalized advice, or guarantee of a lower rate or savings. Verify current rates, eligibility, fees, penalties, product terms, and switching costs with the relevant lender and, where appropriate, a licensed mortgage professional or other qualified advisor.