Bond market volumes are expected to be thin for the final three trading days of 2025. With little on tap until Wednesday's U.S. jobless claims, yields are guided more by things like portfolio rebalancing and geopolitical headlines.

Every quarter, Wowa.ca puts out some solid research called the Canadian Lenders Report (details).

We just saw its latest version and some interesting nuggets stood out. We're talking the kind that mortgage brokers can casually drop into the conversation when pitching their services.

Last week's holiday-shortened trading session felt like an exercise in medical sedation. Market rates quietly glided lower, and—barring any bombshells out of Washington or abroad—this week may be more of the same.

The action isn't expected to heat up until the first week of January, when dual jobs reports should jolt traders awake.

This is Part II of MLN's one-on-one conversation with HomeEquity Bank (HEB) SVP Rene Quercia.

In this final installment, Rene zeroes in on six subjects mortgage brokers should find helpful:

• A new reverse mortgage product in development
• HEB's policy on renewal pricing
• Whether HESAs are a competitive threat
• Channel pricing parity
• Reverse mortgage tax and portfolio preservation strategies
• His top 3 reverse mortgage growth strategies for brokers

Some of the strategies in this video are proven, practical, and repeatable business generators — please enjoy.

At Christmas, the world seems to decelerate just enough for us to notice what’s always been there: kindness, generosity, and warm, friendly cheer. For one day, the usual stresses—deadlines, worries, contentions—step aside, and we’re reminded that goodwill is not rare, just sometimes overlooked.

Christmas has a way of drawing the best out of people. So, from all of us at MLN, we hope this pause brings you a sense of joy and perspective, and that this warmheartedness carries forward long after the day itself has passed.

Merry Christmas and the very happiest of holidays,

Rob & the Team
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Tuesday was a tale of two GDPs as Canadian growth contracted sharply while U.S. growth blasted above estimates. That immediately raised the question: Will a rising American tide lift Canada's boat, once a North American trade pact is finalized?

If you bought a home with 5% down around Q4 2021 or Q1 2022, odds are your mortgage is still "high-ratio."

Depending on your rate, where you bought, and what you paid, by 2026, you may have amortized only 12-16% of your mortgage so far.

In fact, average Canadians who bought within a few months of the February 2022 peak might even be underwater (owe more than their property is worth). That's especially likely if it's a condo in the Greater Toronto or Greater Vancouver areas.

So, if you’re in that spot, maturity is looming, and the renewal offer on the table is uninspiring, what’s the best move?

And if you owe more than the place is worth, who exactly is lining up to lend you money?