Mortgage loan insurance is insurance provided by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), a crown corporation, Genworth Capital Mortgage Insurance Company (GE), and Canada Guaranty (CG). This insurance is required by law to insure lenders against default on mortgages with a loan to value ratio greater than 80% or in other words when the borrower puts less than 20% down when purchasing. The insurance premiums, ranging from .50% to 4.50%, are paid by the borrower and can be added directly onto the mortgage amount. This is not the same as mortgage life insurance.
