New Mortgage Regulations

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has announced new mortgage regulations aimed at reducing Canadians' soaring household debt.

Flaherty has unveiled three new rules:

(1) Mortgage amortization periods will be reduced to 30 years from 35 years.

(2) The maximum amount Canadians can borrow to refinance their mortgages will be lowered to 85 per cent from 90 per cent.

(3) The government will withdraw its insurance backing on lines of credit secured on homes, such as home equity lines of credit.

The new rules come on the heels of a Bank of Canada announcement that Canadians' domestic debt burdens have hit record levels.

The change in amortization and refinance borrowing limits will go into effect on March 18, 2011 and the change in insurance on home equity lines of credit will go into effect on April 18, 2011.