Desjardins mortgage review — a broker's perspective
Canada's largest financial cooperative and Quebec's dominant retail lender. Provincially regulated in Quebec; competitive A-lender residential pricing with strong Quebec presence. Operates across Canada via Desjardins Ontario Credit Union.
Who is Desjardins?
Canada's largest financial cooperative and Quebec's dominant retail lender. Provincially regulated in Quebec; competitive A-lender residential pricing with strong Quebec presence. Operates across Canada via Desjardins Ontario Credit Union.
Desjardins sits within the credit unions tier of Canada's mortgage market. Provincially regulated; many qualify at contract rate (no stress test). Strong for borrowers at the edge of affordability.
Working across 99+ Canadian lenders, our brokerage knows Desjardins's underwriting appetite — what they say yes to, what they push back on, and what file structure gets a clean approval the first time. Because Desjardins is provincially regulated, they can qualify many files at contract rate without applying the federal OSFI B-20 stress test — a meaningful advantage for borrowers at the edge of affordability.
What we send to Desjardins.
Working across 99+ Canadian lenders, here’s what we know about Desjardins’s preferences.
How Desjardins prices: where its broker-channel rates sit today
These are Desjardins's lowest current rates across 284 broker-channel products in our live feed — the best available per term. Your exact Desjardins rate still depends on file strength, term, insurance status, down payment and product family.
Desjardins funds these mortgage types
As a broker we access Desjardins’s full broker-channel product menu. Explore the relevant product page for your file.
How we work with Desjardins
We’re not employees of Desjardins. We’re an independent FSRA-licensed brokerage that submits files to Desjardins on your behalf when they’re the best fit — and to a different lender when they’re not.
5-minute call to understand your file — income, credit, down payment, property, timeline. No bureau pull to start.
We benchmark your file against 99+ lenders' appetite, not just Desjardins. If they're the best fit, we go there. If not, we go elsewhere.
Full document package to Desjardins's broker desk — structured the way their underwriters want to see it for clean first-time approval.
Conditional approval → conditions cleared → lawyer instruction → funding. We project-manage every milestone end-to-end.
Is Desjardins a good fit for your file?
Honest take from our broker desk. We send the right file to the right lender — not the loudest one.
Strong fit for
- ✓Borrowers stress-tested out at A-lenders (CU may qualify at contract rate)
- ✓Self-employed with 2+ years NOAs
- ✓Provincial residents (CU lends within their province)
- ✓Buyers wanting community-banking relationship
Probably not the right fit if
- !Files outside the credit union's home province (with exceptions)
- !Borrowers needing branch network outside one region
- !Investment files at high LTV (some CUs cap rentals)
Not sure where your file fits? Start a free pre-qualification and we’ll diagnose your fit across 99+ lenders — without a bureau pull to begin.
Other credit unions we shop alongside Desjardins
Same tier, often comparable rates. We benchmark Desjardins against these every time.
Desjardins mortgage broker — major Canadian cities
We place Desjardins files across Canada. Tap your city for local market context and start a pre-qualification with your file in mind.
Don’t see your city? Browse all Canadian markets — we lend nationally.
Going direct to Desjardins vs. through us
Same lender, different access points. Here’s what changes when you go through a broker.
| Aspect | Direct with Desjardins | Through Mortgage Squad Advisors |
|---|---|---|
| Rate sheet | The rate you are quoted going to them yourself (highest) | Broker-channel rate (typically 15-30 bps below the consumer sheet) |
| Lenders shopped | Just Desjardins | 99+ lenders incl. Desjardins |
| If declined | Application ends; reapply elsewhere | Re-route to next-best lender same day |
| Cost to borrower | $0 — bank pays its own staff | $0 — lender pays our compensation |
| Underwriting strategy | Desjardins's lens only | We structure your file to Desjardins's preferences before submission |
| Renewal benchmarking | Desjardins sends a single offer; you accept or counter | We benchmark across 99+ lenders 120 days before renewal |
Same Desjardins loan documents. Different shopping power. Start a pre-qualification to see what your file looks like across 99+ lenders.
What are Desjardins's current mortgage rates in Canada?
How do I qualify for a mortgage with Desjardins?
Is Desjardins a good mortgage lender?
Can I switch to Desjardins at renewal?
Does Desjardins work with self-employed borrowers?
How long does Desjardins take to approve a mortgage?
What's the difference between Desjardins branch rates and broker rates?
Does Desjardins offer pre-approvals?
What prepayment privileges does Desjardins offer?
What if Desjardins declines my mortgage application?
Have a question right now? Maya, our AI assistant, answers instantly in 50+ languages. Your licensed advisor is a call away.
Editorial commitment
This page is an editorial profile written from our brokerage’s perspective. We are not employed by Desjardins and receive no payment from Desjardins for this content. We compensate-disclose: on A-lender files the lender pays our brokerage compensation, and we earn the same regardless of which A-lender funds your file — so our recommendations are rate-agnostic. Rates and program details are reviewed quarterly; last reviewed May 13, 2026.
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Our most comprehensive first-time-buyer guide. Pre-approval to closing day, the FHSA + RRSP Home Buyers' Plan stack, 30-year insured amortization for first-time buyers, the stress test in plain English, and closing-day costs.
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The mortgage-side guide for Canadian real estate investors. Rental income offset vs. add-back, CMHC MLI Select, BRRRR-friendly lenders, portfolio limits, DSCR-style products, and how to keep your file qualifying as you scale.
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Get the best rate from the best-fit lender.
5-minute pre-qualification. No bureau pull to begin. We model your file against 99+ lenders — including Desjardins — and recommend the right one for your file.