A-lender monolines

True North Mortgage mortgage review — a broker's perspective

National mortgage broker that operates THINK Financial — a direct A-lender. Aggressive on insured pricing with a no-frills rate-focused model. Strong Western Canada presence with national broker network.

Founded: Founded 2006
Headquarters: Calgary, AB
Products: 3 product types
Tier: A-lender monolines
Broker licence: FSRA #13737 broker

Start Pre-Approval See live rates 4.9 ★★★★★ Google True North Mortgage website

Reviewed by Mortgage Squad Advisors Editorial Team · Licensed Mortgage Advisors · Reviewed by the Principal Broker

FSRA Brokerage #13737 · 15+ years · Last reviewed May 13, 2026

Where True North Mortgage stands out

Who is True North Mortgage good for?

True North Mortgage suits rate-sensitive borrowers wanting 10-25 bps below Big-6 and insured first-time buyer files with full doc. It is strongest on: Aggressive insured rates, THINK Financial direct lending, National broker network, Western Canada presence.

Strong fit for

Rate-sensitive borrowers wanting 10-25 bps below Big-6
Insured first-time buyer files with full doc
Insurable transfers from a Big-6 at renewal
Borrowers comfortable with broker-only access (no branch)

Probably not the right fit if

Borrowers who require in-branch service
Files with non-standard income (most monolines stick to clean files)
Newcomers without 3+ months Canadian credit history
Complex refinances needing in-person review

Not sure where your file fits? Start a free pre-qualification and we’ll check your fit across 99+ lenders — no credit check to begin.

Overview

What kind of lender is True North Mortgage?

True North Mortgage sits within the a-lender monolines tier of Canada's mortgage market. Broker-channel non-bank funders. Typically 10-25 bps below the Big-6 on insured + insurable purchases.

Working across 99+ Canadian lenders, our brokerage knows True North Mortgage's underwriting appetite — what they say yes to, what they push back on, and what file structure gets a clean approval the first time. True North Mortgage is broker-channel only, meaning the only way to access their rate sheet is through a licensed mortgage brokerage like ours.

Live rate context

True North Mortgage rate context — May 13, 2026

We can't publish lender-specific rates by name (lender confidentiality + daily-changing rate sheets). Here is today's market context for a-lender monolines pricing. Your exact True North Mortgage rate depends on your file, term and insurance.

5-yr fixed (insured)

3.94%

5-yr variable (insured)

3.55% (Prime −0.90%)

5-yr fixed (conv.)

4.59%

Prime

4.45%

Full live rate board Get your exact rate

Product menu

What mortgages does True North Mortgage offer?

True North Mortgage funds 3 mortgage types. We can access its full broker-channel menu.

Purchase
Renewal
Refinance

First-time buyer Renewal Refinance

Bank direct vs broker channel

Should you go to True North Mortgage directly or use a broker?

True North Mortgage sells only through brokers, so a licensed brokerage like ours is the way in. We’re not employees of True North Mortgage. We’re an independent FSRA-licensed brokerage that sends your file to True North Mortgage when it’s the best fit — and to a different lender when it’s not.

Going direct to True North Mortgage vs. through us

Aspect	Direct with True North Mortgage	Through Mortgage Squad Advisors
Rate sheet	Broker-channel only — no direct retail access	Direct broker-channel access — our day-one cost
Lenders shopped	Just True North Mortgage	99+ lenders incl. True North Mortgage
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	True North Mortgage's lens only	We structure your file to True North Mortgage's preferences before submission
Renewal benchmarking	True North Mortgage sends a single offer; you accept or counter	We benchmark across 99+ lenders 120 days before renewal

Same True North Mortgage loan documents. Different shopping power. Start a pre-qualification to see what your file looks like across 99+ lenders.

How we work with True North Mortgage

Discovery
A 5-minute call about your income, credit, down payment, home and timeline. No credit check to start.
Match
We compare your file with 99+ lenders, not just True North Mortgage. If True North Mortgage fits best, we go there.
Submit
We send a full package to True North Mortgage's broker desk, set up the way their underwriters like it.
Funding
Approval, conditions, lawyer, funding. We manage every step.

Alternatives

Other a-lender monolines we shop alongside True North Mortgage

Same tier, often similar rates. We compare True North Mortgage with these every time.

IG Wealth Management

Wealth-management bundled pricing

MCAP

Aggressive insured pricing

First National

Prime insured pricing

RFA Mortgage Corporation

Prime A-lender pricing

Merix Financial

30-yr amort on uninsured

CMLS Financial

CMHC MLI Select multifamily

By city

True North Mortgage mortgage broker — major Canadian cities

We place True North Mortgage files across Canada. Pick your city for local market context.

Toronto Vaughan Mississauga Brampton Markham Oakville Richmond Hill Burlington

Don’t see your city? Browse all Canadian markets — we lend nationally.

FAQ

True North Mortgage — common questions

Don’t see yours? Ask Maya.

What are True North Mortgage's current mortgage rates in Canada?

True North Mortgage's rates change daily and are channel-specific — branch rates differ from broker-channel rates. As a brokerage we access True North Mortgage's broker-channel sheet, typically 15-30 bps below their walk-in rate. Our live rate board (last reviewed May 13, 2026) shows current best-in-network across 99+ lenders. See our live rate board.

How do I qualify for a mortgage with True North Mortgage?

Standard Canadian qualifying: 5%+ down (under 20% requires CMHC/Sagen/Canada Guaranty default insurance), OSFI B-20 stress test at the higher of contract rate + 2% or 5.25%, GDS ≤ 39% and TDS ≤ 44%. True North Mortgage's underwriting has specific preferences we know from working with them — we'll tell you whether your file is a strong fit before submitting.

Is True North Mortgage a good mortgage lender?

True North Mortgage is genuinely strong on: Aggressive insured rates, THINK Financial direct lending, National broker network. As your broker we evaluate True North Mortgage against 99+ other Canadian lenders for your specific file — sometimes they're the best fit, sometimes a different lender is. The honest answer depends on your file profile, not the lender's marketing.

Can I switch to True North Mortgage at renewal?

Yes, if your file qualifies. A transfer-in at renewal typically costs you $0 — True North Mortgage covers the discharge fee from your old lender and the appraisal as a transfer incentive. We benchmark True North Mortgage's offer against your existing lender's renewal rate and the broader market 6 months before renewal so the switch (or stay) is timed properly.

Does True North Mortgage work with self-employed borrowers?

True North Mortgage focuses on standard A-lender files. For self-employed borrowers we'd typically place at a specialty BFS lender (Home Trust, Equitable, RFA, Haventree) and refinance to True North Mortgage once 2 clean NOAs accumulate. See our self-employed mortgages.

How long does True North Mortgage take to approve a mortgage?

True North Mortgage's commitment turnaround on a clean broker-channel file is typically 24-72 hours from submission. Complex files (BFS, foreign income, atypical down payment) can take 5-10 business days. Conditional approval to funding is usually 14-30 days depending on appraisal, lawyer, and conditions.

What's the difference between True North Mortgage branch rates and broker rates?

True North Mortgage is broker-channel only — they do not sell mortgages direct to the public, so there is no retail rate to compare against. Their entire pricing comes through licensed brokers.

Does True North Mortgage offer pre-approvals?

Yes — True North Mortgage, like all major Canadian lenders, offers rate holds (typically 90-120 days) for pre-approved borrowers. We can submit your file to True North Mortgage for a real underwritten pre-approval, not just a soft rate-hold. This means if rates rise you're locked, and if they fall most lenders honour the lower rate. Start your pre-approval here.

What prepayment privileges does True North Mortgage offer?

Most major Canadian lenders including True North Mortgage offer 15-20% annual lump-sum prepayment plus 15-20% payment-increase privileges per anniversary year. The exact privilege depends on the specific product family (insured/insurable/conventional) and term selected. We disclose the privileges and IRD calculation method up front so you know your exit cost before you sign.

What if True North Mortgage declines my mortgage application?

As a broker we don't single-submit — if True North Mortgage declines, we have 98+ other lender options across A-tier, alt-A, MIC, and private. We'll diagnose the decline reason (credit, income, LTV, property type, beacon), fix what's fixable, and re-strategize. A bank decline ends your bank application; with us, it's one route taken off the map and we pivot.

Pillar guides relevant to True North Mortgage files

The First-Time Buyer Roadmap

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.

The Renewal Playbook

Your bank's first renewal offer is an opening bid. This playbook covers the 21-day federal notice rule, the lender early-renewal window (often up to 120 days), and how to compare your bank's offer against the market instead of auto-renewing.

The Refinance Decision Framework

Refinancing isn't always a win. This guide gives you the break-even method we use: penalty + fees vs. monthly savings, with three illustrative scenarios (rate drop, debt consolidation, equity take-out).

Related lenders

Same broker. Different lender appetite.

Meridian Credit Union Vancity Desjardins Alterna Savings

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Editorial commitment

This page is an editorial profile written from our brokerage’s perspective. We are not employed by True North Mortgage and receive no payment from True North Mortgage 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.

Get the best-fit lender for your file.

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