Mortgage lenders tell Alberta homeowners to be prepared for job loss

With uncertainty for the energy sector and the wider Alberta economy, one major mortgage lender says that homeowners should be prepared for the possibility of losing their income. ATB Financial vice-president of retail services Rob Bennett says that homeowners should know the conditions of their mortgage agreement including the fees and penalties so that there are no surprises if the worst should happen. He told the CBC that most lenders will have plans available to help with those struggling including opportunities to defer mortgage payments in the short term. The default rate in Alberta remains low at 0.28 per cent of all home loans at the end of 2015, but the rate has ticked higher from 0.24 per cent in 2014.