What is mortgage loan insurance?

Mortgage loan insurance, also known as mortgage default insurance, is an insurance premium paid by the borrower, to in which protects the lender for in the event that the borrower defaults on their mortgage obligations. Mortgage loan insurance is provided by one of three institutes, CMHC, Canada Guaranty, or Sagen. Mortgage loan insurance is implemented on any mortgage that has a down payment of less than 20% of the purchase price of a home. The insurance premiums range from 0.50% to 7.0% and can be added directly onto the mortgage amount.