Rates & Mortgages · Jul 15, 2026 · 5 min read
Fixed or Variable? A Decision Framework for Every Market
A clean way to think about mortgage rate type — without the sales pitch.
mortgagerates
By Editorial Desk
What you are actually buying
A fixed rate is insurance against rate increases. You pay a small premium for certainty. A variable rate is a bet that future short-term rates will average lower than the fixed rate on offer.
Three questions to ask yourself
- How long do I plan to hold this property?
- What happens to my budget if payments rise by 25%?
- Am I more loss-averse than I am opportunity-driven?
If holding for 7+ years and tightly budgeted, lock fixed. If staying short and comfortable with risk, variable can pay.