Stories

Posted on September 15, 2026September 15, 2026 by Andy MacDonald

This summer we had a family reunion in Cape Breton for the Shannon side of my family. Close to 180 people showed up from all over North America. Lots of familiar faces and lots of complete strangers that I needed a flow chart to follow to figure out how we were related.The best part of the reunion were the stories. Just sitting back and listening was the most entertaining part of the weekend. The Irish are known for their ability to spin a yarn, and my family did not disappoint!One of my favour...

Mortgage Broker Mistakes That Lead To Litigation

Posted on June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 by Andy MacDonald

Inadequate or Non-existent Suitability Assessments The key question every litigator will ask as is, “was this mortgage appropriate for this borrower at the time it was arranged”? A good Mortgage Broker would have clearly answered this question in the affirmative and documented it in the mortgage file. In my experience, most Mortgage Brokers and Mortgage Agents fail to document their assessments and some fail to even consider if the mortgage they arranged was suitable for the bo...

Testimonial: Joseph Juda

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by admin

Andy is knowledgeable, patient, and generous with his time when discussing mortgage related issues. I’ve been impressed by his depth of knowledge and his willingness to thoughtfully walk through questions, making him a trusted resource for lawyers. Joseph Juda B.A. (Hons.) J.D.Klein & Schonblum AssociatesBarristers and Solicitors

“It Wasn’t Me”

Posted on January 16, 2026January 16, 2026 by Andy MacDonald

In the last year I’ve started doing a lot of work as an Expert Witness for litigation involving mortgages, mortgage brokers, or mortgage agents in Ontario. A common theme I’ve heard a lot of defendants argue is that they weren’t acting as a mortgage broker or agent for the transaction in question. Someone else was arranging the mortgage. Maybe it was a bank, another financial institution, or another mortgage broker. The defendants will argue they were just on the periphery helping th...

Testimonial: Mike Holder

Posted on January 14, 2026January 14, 2026 by admin

I recently renewed a mortgage this past December and was weighing whether to go fixed or variable. Andy was quite responsive and provided me with additional insights that I found helpful. He went over and above what I was expecting from him. Mike Holder, Mississauga

Core Memories

Posted on January 8, 2026January 8, 2026 by Andy MacDonald

The holidays are a great time to spend with family and reflect on what is important in life. This year my now 23-year-old daughter reminded me of what she described as one of her “core memories” growing up. The year was 2013 and she was doing competitive figure skating for the first time. The Port Credit club was hosting a competition and one of the options was a “Family Ice Dance”. This required a child and parent to perform the Canasta Tango on ice. Having played hockey all my life, I was ...

Who are you relying on for advice?

Posted on December 5, 2025December 5, 2025 by Andy MacDonald

I was recently hired to offer my expert opinion on a litigation case where a handful of investors agreed to participate in a syndicated private second mortgage on a commercial building. There were many red flags with this transaction but the thing that stuck out the most to me was the lack of experience amongst the multiple mortgage brokers and agents that were involved in the transaction. Most of them had only been in the business for a few years. There was some phuckery involved in the transa...

Testimonial: Steven M. Polak

Posted on November 25, 2025November 25, 2025 by admin

I have had the pleasure of working with Andy MacDonald as an Expert Mortgage Broker on a case that I worked on. Andy was responsive, timely, thoughtful and well informed. He provided us with real assistance in understanding the issues in the case and informing the Court process. His report and opinion were well written and well thought out. Thank you Andy. Sincerely, Steven M. Polak Partner, Lerners LLP

Testimonial: Robert D’Orazio

Posted on October 24, 2025October 24, 2025 by admin

Andy, Your insight and guidance have been invaluable to my family and I to help us navigate through some very important and generational decisions. Thank you for the wisdom and transparency that fostered a trust that is so important at times like these and during decision making of such consequence. We are forever grateful. Robert D’Orazio Oakville, Ontario

The Road Less Travelled

Posted on October 16, 2025October 16, 2025 by Andy MacDonald

Yesterday, I went for a walk in the woods on a road that was abandoned long ago. It reminded me of the journey we take in life. Sometimes the road is clear and other times we must look a little harder for that road. The outline of it is there but we might have to climb over a few obstacles or cross a brook to find our way. My professional journey started back in 1989. I would have taken my first mortgage application while working as a Loans Clerk at Canada Trust. That would have been t...