CMHC is to triple the charges it makes to some financial institutions. The fee increases will be for guaranteeing loans in the mortgage-backed securities market, which the agency operates under the National Housing Act. Some experts are predicting that the hike in fees will filter down to homebuyers with the likelihood of a few hundred dollars being added to the cost of a mortgage. The fee for mortgages with a five-year maturity will rise from 0.2 per cent to 0.6 per cent. The move could however benefit smaller lenders as for annual mortgage guarantees below $6 billion the new rate will be 0.3 per cent.