What is a MIC, and why should you invest in one?
A mortgage investment corporation (MIC, pronounced “mick”), such as ASCEND MIC, is a company established to use mortgages, both residential and commercial, as investment vehicles for clients. MICs invest in pools of mortgages, much like a mutual fund invests in pools of stocks, bonds and other securities, in order to make a return on investment (ROI) for clients.
How it works
How does a person make money from a mortgage? Simple. A mortgage is a loan made to a property owner in exchange for interest payments. What a MIC does is put together many of these mortgages, so that investors benefit from the many mortgage payments that property owners make. In essence, a MIC serves as one centralized reservoir of investments surrounding a specified pool of mortgages.
A MIC is structured as a corporation. People who invest in an MIC become its investors. The MIC uses the money it receives from investors, and other sources such as banks, to invest in mortgages. The MIC manages these pools of mortgages, for which it receives a fee, as well as the spread between interest rate earned from mortgages and those paid out to investors. Investors receive their return on investments via dividends and/or interest payments, which are paid out by the MIC.
The advantages of MICs
There are many advantages to investing in MICs, including:
- Low risk, high returns. Mortgages generally pay relatively high rates of interest and are regulated by federal and provincial authorities, so the risk of default or bankruptcy is very low.
- Government oversight. Rules are in place, at both the federal and provincial level, to ensure the safety of investing in mortgages and MICs.
- Ease of mind. At ASCEND MIC, we worry about the day-to-day administration of mortgages, while you earn the proven rates of return that come with investing in MICs.
- Low profile. Simply stated, many people don’t even know about MICs, so they serve as a hidden treasure for investors lucky enough to find them.
Why MICs exist
In 1972, the Canadian government established provisions in the Residential Mortgage Financing Act to help stimulate private investing in Canada’s real-estate sector. This legislation created the Mortgage Investment Corporation (MIC) entity within Canada, thus defining the rules by which it is to be governed, including taxes and oversight.
In essence, MICs were created to make investment in mortgages easier for average investors, who don’t need to be experts in mortgages in order to benefit from the high returns they offer. MICs make investing in mortgages as simple as investing in financial tools such as stocks, bonds and other securities. An entirely new and accessible form of investments was created in Canada, and the beneficiary is the smart investor; investors like you.
A Canadian solution
A mortgage investment corporation (MIC) is a Canadian investment vehicle established by Canadian law to make investing in Canadian mortgages more accessible to the average person. The Canadian financial sector — including construction, housing, and commercial real-estate — is one of the most stable in the world. Canada survived the housing bubbles and financial meltdown because of its stable financial institutions, including the mortgage sector.
There is no reason why smart investors shouldn’t reap the benefits that Canada’s mortgage sector provide: high returns, low-risk, stable management and oversight.
Why ASCEND MIC
At ASCEND MIC, we have developed the expertise to navigate investors such as yourself through the ins and outs of investing in mortgages. You don’t have to be an expert in mortgages, or have to worry about the day-to-day operations of mortgages management. We do that for you. By establishing a track-record of success in managing mortgage portfolios, and delivering high rates of returns to shareholders, we make you money with as little worry as possible. That’s the ASCEND MIC difference!