Beyond the Drama: Unraveling Mortgage Risk Rhetoric

Anytime a regulator publicizes that it's concerned about "risks," it makes headlines faster than a political scandal.

Take the mortgage risks OSFI rattled off last week, for example. Predictably, every major media outlet from the Atlantic to Pacific parroted OSFI's doomy messaging like a broken record, no questions asked.

What a drag. Lack of balance is a recurring theme in regulatory communications. Canadians hear "risk, risk, risk" and get spoon-fed one side of the story with almost no context in sight.

Well, here's some context for Ottawa's narrative creators. And if they're honest with themselves and Canadians—they'll address it (in public).