Recent Actions by Minister of Finance Aimed at Responsible Homeownership

Genworth Canada Issues Statement in Response to Mortgage Rule Changes Announced Today

TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2015 /CNW/ - The Minister of Finance announced today a change to the eligibility rules for new government-backed insured mortgages on properties priced above $500,000. Effective February 15, 2016, the minimum down payment for new insured mortgages will be increased from 5 per cent to 10 per cent for the portion of the house price above $500,000.

"Today's announcement by the Minister of Finance shows that maintaining a healthy and stable housing market is important for the new Government," said Stuart Levings, President and CEO of Genworth Canada. "As a key stakeholder in the housing finance system, we acknowledge the vital role Government plays in this market and remain committed to helping first-time homebuyers achieve homeownership responsibly."

For borrowers who purchased properties above $500,000 in 2015, we estimate that 9 per cent of our total transactional new insurance written could have been impacted, of which three quarters comprised homes below $700,000. Considering this, we expect that most borrowers impacted by the new rules would be able to afford the increase in down payment, while some might choose to purchase a lower priced home.

As illustrated by the Department of Finance, and outlined in the table below, the minimum down payment will increase only gradually with the price of a house, varying from 5 per cent for homes priced at or below $500,000 to 7.5 per cent just below $1 million. A borrower buying a $600,000 home would therefore see their minimum down payment requirement increase by $5,000.

Minimum Down Payment by Home Purchase Price: Existing and New Eligibility Rules

Home Purchase Price	Existing Eligibility Rules		Eligibility Rules Effective February 15, 2016
	Minimum Down Payment Percentage	Minimum Down Payment Amount	Minimum Down Payment Percentage	Minimum Down Payment Amount
$500,000 and below	5.0 %	up to $25,000	5.0 %	up to $25,000
$600,000	5.0 %	$30,000	5.8 %	$35,000
$700,000	5.0 %	$35,000	6.4 %	$45,000
$800,000	5.0 %	$40,000	6.9 %	$55,000
$900,000	5.0 %	$45,000	7.2 %	$65,000
$999,999	5.0 %	$50,000	7.5 %	$75,000

Source: Department of Finance

Genworth Canada will be working with its customer base to assist in a smooth transition to the new rules.

About Genworth Canada
Genworth MI Canada Inc. (TSX: MIC) through its subsidiary, Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada (Genworth Canada), is the largest private residential mortgage insurer in Canada. The Company provides mortgage default insurance to Canadian residential mortgage lenders, making homeownership more accessible to first-time homebuyers. Genworth Canada differentiates itself through customer service excellence, innovative processing technology, and a robust risk management framework. For more than two decades, Genworth Canada has supported the housing market by providing thought leadership and a focus on the safety and soundness of the mortgage finance system.  As at September 30, 2015, Genworth Canada, had $6.1 billion total assets and $3.4 billion shareholders' equity. Find out more at www.genworth.ca.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, including the Company's expectations regarding future developments in connection with the potential offering of debentures and any other statements which may be contained in this release that are not historical facts. These statements may be identified by their use of words such as "considering", "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "seek", "propose", "estimate", "expect", or similar expressions, as they relate to the Company are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are inherently subject to significant risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond the Company's control. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including as a result of changes in global, political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors, and the other risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2015. Other than as required by applicable laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE Genworth MI Canada

Media: Lisa Azzuolo, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, 905.287.5520 or [email protected]; Investors: Jonathan Pinto, Vice President, Investor Relations, 905.287.5482 or [email protected]