Many lenders reserve their most competitive rates for refinancers with equity in their property. This is why it’s always a good idea to review your home loan every few years, just to be sure you're still getting a competitive deal.
The home loans market caters to many different buyers, so by switching loans and refinancing you could save thousands. Compare refinancing deals below.
1 Year Discounted Variable Rate, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, <80% LVR
A super low introductory rate home loan with no monthly or ongoing fees. Unlimited free redraws and unlimited additional repayments to help you build your equity and own your home sooner. Multiple loan splits available. (Rates revert after introductory period ends). 20% minimum deposit required. Winner of two Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
A super low introductory rate home loan with no monthly or ongoing fees. Unlimited free redraws and unlimited additional repayments to help you build your equity and own your home sooner. Multiple loan splits available. (Rates revert after introductory period ends). 20% minimum deposit required. Winner of two Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Smart Booster Home Loan
Owner Occupiers, Principal & Interest, LVR <80%
Know exactly what your repayments will be, and you can fix your rate for up to 5 years. No monthly, annual fee or transaction fees.
Know exactly what your repayments will be, and you can fix your rate for up to 5 years. No monthly, annual fee or transaction fees.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Fixed Rate Loan with Orange Advantage
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
$0 fees and easy application. Choose between weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments. 3 year fixed rates are for new Owner Occupier Principal & Interest loans.
$0 fees and easy application. Choose between weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments. 3 year fixed rates are for new Owner Occupier Principal & Interest loans.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the UHomeLoan
<60% LVR, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
Fast and efficient online application. Automatic discounts as loan is paid off. Free extra repayments and redraw facility. Zero fees to consider. Min 40% deposit required. Winner of three Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Fast and efficient online application. Automatic discounts as loan is paid off. Free extra repayments and redraw facility. Zero fees to consider. Min 40% deposit required. Winner of three Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Celebrate Variable Home Loan
Fixed, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR<70%
Get a flexible loan structure with up to six loan accounts with different rate types. Make free extra repayments. Enjoy free redraw facility. No upfront or ongoing fees. Option to earn Qantas points.
Get a flexible loan structure with up to six loan accounts with different rate types. Make free extra repayments. Enjoy free redraw facility. No upfront or ongoing fees. Option to earn Qantas points.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Basic Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
Great fixed low rate. Ability to split your loan between fixed and variable. Insurance discounts and $0 credit card or personal loan fee available. $2,000 cashback offer for investor & owner occupied home loans over $250k with LVR ≤80% when refinancing to Newcastle Permanent. Enjoy local branches and call centre.
Great fixed low rate. Ability to split your loan between fixed and variable. Insurance discounts and $0 credit card or personal loan fee available. $2,000 cashback offer for investor & owner occupied home loans over $250k with LVR ≤80% when refinancing to Newcastle Permanent. Enjoy local branches and call centre.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Special Fixed Rate Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <60%
Competitive variable rate. Borrowers choose their repayment schedule (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) and can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process. 40% deposit required.
Competitive variable rate. Borrowers choose their repayment schedule (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) and can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process. 40% deposit required.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Neat Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <80%
Ability to split your home loan between Fixed and Variable. Dedicated Relationship Manager. Includes an HSBC Premier Master Card with HSBC rewards and no annual credit card fee allowing you to earn points. Mozo Experts Choice Fixed Home Loan 2020^
Ability to split your home loan between Fixed and Variable. Dedicated Relationship Manager. Includes an HSBC Premier Master Card with HSBC rewards and no annual credit card fee allowing you to earn points. Mozo Experts Choice Fixed Home Loan 2020^
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Fixed Rate Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, <80% LVR
Competitive low rates starting from 1.89% (2.85% comparison rate) 2 years fixed for owner occupiers. No monthly account keeping fees & No loan establishment fee.
Competitive low rates starting from 1.89% (2.85% comparison rate) 2 years fixed for owner occupiers. No monthly account keeping fees & No loan establishment fee.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Fixed Home Loan Special Offer
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR 70-80%
Yard’s low-rate variable special home loan is packed with all features – unlimited additional repayments, free redraw, 100% offset account. Enjoy a simple online application. Special rate applies to home loan applications submitted by 31st May 2021. Low Cost Home Loan winner in the Mozo's Experts Choice award 2021.
Yard’s low-rate variable special home loan is packed with all features – unlimited additional repayments, free redraw, 100% offset account. Enjoy a simple online application. Special rate applies to home loan applications submitted by 31st May 2021. Low Cost Home Loan winner in the Mozo's Experts Choice award 2021.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Variable Home Loan Special
Owner Occupier, LVR<60%, Principal & Interest
Competitive low rate. No application or account management fees. Get the flexibility to split your loan and set different repayment types. Enjoy fee free withdrawals of your savings.
Competitive low rate. No application or account management fees. Get the flexibility to split your loan and set different repayment types. Enjoy fee free withdrawals of your savings.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Basic Home Loan
70-80% LVR, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
Fast online application with no fees. Free extra repayments and redraw facility. Min 20% deposit. To reward borrowers for paying down their home loan, Athena will now automatically lower the rate as the loan is paid down. Winner of three Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Fast online application with no fees. Free extra repayments and redraw facility. Min 20% deposit. To reward borrowers for paying down their home loan, Athena will now automatically lower the rate as the loan is paid down. Winner of three Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Liberate Variable Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <70%
A competitive rate for Aussies looking for a fast and flexible home loan. No credit scoring or ongoing fees. Extra repayments and redraw available. Get a dedicated specialist for the loan application process.
A competitive rate for Aussies looking for a fast and flexible home loan. No credit scoring or ongoing fees. Extra repayments and redraw available. Get a dedicated specialist for the loan application process.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Prime Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
Enjoy a super low rate. $0 fees to consider. Fast and easy online application. Free redraw and free extra repayments. Flexible payment terms. Min 20% deposit required.
Enjoy a super low rate. $0 fees to consider. Fast and easy online application. Free redraw and free extra repayments. Flexible payment terms. Min 20% deposit required.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the UHomeLoan - Discount Offer
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
A low-rate home loan that could save you thousands, with no ongoing fees plus unlimited extra repayments and free redraws. You'll need to be borrowing $1 million or less and have at least a 20% deposit required.
A low-rate home loan that could save you thousands, with no ongoing fees plus unlimited extra repayments and free redraws. You'll need to be borrowing $1 million or less and have at least a 20% deposit required.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Smart Home Loan 80
Fixed, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR 70-80%
Get a flexible loan structure with up to six loan accounts with different rate types. Make free extra repayments. Enjoy free redraw facility. No upfront or ongoing fees. Option to earn Qantas points.
Get a flexible loan structure with up to six loan accounts with different rate types. Make free extra repayments. Enjoy free redraw facility. No upfront or ongoing fees. Option to earn Qantas points.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Basic Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <70%
Yard’s low-rate variable special home loan is packed with all features – unlimited additional repayments, free redraw, 100% offset account. Enjoy a simple online application. Special rate applies to home loan applications submitted by 31st May 2021. Low Cost Home Loan winner in the Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Yard’s low-rate variable special home loan is packed with all features – unlimited additional repayments, free redraw, 100% offset account. Enjoy a simple online application. Special rate applies to home loan applications submitted by 31st May 2021. Low Cost Home Loan winner in the Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Variable Home Loan Special
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <80%
Well Balanced home loan is a low rate home loan with free online redraw and no valuation fee. Purchase, Refinance or Equity Release purposes allowed. Offset Home Loan winner in the Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Well Balanced home loan is a low rate home loan with free online redraw and no valuation fee. Purchase, Refinance or Equity Release purposes allowed. Offset Home Loan winner in the Mozo Expert's Choice Awards for 2021.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Well Balanced
^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Home loans Awards
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How much could you save by switching your home loan? Compare savings from over 500 home loans. Find out in a few clicks.
Written by: Tom Watson, Home Loans writer, 1 May 2021
Unless you’ve been neglecting your news feed you’ll know that Australians have been flocking to the property market of late. But the action hasn’t been confined to buyers and sellers, because Aussies with existing mortgages have also been refinancing their home loans in large numbers. According to the latest lending indicators from the Bureau of Statistics (ABS), owner occupiers and investors refinanced over $19 billion worth of loans in February alone.
Why are homeowners refinancing? Well, first of all, interest rates are still really low - we’re talking about some of the lowest levels they’ve ever been. So many mortgage holders are taking the opportunity to save money by switching from their existing offer to a loan with a lower rate. And if low rates weren’t enough of an incentive, lenders are also offering up cashback deals anywhere from $1,000 - $3,000 (and above) to eligible refinancers.
Would-be refinancers have plenty of choice in the way of competitively priced loans at present - whether they’re looking to lock in a fixed rate or keep their options open with a variable rate.
For instance, there are currently 31 lenders in the Mozo database offering variable rate home loans (to owner occupiers) with a headline rate below 2.50%. That list includes everyone from online lenders like Athena, loans.com.au, Homestar and Yard to bank lenders like Macquarie, ING, UBank and Suncorp.
Rates are even lower on the fixed rate front. There are numerous headline rates available to owner occupiers below 2.00% for 1-4 years terms, including from online lenders, big four banks, challenger banks and credit unions.
The lowest variable rate home loans for owner occupiers offered by ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac are currently hovering around the 2.70% mark which is largely where they’ve sat for the past year. As we noted above, there are plenty of lenders with variable rates below that mark though.
The story is different when it comes to fixed rates though. The big four are in the mix with the more competitive fixed rates on the market, especially on 2, 3 and 4-year fixed rate terms.
Lowest variable rate: 1.99% (2.05% comparison rate*) on the Reduce Home Loans Super Saver Variable home loan for LVRs <80%
Lowest 3-year rate: 1.79% (3.33% comparison rate*) on the Credit Union SA Special Offer Fixed Rate Home Loan (Package) for LVRs <80%
Lowest investor variable rate: 2.24% (2.30% comparison rate*) on the Well Home Loans Well Balanced home loan for LVRs <80%
Lowest investor 3-year fixed rate: 1.99% (3.37% comparison rate*) on the Police Credit Union Fixed Rate Home Loan for LVRs <80%
Your home loan is a long term financial commitment which can span anywhere from 25 to 30 years. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the same deal that whole time! Refinancing your home loan is the perfect way to score an offer that will save you money and suit your current budget better.
We’ve answered some of the most frequently asked home loan refinance questions below, to help get you started on the path to switching.
There are heaps of good reasons to refinance your home loan, from saving money to reworking your household budget. Some of the main ones include:
To save with lower repayments. One of the big perks of refinancing a home loan is that you can potentially save thousands of dollars by switching to a lower interest rate. Better in your pocket than the bank’s, right?
To pay your loan off faster. Another big benefit of refinancing is that, by switching to a lower interest rate but keeping up the same repayments you make now, you can shave years off your loan term. This will not only mean you’re mortgage free
sooner, but will also save you on interest.
To access flexible features. When you were wading into the world of home loans for the first time, you might have decided to keep things simple with a basic no-frills option. But now that you’ve had that loan for a few years (or a decade) you
might want to refinance to an option with a few more features, like an offset account, extra repayments or a redraw facility.
Because your LVR has changed. If you picked up your first home loan with a small deposit of 10% or even 5%, then you probably didn’t get the absolute best interest rate around, since the best offers are reserved for borrowers with LVRs of 80% or below. Once you’ve paid off some of your loan and your LVR decreases, you may be able to snag a better interest rate.
Because your financial situation has changed. Chances are, some things have changed since you first signed up for your home loan. Maybe you got a new job, or you had kids, or you paid off other debts that were dragging you down. All these things can mean that a different home loan offer will now suit you better.
Refinancing your home loan simply means that you take out a new home loan to replace your old one. Benefiting from a lower interest rate, access to more features and greater flexibility are just some of the reasons why a number of people choose to refinance.
When you switch home loans you will more often than not have to use some or all of the funds to pay off your old home loan. Depending on what works best for you or what deals are available when you’re looking to refinance, you can either stick with your existing lender or switch to a new one entirely.
It simply depends on where you can find the best deal to benefit you. If your existing lender has an enticing home loan package that you want to switch to then it’s definitely worth looking into, or if an online lender has a rate that catches your eye, you might want to get more information about that.
Once you’ve decided which lender/home loan you want to switch to, your new lender will pay out your existing home loan in full with your new home loan.
Okay, we know the main reason you’re thinking about refinancing is probably
because of the savings on offer - but just how much cash can you put back in your pocket by switching to a better home loan deal?
That will depend on your loan amount, how long you have left on your loan term and what interest rate you’re switching to and from. But to give you an idea, let’s look at an example.
Say you have $400,000 left on your home loan and you’re 10 years into a 30 year loan with an interest rate of 4.20%. If you stick with this loan, your monthly repayments would be $1,956, and over the next 20 years, you’d pay $152,207 in interest.
Now, imagine you refinance that loan to an offer with 3.60% interest. Your monthly repayments would drop to $1,819, and over the next 20 years, you’d pay $125,650. That’s a saving of $26,557. Imagine the luxury holiday you could take with that!
If you’ve decided to refinance your home loan to a better deal, now comes the tricky part of finding the right home loan to switch. Since the goal of refinancing is to save on your repayments, choosing a loan with a lower interest rate is critical. So if you’d like to find out how much you could be saving on your home loan, make our Home Loans Interest Rates page your next stop.
Despite the fact that the ultimate goal of refinancing is to save you money in the long run, initially there may be some costs involved. These costs will mostly come in the form of fees.
Of course, if you’re staying with the same lender and simply switching to another home loan, you may be able to avoid any additional charges. However, if you’re jumping ship to an entirely new home loan lender or bank, then chances are your old lender may hit you up for a penalty or exit fee.
Below is a list of some of the fees you may have to pay while refinancing:
It’s clear that refinancing your home loan can come with a fee or two to start with, which is why doing your research and figuring out your long term savings is key. Basically you just have to make sure that what you save in the long run, will far outweigh what you have to pay upfront to switch. You can use Mozo’s home loans switch and save calculator to get some idea of what your savings will be.
The simple answer is yes - refinancing your home loan could have an impact on your credit score.
But, as Oscar Wilde once wrote “everything in moderation, including moderation.” In other words, unless you’re refinancing all over the shop, multiple times in one year, switching your home loan shouldn’t have a huge impact on your overall score.
When you refinance a loan, your potential new lender will conduct an official check of your current credit report. This is known as a hard pull credit inquiry and will be listed on your credit history. The number of hard pull credit inquiries you have listed on your report can affect your overall credit score, so it’s best to only apply for a new home loan if you’re positive you want to switch.
Too many hard pull inquiries conducted in a short space of time, could potentially have a negative impact on your credit score. The key takeaway is to do your research, be selective and to only apply when you’re positive the new lender and home loan has a lot to offer you.
Refinancing your home loan is not always the best idea. For starters, you might
already be on the best home loan offer around, in which case, it's unnecessary. But even if you do spy a lower rate when comparing home loans, refinancing may not be a good move, if you:
That’s a tricky question. At first, when you’re researching your refinance home loan options and getting all your necessary documentation together, you’re entirely in charge of how long it takes - you might get it all done in an afternoon, or you could do it over a week or two.
Once you’ve applied for the refinancing loan, things are in the bank’s hands and there’s two options: fast track refinancing, or standard refinancing.
While you’re refinancing your home loan, why not score some handy features to help you save even more? There are tonnes of different home loans, ranging from basic options to full feature packages with all the bells and whistles, so you’re sure to find an option that has the features you want.
A couple to keep an eye out for include:
One of the barriers to refinancing is that there are a number of fees that may apply when you do so. First of all, when you close out your old loan, you might be hit with a discharge or early break fee.
Then the new loan may include all the usual fees, such as application fee, valuation fee or yearly service fee. You should keep these in mind when deciding to refinance, and make sure the cost of fees doesn’t outweigh the benefit of making a switch.
If you’re ready to take the plunge and refinance your mortgage to a better deal, you can start by comparing your home loan options in the table above. When you find the perfect fit, just click the blue ‘go to site’ button to go through to the lender’s website to get the ball rolling and apply to refinance.
Or you could try out our Switch and Save calculator, which will not only show you a bunch of refinancing home loan options, but also how much you could save by making a change.
Do not recommend! NAB or your broker will lock you into a non-competitive rate and charge you the $395/year on top of this so you can wait 1+hour to talk to 3 people in a call centre who will all ask you the same questions despite you having answered them and waste your precious life and then decide they can't help you anytime you have a query. While some try to, for whatever reason, their system is always slow or down, none of their back-end team are ever connected or seem to be in the same place as each other so you're dealing with a completely silo'd and disconnected group of people. When you finally get through to someone, you spend another 1 hour talking to someone in Australia (which is what the $395 plus your excessive interest rate is paying for presumably), guaranteeing you XYZ with no follow-up in writing before not actioning your query. You are then left to join the call centre queue again and if they don't hang up on you after the 1 hour+ you are in line, they'll screw up your query again and again and again. They used to assign a retention officer if they really screwed up (thrice over 2 years for me) with email details so you didn't have to wait in line but they know longer do this anymore, presumably due to high demand and all the screw-ups. Their first offer after a complaint is to refund the yearly fee and if you threaten to go to the Financial Ombudsman they may then write you a polite email - no other financial refund is available despite you being penalised in time and money for their shortcomings. Really do you numbers to see if you need to be using a Big 4 bank - the interest rate is everything. A half a % change can mean 000's saved in a year and more in the long run and breaking a fixed rate can be earnt back within a reasonable time if you get a spreadsheet out and just use an afternoon to see how it all works. If you've only got a year or two left on a fixed loan, the economic break cost is generally under 1k and if another provider is offering 3-4k joining bonus, just do it (there are also exit fees). This was a revelation for a non-numbers person after I just became so frustrated with being ripped off. Don't get drawn into the big banks providing a "safety net" - they are just using their excess fees to try to pay for their clunky, dated systems and all the support they need for this, CBD offices and amenities, Australian-based call centre staff and management teams to design KPIs, scripts, incentives for staff etc.
Read full reviewDo not recommend! NAB or your broker will lock you into a non-competitive rate and charge you the $395/year on top of this so you can wait 1+hour to talk to 3 people in a call centre who will all ask you the same questions despite you having answered them and waste your precious life and then decide they can't help you anytime you have a query. While some try to, for whatever reason, their system is always slow or down, none of their back-end team are ever connected or seem to be in the same place as each other so you're dealing with a completely silo'd and disconnected group of people. When you finally get through to someone, you spend another 1 hour talking to someone in Australia (which is what the $395 plus your excessive interest rate is paying for presumably), guaranteeing you XYZ with no follow-up in writing before not actioning your query. You are then left to join the call centre queue again and if they don't hang up on you after the 1 hour+ you are in line, they'll screw up your query again and again and again. They used to assign a retention officer if they really screwed up (thrice over 2 years for me) with email details so you didn't have to wait in line but they know longer do this anymore, presumably due to high demand and all the screw-ups. Their first offer after a complaint is to refund the yearly fee and if you threaten to go to the Financial Ombudsman they may then write you a polite email - no other financial refund is available despite you being penalised in time and money for their shortcomings. Really do you numbers to see if you need to be using a Big 4 bank - the interest rate is everything. A half a % change can mean 000's saved in a year and more in the long run and breaking a fixed rate can be earnt back within a reasonable time if you get a spreadsheet out and just use an afternoon to see how it all works. If you've only got a year or two left on a fixed loan, the economic break cost is generally under 1k and if another provider is offering 3-4k joining bonus, just do it (there are also exit fees). This was a revelation for a non-numbers person after I just became so frustrated with being ripped off. Don't get drawn into the big banks providing a "safety net" - they are just using their excess fees to try to pay for their clunky, dated systems and all the support they need for this, CBD offices and amenities, Australian-based call centre staff and management teams to design KPIs, scripts, incentives for staff etc.
I have worked in the finance industry for over 30 years and without a doubt Mortgage House is the worst Mortgage Brokering company I have dealt with on many levels: 1. Communication - The broker Ken Sayer is elusive and refuses to accept phone calls, he only makes 15 minute appointments and his team does not return phone calls and ignore requests to do so. 2. Pricing - We have 25% deposit and they are asking for a risk fee with any explanation as to why. Sounds like a simply money grab. 3. Trust & Convenience- The broker did not build any rapport, explain the process, discuss our requirements or exhibit any behaviour that he was working for our benefit. The lack of communication with loan detail is far from convenient because it leaves us wondering what is happening. 4. Customer service is non existent, it is almost as I am an inconvenience to their day. Don't they realise, the customer is the reason they exist.
Read full reviewI have worked in the finance industry for over 30 years and without a doubt Mortgage House is the worst Mortgage Brokering company I have dealt with on many levels: 1. Communication - The broker Ken Sayer is elusive and refuses to accept phone calls, he only makes 15 minute appointments and his team does not return phone calls and ignore requests to do so. 2. Pricing - We have 25% deposit and they are asking for a risk fee with any explanation as to why. Sounds like a simply money grab. 3. Trust & Convenience- The broker did not build any rapport, explain the process, discuss our requirements or exhibit any behaviour that he was working for our benefit. The lack of communication with loan detail is far from convenient because it leaves us wondering what is happening. 4. Customer service is non existent, it is almost as I am an inconvenience to their day. Don't they realise, the customer is the reason they exist.
This bank is nothing but trouble the entire way. We were charged 4 thousand because they took 60 days to get the finance. Then they we sold some land everyone had to wait literally 4 months just for mystate to do their part. My conveyancer and i have never seen anything like it. I could go on and on and on they literally dont care they are the slowest in the world and have zero problem stuffing you around non stop no matter how urgent your situation is they will not help you. Stay away
Read full reviewThis bank is nothing but trouble the entire way. We were charged 4 thousand because they took 60 days to get the finance. Then they we sold some land everyone had to wait literally 4 months just for mystate to do their part. My conveyancer and i have never seen anything like it. I could go on and on and on they literally dont care they are the slowest in the world and have zero problem stuffing you around non stop no matter how urgent your situation is they will not help you. Stay away
Whether you’re after the lates home reno trends, money-saving tips or cheapest home loan deals, Mozo’s moneyvators have it covered. Check out our collection of money savvy articles and top tips.
Find out how you can save on your home loan or learn about loan options for refinancing and investing with this series of helpful case studies and home loan scenarios.
Find the right home lender fast. Mozo details all home loan providers along with their home loan products right here so you compare rate, fees and features easily.
