Your selected personal loans
Despite the ongoing challenges faced by consumers due to the current cost of living crisis and ever-changing economic conditions, the RBA has once again decided to hold the Australian cash rate at the latest RBA meeting.
This emerging pattern of RBA rate holds could hopefully signal a greater sense of stability across personal finance products such as personal loans. Australians looking for ways to fund a significant upcoming expense like a trip, new set of wheels or home reno might consider a personal loan. It’s also worth noting that personal loan interest rates aren’t always directly affected by the official cash rate.
That being said, it is always imperative to do your homework before taking out a new loan—or any financial product, for that matter. Things can change.
At Mozo, we have data on over 300 personal loans to help you compare loan options to find one to suit your needs. Let’s take a look at how personal loan interest rates are stacking up this month:
After a long period of cash rate hikes, it appears that the Reserve Bank of Australia is finally taking a beat – with rates starting to stabilise. So, if you’re in the market for a personal loan, 2024 could be the time to start comparing your options.
Nowadays, it’s pretty standard for lenders to offer personalised interest rates – meaning that the better your credit score/history is, the more likely you’ll be to get offered a more competitive interest rate. Lenders are moving away from the “one-size-fits-all” approach to personal loans.
Many lenders are branching out with specific loans and interest rates based on your loan purpose, whether it's doing a home renovation, making green improvements or consolidating debt. Green loans have been consistently some of the lowest rates we track here at Mozo.
Let’s take a look at the current lowest personal loan rates in the Mozo database for April 2024:
Looking to see how interest rates are performing across other banking products this month? Check out our latest monthly snapshots for home loan interest rates, car loan interest rates, savings account interest rates or term deposit interest rates.
Fixed
Borrow up to $50,000 unsecured. Perfect if you earn more than $22,100 p.a. and have good to excellent credit. Multi-year winner of Mozo’s Experts Choice Unsecured Personal Loan Award, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024^'
Repayment terms from 2 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.75% would cost $35,430.23 including fees.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the NOW Finance Unsecured Personal Loan
Your selected personal loans
Fixed
Fast, easy and 100% online, this is a low cost loan with no ongoing fees or extra repayment penalties. It's perfect for savvy borrowers with great credit. If you’re over 18 and earn above $30,000, you could qualify (other eligibility criteria may apply).
Repayment terms from 3 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 5.76% would cost $35,173.52 including fees.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Harmoney Unsecured Personal Loan
Your selected personal loans
Excellent Credit
Competitive low rates for borrowers with excellent credit on 1-7 year loans from $2,001 up to $75,000, plus free extra repayments. Winner of Mozo's Experts Choice Excellent Credit Unsecured Personal Loan 2024 and Excellent Credit Secured Personal Loan 2024 awards ^. Min. income of 25k after tax, to apply.
Repayment terms from 1 year to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.57% would cost $35,528.12 including fees.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the OurMoneyMarket Low Rate Personal Loan
Your selected personal loans
Secured
Access fast finance on loans from $5,000 to $25,000 with a Jacaranda Finance Personal Loan. Terms from 24-48 months. Check if you qualify with no impact on your credit score. Enjoy a speedy, online approval.
Repayment terms from 2 years to 4 years. Representative example: a 3 year $10,000 loan at 14.95% would cost $14,324.71 including fees.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Jacaranda Finance Express Personal Loan
Your selected personal loans
Competitive fixed rates on loans up to $75,000 depending on your credit score. Zero monthly account keeping fees, no exit fees and no early repayment fees. Make weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments, over 1 to 7 years managed entirely online, at any time. Fast and easy, 100% online application.
Repayment terms from 1 year to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.57% would cost $35,528.12 including fees.
Your selected personal loans
Roll multiple debts into one loan to streamline your finances with one set of repayments and one interest rate. Competitive fixed interest rates with no monthly or early repayment fees and flexible repayment options. Easy online application and funding in as little as 24 hours (subject to approval).
Repayment terms from 3 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 5.76% would cost $35,173.52 including fees.
Your selected personal loans
Mozo has partnered up with LoanOptions.ai, one of Australia’s most powerful tools for finding the loan options that are right for you.
Looking for a suitable personal loan with a fuss-free application process? Get started below to let LoanOptions.ai help you on your journey today.
^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Personal loans Awards
Mozo provides general product information. We don't consider your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and we aren't recommending any specific product to you. You should make your own decision after reading the PDS or offer documentation, or seeking independent advice.
While we pride ourselves on covering a wide range of products, we don't cover every product in the market. If you decide to apply for a product through our website, you will be dealing directly with the provider of that product and not with Mozo.
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Personal loan lenders set their own interest rates on their products; however, they're influenced by the official cash rate set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).
After its monthly meeting, the RBA will announce whether they have made changes to the official cash rate. This could be increasing, decreasing or keeping it the same. There are a number of things that influence the shift of the rate, including spending and employment stats, as well as inflation and economic growth. In order to slow borrowing, economic activity and inflation, the RBA will make the rate higher. Alternatively, however, if they want to stimulate these things, they will lower it.
Generally speaking, Australian lenders adjust interest rates after the RBA makes its announcement.
There are two types of personal loan interest rates: variable or fixed. The rate can influence how much your repayments are and ultimately how much the loan will cost you overall. Plus, there is also the comparison rate to be aware of, which encompasses not only the headline rate but also fees.
Read on for a deeper look into how each type of interest rate works.
One option when choosing a personal loan is a variable rate. This type of rate can change over the life of the loan and move up or down as the market moves. Where variable rates are handy is if rates are slashed, as you’ll end up paying less in interest than when you took out the loan. But it can also work in the opposite way. If rates are hiked up, you’ll face a larger interest repayment than you did before.
The bonus of a variable personal loan is that you are unlikely to be charged an early repayment penalty if you pay off your loan ahead of schedule. So a variable option may be right for you if you are okay with potential changes to your rate and plan to make additional repayments.
Alternatively, you could go for a fixed rate instead. This is where you get the same interest rate over the whole duration of the loan. So, if you are consistent with your regular repayments, you’ll end up paying the same amount each week, fortnight or month.
The benefit here is that if interest rates are increased, your loan won’t be affected as you’ve locked in your rate. On the other hand, it also means that if rates go down, yours won’t change either. And it’s also important to note that, unlike variable rate personal loans, lenders are more likely to charge an early repayment fee on fixed options.
When weighing up different personal loan options, it’s crucial to consider the comparison rate. Unlike the headline rate, it combines both the interest and fees you will pay as well.
In accordance with the National Credit Code, it is a requirement that Aussie lenders advertise comparison rates on their products. This is because it is a more accurate representation of what the loan might actually cost rather than the headline rate alone. In most cases, the comparison rate is higher as the addition of fees and charges on the loan make it more costly to the customer. So it’s important that when looking at potential personal loan products, you ensure the headline rate and comparison rate aren’t significantly different. Because if they are, it means you’ll likely face a number of hefty costs on the loan.
Want a hand to start comparing? Check out the Mozo personal loan comparison calculator.
When it comes to online lenders versus banks, there’s not much difference in interest rates. Instead, you should consider the way you plan to manage your loan and what your preferences are.
On the one hand, if you like traditional forms of banking, including the option to head to your local branch, choosing a personal loan from a bank may be better for you. However, if you don’t mind managing your loan online, weigh up both banks and digital lenders to see who offers the most competitive rates.
More and more Australian personal loan lenders are offering customers customised interest rates based on their credit score. This is called risk-based pricing, where interest rates are determined in accordance with how likely a lender thinks the borrower is to default on their loan.
How do you know if a loan offers risk-based pricing? Well, instead of advertising one rate, they’ll be a minimum and maximum rate on offer. Based on a customer’s credit history, a lender is able to offer a rate that sits anywhere between the two numbers advertised. So, to put it simply, those with excellent credit will receive a low rate, and those with poor credit will receive a high rate.
While this type of pricing model may sound like it only benefits those with a good credit score, it actually opens up more opportunities for those with bad credit, too. As in some cases, lenders that don’t have risk-based pricing may deny them the loan altogether.
There’s a range of different things to consider when choosing the best personal loan interest rate for you, along with a number of lenders to weigh up. So make sure you shop around and read the fine print so that the loan you sign up for fits in your budget.
A great starting point is right here at Mozo! We have a range of handy tools to help you:
Personal loan comparison page where you can weigh up different lenders and products.
Personal loan calculators where you can determine what your repayments might be, how much you can borrow and compare your options.
Personal loan guides for an in-depth look at how personal loans work and all the tips and tricks you need.
Plus, if you are after more on loan products in general, you can check out our loans page or more interest rate guides.
There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to decking between a fixed or variable rate. Consider your financial situation and figure out what you think will suit it best. Refer to the breakdown of variable and fixed rates above for more information.
A number of things affect how your personal loan repayment is calculated. These include the interest rate you receive, your repayment schedule (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) and the length of your loan.
Simply put, your repayment is made up of two parts: your principal, which is what you borrowed, and interest, which is what the bank charges for lending you the money. Initially, a larger amount of your repayment goes towards paying interest but as your principal lessens the amount of interest you pay reduces. So as your loan comes to an end, most of your repayment goes towards the principal amount, not interest.
For the specifics on how much your interest might be on a personal loan you’re considering, take a look at our personal loan repayments calculator.
While finding a personal loan with a killer interest rate should be one of your top priorities, another thing to compare are the features. These often help with making repayments more flexible and can sometimes assist you pay down your loan sooner.
Some include:
Free extra repayments
Redraw facility
Weekly, fortnightly and/or monthly repayment schedule options
Variety of loan terms
But keep in mind, try to keep your fees low. Don’t end up coughing up too much for things like application fees, monthly fees, exit fees or early repayment fees.
It’s important to remember that when looking around for a personal loan, you may be able to negotiate with a lender on what they are initially offering. While they don’t promote the fact that rates are negotiable, it may be worth asking, especially if you’ve seen a more competitive product with another lender.
Ultimately, lenders want your business. So they may be open to taking a small decrease in your interest repayments to ensure they don’t lose you as a customer.
The aim when taking out a personal loan is to pay as little interest as possible. Other than locking in a competitive rate, there are also other tricks to keeping your interest repayments to a minimum.
Make extra repayments where you can to reduce your principal and interest you pay.
Choose a shorter term to reduce the length of time you pay interest.
If you don’t need a loan straight away, make moves to improve your credit score so you can receive a lower rate on your loan.
Your selected personal loans