Are there any fixed home loan rates that start with a 1?

The Reserve Bank of Australia has offered the clearest sign yet that it intends to raise the cash rate, meaning mortgage holders around the country could be looking at a very different interest rate environment in the coming months.

In fact, banks have been anticipating an eventual move by the RBA for a long time now. As a result, most of the fixed rates below 2% p.a. that borrowers once had access to have now disappeared.

This week, the last holdout from the ultra-low fixed rate era — G&C Mutual Bank — raised its 1-year fixed rates from 1.98% p.a. (1.99% p.a. comparison rate*) to 2.89% p.a. (2.94% p.a. comparison rate*). 

While there is one other loan in our database with fixed rates beginning with a 1 — Unity Bank’s 1.84% p.a. (4.05% p.a. comparison rate*) offer on 1-year terms — this is exclusive to first home buyers.

Fixed home loan rates trending upwards

When the RBA last cut rates in November 2020, lenders decided against extending relief to their variable rate customers and opted to slash fixed rates instead.

The big banks led the charge, with CommBank bringing 4-year rates down to 1.99% p.a. (3.66% p.a. comparison rate*) and NAB cutting 4-year rates to 1.98% p.a. (3.69% p.a. comparison rate*).

For a while, borrowers had access to some of the lowest fixed rates on record. But as the RBA’s pandemic era stimulus was unwound and talk of an eventual cash rate hike picked up, banks quickly reversed course.

Fixed rates have been trending upwards for around a year now, but things accelerated in 2022. The graph below shows how the average fixed rate among lenders we track has shot up in the last 12 months.

Average fixed home loan rates

What about variable rates?

While lenders did not decrease variable rates in line with the cash rate the last time the RBA made a move, that’s not to say they haven’t been steadily declining.

In the last 12 months alone, the average variable rate has fallen from 3.29% p.a. to 3.03% p.a. And at the time of writing, there are 17 lenders with variable rates below the 2% p.a. mark in our database.

Right now, lenders understand that reducing variable rates is a good way to get customers in the door while the market is running hot. But borrowers should keep in mind that lenders won’t hesitate to raise them again once the rate cycle turns.

For more information about mortgage and lending trends, head over to our home loan statistics page. And if you’re in the market for a home loan, visit our home loan comparison page, or browse the selection below.