Big banks quick to drop home loan rates, but 3 fail to pass on full RBA cut

By Tom Watson · · 3 min read
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All four major Australian banks - ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac - have made cuts to their respective variable rate home loans following the Reserve Bank Board’s interest rate decision yesterday afternoon.

In a largely anticipated move, the RBA lowered the official cash rate by 25 basis points from 1.25% to 1.00% - an historically low level in Australia. 

And the big banks weren’t slow to hang around, with ANZ announcing its decision to pass on the full 25 basis point cut to owner occupier and investor customers just hours after the RBA’s decision.       

ANZ was widely criticised for failing to pass on the full rate cut to its customers after the June RBA rate cut, but it proved to be the only major bank to do so this time round, with it’s Standard Variable Rate for owner occupiers to drop from 5.18% p.a. (5.28% p.a. comparison rate*) to 4.93% p.a. (5.03% p.a. comparison rate*) as of July 12. 

“Today we have decided we will reduce variable interest rates for our home loan customers by 0.25% p.a. Importantly, we will apply this reduction across all our variable rate home loans,” said ANZ Group Executive, Australia Retail & Commercial, Mark Hand in a statement yesterday. 

“On balance, we believe this is the right decision for our home loan customers and for our business.” 

The Commonwealth Bank was also quick to jump on the rate cut bandwagon, but their customers might be less impressed as the bank failed to pass on the full 25 basis point cut across all of their variable rate offers. 

Instead, the bank will reduce their Standard Variable Rate home loan for owner occupiers by 0.19% from 5.12% p.a. (5.27% p.a. comparison rate*) to 4.93% p.a. (5.08% p.a. comparison rate*) as of July 23.


NAB also announced a 0.19% cut to its owner occupier and investor variable rate home loans, with it’s Tailored Home Loan for owner occupiers set to drop from 5.11% p.a. (5.24% p.a. comparison rate*) to 4.92% p.a. (5.05% p.a. comparison rate*) from July 12.   

Last of the big four to make a move last night was Westpac, with the bank announcing a 0.20% cut on variable home loan rates for owner occupiers meaning that its Rocket Repay Home Loan will drop from 5.18% p.a. (5.32% p.a. comparison rate*) to 4.98% p.a. (5.12% p.a. comparison rate*) from July 16.  

The decision from Westpac means that it was the only major bank not to pass on a full 25 basis point cut to its customers following either the RBA’s June or July interest rate drops. 

Failure to pass on full cut nets big banks billions 

So how much do the big banks pocket by failing to pass on the RBA’s full 25 point cuts? 

According to Mozo research, since 2016 the four major banks have made an astonishing $125 million per month (approximately) in additional revenue or $3.86 billion in total by failing to pass cuts on in full. 

Furthermore, the delay on actually passing on the cuts to their customers has netted the banks an additional $221 million since August 2016. 

“When you consider that last month ANZ and Westpac pocketed a $193 million annual windfall by holding back some of the official rate cut, it’s not surprising that three of the major banks found it too hard of an opportunity to pass up yesterday,” said Mozo Director, Kirsty Lamont.

RELATED: The best home loans in Australia

Several lenders, including Athena and Homestar have already moved to pass on the full 25 basis point cut to their customers following yesterday’s RBA decision, and if the response to the RBA’s June decision is anything to go by, there will be more to come in the coming days. 

Following the June RBA cut, Mozo recorded that 47 home loan lenders passed on the full 25 basis point rate cut, 32 passed on part of the cut while seven are yet to move significantly. 

Ready to take advantage of the latest rate cut to switch to a better offer? Start your search by checking out some of the hot offers in the table below, or compare even more great deals by heading over to the Mozo home loan comparison hub.

Home loan comparisons on Mozo

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Last updated 27 July 2024 Important disclosures and comparison rate warning*

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  • Unloan Variable

    • Owner Occupier
    • LVR <80%
    Interest rate
    5.99 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.90 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,995
    Go to site

    Built by CommBank, the Unloan is the first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply) for borrowers. No application or banking fees. No monthly account keeping or early exit fees. Apply online in minutes.

  • Basic Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • LVR<60%
    • Principal & Interest
    Interest rate
    6.14 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.16 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,043
    Go to site

    Enjoy a low rate home loan with $0 application fee and $0 ongoing fees. Flexibility to split your loan and set different repayment types. Fee free redraw from your loan using online banking. Flexible ways to repay. 40% Deposit required.

  • Neat Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <60%
    Interest rate
    6.09 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.11 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,027
    Go to site

    Competitively-priced variable rate loan. Ideal for owner occupiers and investors. No service fees to pay. Make free extra repayments and redraws. Flexible repayment schedule available.

  • Special Real Deal Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <80%
    Interest rate
    6.09 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.13 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,027
    Go to site

    Refinancers or first home buyers pay no monthly or annual fees. Up to $3,000 cashback when you complete your home loan application online. $2,000 cashback on loans ≥$250K; or $3,000 cashback on loans ≥$500K. LVR ≤80%. T&Cs and credit criteria apply.

  • Unloan Variable

    • Owner Occupier
    • LVR <80%
    Interest rate
    5.99 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.90 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,995
    Go to site

    Built by CommBank, the Unloan is the first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply) for borrowers. No application or banking fees. No monthly account keeping or early exit fees. Apply online in minutes.

  • OMG Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • <60% LVR
    Interest rate
    5.99 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.02 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,995
    Go to site

    BCU Bank’s OMG owner occupied home loan offers a variety of great low rates depending on your deposit. Save with no ongoing annual fees. Access your extra payments when you need to through the redraw facility. Pre-approval valid for 3 months.

  • Express Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <90%
    Interest rate
    6.01 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.14 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,001
    Go to site

    Get online approval from the award-winning Bendigo Bank Express Home Loan. Multiple offset accounts and redraw available. 100% offset on variable rate loans and partial offset on fixed rate. Flexible repayment options. New home loans only.

  • Neat Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <60%
    Interest rate
    6.09 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.11 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,027
    Go to site

    Competitively-priced variable rate loan. Ideal for owner occupiers and investors. No service fees to pay. Make free extra repayments and redraws. Flexible repayment schedule available.

  • Special Real Deal Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <80%
    Interest rate
    6.09 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.13 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,027
    Go to site

    Refinancers or first home buyers pay no monthly or annual fees. Up to $3,000 cashback when you complete your home loan application online. $2,000 cashback on loans ≥$250K; or $3,000 cashback on loans ≥$500K. LVR ≤80%. T&Cs and credit criteria apply.

  • Basic Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • LVR<60%
    • Principal & Interest
    Interest rate
    6.14 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.16 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,043
    Go to site

    Enjoy a low rate home loan with $0 application fee and $0 ongoing fees. Flexibility to split your loan and set different repayment types. Fee free redraw from your loan using online banking. Flexible ways to repay. 40% Deposit required.

  • Flex Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <60%
    Interest rate
    6.14 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.38 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,043
    Go to site

    Competitive variable rate. Multiple offset accounts available. Borrowers can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process. 40% deposit required.

  • Offset Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • LVR<60%
    • Principal & Interest
    Interest rate
    6.14 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.39 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,043
    Go to site

    Ability to open up to 10 offset accounts per loan account. Fast online application. Linked Debit Mastercard® with fee-free access at ATMs across Australia. Package a credit card with your home loan and the annual card fee will be waived (T&Cs apply). 40% deposit required.

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* WARNING: This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. The comparison rate displayed is for a secured loan with monthly principal and interest repayments for $150,000 over 25 years.

** Initial monthly repayment figures are estimates only, based on the advertised rate. You can change the loan amount and term in the input boxes at the top of this table. Rates, fees and charges and therefore the total cost of the loan may vary depending on your loan amount, loan term, and credit history. Actual repayments will depend on your individual circumstances and interest rate changes.

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