How I'm Saving $87 a Week (or $4,500 This Year) on My Home Loan

By Kirsty Lamont · · 2 min read
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As a Director at comparison site Mozo.com.au, I consider myself to be pretty on top of my finances. So you can imagine the shock I got recently when reviewing my home loan rate to find that it had become seriously uncompetitive.

When I took out this loan with a smaller bank a few years ago, the rate delivered a serious saving on my previous loan. Secure in the knowledge I’d secured a great deal, I stopped paying close attention to my mortgage and focused on other things.

And that’s where I went wrong, because over the next couple of years my new lender proceeded to hike our rate little by little and hold back part of the Reserve Bank’s rate cuts over the same period.

I had become a victim of that time honoured tradition of banks fattening profit margins and was now paying 4.27% - more than 60 percentage points higher than the best rate on the market.

I knew there were now stacks of lenders offering rates below 4.00%, and after comparing the best loans decided to go with an online lender offering a super low variable rate... check out what's on offer in the comparison table below and then read on for the rest of my story.

Low Rate Home Loans – May 2018 - last updated 9 August 2022

Search promoted home loans below or do a full Mozo database search . Advertiser disclosure
  • Variable Home Loan 70

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    3.10% p.a. variable
    3.12% p.a.

    Affordable home loan rate for buyers or refinancers.. No monthly or ongoing fees. Option to add an offset for 0.10%. Access to savings with unlimited redraws available. Minimum 30% deposit required.

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    Details
  • Unloan Variable

    Owner Occupier, Refinance Only

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    3.14% p.a. variable
    3.06% p.a.

    For refinancers only. 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 in as little as 10 minutes.

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    Details
  • Featured Product
    Neat Home Loan

    Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <60%

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    3.14% p.a. variable
    3.16% p.a.

    Low variable rate No annual fees to pay. Unlimited additional repayments. Free redraw facility available. Fast digital application. 40% deposit required. Winner of Mozo Experts Choice Australia's Best Essential Bank 2022^.

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    Details
  • PAYG Home Loan

    Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR<80%

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    3.29% p.a. variable
    3.33% p.a.

    Low variable rate. Ideal for new home buyers or refinancers. Unlimited additional repayments. Unlimited free redraw. Application completely online. Optional 100% offset can be added for $120 p.a.. 20% deposit required.

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    Details
  • Celebrate Variable Home Loan

    <60% LVR, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    3.79% p.a. variable
    3.79% p.a.

    Fast and efficient online application. Automatic discounts as loan is paid down. Free extra repayments and redraw facility. Zero fees. Min 40% deposit required.

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    Details

Was it all worth it?

I’ve just completed the refinance process and sure, while there were some minor hassles with sending in paperwork and organising to be at home for the valuer, the time involved was actually quite minor when you consider the size of the savings. $87 a week to be precise, or just over $4,500 a year.

If that’s not worth putting in a few hours on paperwork then I don’t know what is!

The kicker in all of this is that a week before the refinance went through, I received a letter from my soon to be old lender advising of yet another rate increase. Not this time suckers!

So, if you haven’t reviewed your home loan rate lately I’d strongly advise you do. Who knows how much you could save by switching?

Rates correct at time of writing. How much you could save by refinancing your home loan depends on your personal circumstances.

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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, loan amount and term entered. 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.

^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Home Loan Awards

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