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.

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Last updated 24 November 2024 Important disclosures and comparison rate warning*

Home loan comparisons on Mozo

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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.

  • Fixed Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <95%
    Interest rate
    5.69 % p.a.
    Fixed 3 years
    Comparison rate
    6.28 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,899
    Go to site

    Get the security of a competitive fixed rate home loan for 2 years with IMB. Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply). Up to 12 months repayments in advance without penalties. Free Internet and Mobile Banking redraws (T&Cs apply). Up to a 30 year loan term. Split loan available. No offset account.

  • Fixed Rate

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • <80% LVR
    Interest rate
    5.74 % p.a.
    Fixed 3 years
    Comparison rate
    6.81 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,915

    Enjoy up to $3000 cashback for eligible first home buyers and $2000 cashback for refinancers on eligible home loans with the ANZ Fixed Rate Home Loan. Get the security of repayment certainty with a competitive locked in rate. No ongoing fees to pay. Offset account on 1-year fixed loans ($10/month fee applies). Interest-only payments allowed.

  • 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.

  • Budget Home Loan

    • LVR <80%
    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    Interest rate
    6.04 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.07 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,011
    Go to site

    Enjoy a discounted variable home loan from IMB. Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply). Life-of-loan discount off IMB’s standard variable interest rate. Unrestricted additional repayments. Free Internet and Mobile Banking redraws (T&Cs apply). No monthly fees to pay. Up to a 30 year loan term. Split loan available. No offset account.

  • Mortgage Simplifier

    • LVR<80%
    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    Interest rate
    6.14 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.17 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,043

    Get a competitive variable rate with ING’s Mortgage Simplifier. Free extra repayments, no monthly or annual fees. Freedom to make free extra repayments or redraws.

  • Elevate

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • <80% LVR
    Interest rate
    6.18 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.18 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,056

    Get competitive rates on loan terms of 5 to 30 years with the Aussie Elevate Home Loan. Structure your loan with up to five splits. Make additional repayments (T&Cs apply). Offset accounts available. Unlimited redraw using your online banking account. Choose from weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments For loan amounts from $10,000 to $5 million.

Showing 6 of 430 home loans. Use the filters to see more
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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. 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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