ME hikes home loan interest rates: does this mark the end of super low rates?
Online lender ME has announced it is increasing home loan interest rates across its variable mortgage range effective today, citing increased funding costs as the reason - and it’s not the first to do so.
ME hiked its standard variable rate for existing owner-occupier principal-and-interest borrowers with an 80% LVR by 6 basis points, bringing it to 5.09% p.a. (5.11% comparison rate).
Existing investor principal-and-interest borrowers were hit with a bigger increase of 11 basis points, while interest-only borrowers saw the biggest increase of 16 basis points.
ME home loan rate changes - April 2018
ME CEO Jamie McPhee said higher funding costs and an increase in regulatory requirements were the main reasons for the rate changes.
“Funding costs have been steadily increasing over the last few months primarily due to rising US interest rates that have flowed through to higher short-term interest rates in Australia,” he said.
“At the same time, industry reforms and increasing regulatory obligations are increasing our compliance costs.”
The move from ME follows a similar change from Suncorp in March, when it raised home loan rates by as much as 12 basis points, also citing funding pressure as the main reason.
“Funding costs have been steadily rising since the end of October. This has been driven by the outlook for US interest rates, as well as domestic factors,” said Suncorp Banking & Wealth CEO David Carter.
Mozo Data Manager Peter Marshall has been expecting funding pressures to result in more rate rises for a while now, and said borrowers can expect even more rate hikes to come.
“With the cost of finding overseas funding on the rise, I think a number of banks are going to start nudging their home loan rates up over the coming months,” he said.
“We’ve been in an incredibly low rate environment for a long time now - there hasn’t been an RBA rate rise since November 2010. But the RBA has flagged its intentions to start raising the cash rate, and the US Fed have already started raising rates, so Australia’s rock bottom borrowing rates can’t last forever.”
So if you’re borrowing or refinancing your existing mortgage, now’s the time to look around for a low rate option and maybe even to lock in a fixed rate. To get you started, check out some hot fixed rate home loan options below.
Hot fixed rate home loans 2018 - last updated 29 March 2024
-
Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Exceptional Value Home Lender - 2024
Fixed Express Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment5.99% p.a.
fixed 2 years6.14% p.a.Lock in a low 2 year fixed rate with the Mozo award winning Home Lender of the Year. Available for live-in borrowers with just a 10% deposit required. Free extra repayments (up to 20% in fixed period), free redraw and partial offset available. $10 monthly service fee.
CompareCompareFixed Express Home Loan
Lock in a low 2 year fixed rate with the Mozo award winning Home Lender of the Year. Available for live-in borrowers with just a 10% deposit required. Free extra repayments (up to 20% in fixed period), free redraw and partial offset available. $10 monthly service fee.
- interest rate
- 6.04% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.15% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.04% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.15% p.a.
- upfront fees
- $134
- Ongoing fees
- $10.00 monthly
- Discharge Fee
- $350.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - up to 20% during the fixed period
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- yes - partial only
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 90.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $5,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $3,000,000
- type of mortgage
- Fixed
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Bendigo Bank Fixed Express Home Loan
-
Basic Home Loan
Fixed, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR<70%
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment5.99% p.a.
fixed 3 years6.13% p.a.No upfront or ongoing fees. Free extra repayments and redraw facility. Option to earn Qantas points. Min 30% deposit required. Borrow up to $750,000.
CompareCompareBasic Home Loan
No upfront or ongoing fees. Free extra repayments and redraw facility. Option to earn Qantas points. Min 30% deposit required. Borrow up to $750,000.
- interest rate
- 5.99% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.13% p.a.
- interest rate
- 5.99% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.13% p.a.
- upfront fees
- $350
- Ongoing fees
- $0.00
- Discharge Fee
- $400.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - up to $10,000 p.a.
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- no
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 70.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $150,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $10,000,000
- type of mortgage
- Fixed
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Macquarie Basic Home Loan
-
Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Exceptional Value Home Lender - 2024
Fixed Express Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Interest Only
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment6.49% p.a.
fixed 2 years6.39% p.a.CompareCompareFixed Express Home Loan
- interest rate
- 6.54% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.38% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.54% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.38% p.a.
- upfront fees
- $134
- Ongoing fees
- $10.00 monthly
- Discharge Fee
- $350.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - up to 20% during the fixed period
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- yes - partial only
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 90.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $5,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $3,000,000
- type of mortgage
- Fixed
- Repayment types
- Interest Only
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Bendigo Bank Fixed Express Home Loan
-
Flex Home Loan
Fixed, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR 70-80%
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment5.99% p.a.
fixed 3 years6.41% p.a.Competitive fixed rate. Multiple offset accounts available. Borrowers can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process. 20% deposit required.
CompareCompareFlex Home Loan
Competitive fixed rate. Multiple offset accounts available. Borrowers can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process. 20% deposit required.
- interest rate
- 5.99% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.41% p.a.
- interest rate
- 5.99% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.41% p.a.
- upfront fees
- $250
- Ongoing fees
- $250.00 yearly
- Discharge Fee
- $300.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - free
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- yes
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- -
- maximum borrowing amount
- -
- type of mortgage
- Fixed
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the ubank Flex Home Loan
-
Fixed Rate Loan with Orange Advantage
Orange Advantage, Owner Occupiers, Principal & Interest, LVR <80%
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment6.09% p.a.
fixed 2 years6.16% p.a.Know exactly what your repayments will be, and you can fix your rate for up to 5 years. No monthly, annual fee or transaction fees. Free additional repayments (less than $10,000 p.a.). Valid for loans of $50,000 up to $2,000,000.
CompareCompareFixed Rate Loan with Orange Advantage
Know exactly what your repayments will be, and you can fix your rate for up to 5 years. No monthly, annual fee or transaction fees. Free additional repayments (less than $10,000 p.a.). Valid for loans of $50,000 up to $2,000,000.
- interest rate
- 5.99% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.12% p.a.
- interest rate
- 5.99% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.12% p.a.
- upfront fees
- $299
- Ongoing fees
- $0.00
- Discharge Fee
- $250.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - free up to $10,000 pa
- Redraw facility
- no
- Offset account
- no
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $50,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $2,000,000
- type of mortgage
- Fixed
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Fortnightly, Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the ING Fixed Rate Loan with Orange Advantage
Your selected home loans
Your selected home loans
Your selected home loans
Your selected home loans
Your selected home loans
* 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.
^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Home Loan 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.