Capped variable home loan makes Australian debut

House mortgaged by Northern Inland Credit Union Capped Home Loan collage

In a unique twist to savings, customer-owned NICU has just debuted its new Capped Home Loan, a variable interest rate home loan designed with rate hikes in mind. The loan has a built-in rate ceiling of 6.04% p.a. (6.39% p.a. comparison rate*) for three years, meaning no matter how much further rates rise, they won’t go beyond that for the capped term.

This unique loan is the first of its kind from the home loan products Mozo currently tracks in our database. Not to mention, the loan is quite competitive. The capped interest rate is 54 basis points lower than the current average variable interest rate in Mozo’s database (6.60%), with the headline rate even lower. 

Reserve Bank rate hikes have contributed significantly to the cost of living, rocketing variable interest rates across Australian home loans in the last year. Borrowers have had to get creative to save interest on their ballooning mortgage repayments, but we have seen too many efforts from lenders to address the problem aside from lifting rates on deposits and offering customer support. 

Not to mention fixed rate home loans are so scarily high they don’t offer much of a reprieve from the tide of rate hikes. And with variable rates rising even when the RBA holds the cash rate steady, what other options do borrowers have?

Enter Northern Inland Credit Union, a customer-owned bank based out of Tamworth, Gunnedah, and Narrabri. Its Capped Home Loan boasts all the features that make variable mortgages useful but with added protection from future rate hikes. Plus, it’s an online home loan, so you don’t need to be located in regional NSW. 

The loan’s features include additional repayments with a free redraw (though there is a minimum redraw of $500) and a 100% offset account. Fees include a $600 establishment fee and a $350 annual fee. 

However, the new offer is a timely reminder to compare your home loan options when buying property. You never know what you can find with little-known lenders, and the best offers aren’t always with the Big Four banks. Could this new style of lending catch on with other lenders?

Mozo banking expert Peter Marshall reminds us that looking out for the little guy can mean savings, especially when the bank’s priority is customer satisfaction first. Besides, a variable rate with a cap can mean greater flexibility than fixing your mortgage. 

“Sure, you can find some fixed rates better than some variable rates, but you’ll be losing flexibility,” says Mozo banking expert Peter Marshall.

“All the fixed rates, both term deposits and home loans, have been jumping up again as the expectation has increased that there will be more RBA rate hikes. But there are still some variable rates better than other variable rates, and people should hunt those down and get them.”

Compare variable home loans in the table below.

Last updated 4 May 2025 Important disclosures and comparison rate warning*
What are your home loan needs?
Loan purpose
Buying or Refinancing
  • Promoted

    Unloan Variable Home Loan

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 20% min deposit
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.74 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.65 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,915
    Go to site
    • Built by CommBank
    • The first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply)
    • No application or banking fees
  • Promoted

    Variable Home Loan

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 10% min deposit
    • Offset available
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.78 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.82 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,927
    Go to site
    • $0 application fee to pay
    • Unlimited additional repayments
    • Apply in as little as 15 minutes
  • Promoted

    Variable Home Loan 90

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 10% min deposit
    • Offset available
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.79 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.83 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,931
    Go to site
    • No monthly or ongoing fees
    • Option to add an offset for 0.10% p.a.
  • Home Loan

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 40% min deposit
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.69 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.70 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,899
    Go to site
    • Offset and non-offset options for flexible payments
    • No application and monthly account keeping fees
    • Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply)
  • Unloan Variable Home Loan

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 20% min deposit
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.74 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.65 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,915
    Go to site
    • Built by CommBank
    • The first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply)
    • No application or banking fees
  • Variable Home Loan

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 10% min deposit
    • Offset available
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.78 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.82 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,927
    Go to site
    • $0 application fee to pay
    • Unlimited additional repayments
    • Apply in as little as 15 minutes
  • Budget Home Loan

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 20% min deposit
    • Redraw available
    • Cashback
    Interest rate
    5.79 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.82 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,931
    Go to site
    • Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply)
    • Split loan available
  • Variable Home Loan 90

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 10% min deposit
    • Offset available
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.79 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.83 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,931
    Go to site
    • No monthly or ongoing fees
    • Option to add an offset for 0.10% p.a.
  • Neat Home Loan

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 40% min deposit
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.84 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.86 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,947
    Go to site
    • Free extra repayments
    • Easy redraw facility
    • No annual fee to pay
  • Flex Home Loan

    • Owner occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • 40% min deposit
    • Offset available
    • Redraw available
    Interest rate
    5.84 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.08 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,947
    Go to site
    • Multiple offset accounts available
    • Free extra repayments
    • Easy redraw facility
Showing 7 results from 415 home loans. Use the filters to see more

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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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