This week in banking news - mortgage interest rates, energy and term deposits

In this week’s banking recap, we look at Westpac’s recent mortgage interest rate cut, why more and more Aussies are choosing customer owned banks over the big four, Enova Energy rolling out to Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong and Judo Bank's new term deposit.

How new energy regulations have had an affect on energy prices two months later

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the energy regulations brought in on July 1, 2019 may have benefited customers just two months on. In the Australian Energy Regulator (AER)’s August 2019 electricity market report, it revealed that the annual savings on standing offers could now be between $130 and $430. Did you notice a difference in your energy bill? If not, perhaps it’s time to see what other energy plans are on the market. Why not check out our energy cost cruncher to see if you could be getting a better deal.

Renewable energy company Enova due to roll out to Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong

In more energy news, we covered renewable energy company Enova Energy’s plans to roll out to Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong on October 1, 2019. Enova puts 50% of profits (after tax and reinvestment) back into the community, investing in renewable energy projects, energy education and energy efficiency. They even have plans to launch Sydney’s very first solar garden in November 2019. 

Judo Bank competes on term deposit rates

Judo Bank may be new to the world of Australian term deposits, but the neobank certainly haven’t wasted any time getting competitive with its interest rates. In fact, at the time of writing, Judo Bank’s 2.40% term deposit rate is the highest term deposit rate in the Mozo database for 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year and 5 year terms. So if you’re looking to stash your money away for a period of time and you’re in the market for a sweet interest rate, Judo Bank’s term may just be worth checking out.

ING cuts rates for its popular Savings Maximiser account 

On the other end of the scale, ING cut the total maximum interest rate of its popular Savings Maximiser account down from 2.30% to 2.20%, with the base interest rate of 0.50% staying the same. That said, ING’s bonus interest rate still sits at the top end of the Mozo database for bonus interest rate savings accounts, with the average bonus interest rate sitting at 1.82% p.a. (at the time of writing). So if you want to start earning some sweet interest, why not check out ING’s Savings Maximiser or head to Mozo’s savings account comparison tool, to see if you could be stashing more cash.

More and more Aussies choosing customer owned banks over the big four

In other banking news, we took a look at how more and more Aussies are switching their allegiance to customer owned banks and turning away from the big four. According to the Quarterly ADI Statistics from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the customer owned banking sector has grown by 7.8% in the past year (a significant 5.2% more than major banks). 

RBA cuts in recent months may be a big factor in this recent trend, with customers more likely to find lower home loan rates with credit unions, mutual banks or building societies. Curious to find out if you could be getting a better deal on your home loan? Why not check out Mozo’s home loan comparison tool to see what else is out there.

Westpac cuts mortgage interest rates

We also had a look at how Westpac’s mortgage interest rate cuts might affect customers. The big bank recently cut as much as 130 basis points off a number of its fixed and variable home loan interest rates from its Premier Advantage package loans and Flexi loans. But despite these recent cuts, we calculated, using Mozo’s home loan comparison calculator, that there are still better deals to be found when it comes to taking out a home loan.

So if you’re searching for a home loan or you want to see how your current home loan compares to what else is out there, why not check out the home loan deals below and see if you could be saving a pretty penny.

*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.

Compare home loan deals

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loans.com.au

Smart Home Loan

Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest

interest rate

2.88% p.a. variable

comparison rate*

2.90% p.a.

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UBank

UHomeLoan - Discount Offer

Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest

interest rate

2.84% p.a. variableApply now to get this rate from 29 Oct

comparison rate*

2.84% p.a.Apply now to get this rate from 29 Oct

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Athena

Variable Home Loan

Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest

interest rate

2.84% p.a. variable

comparison rate*

2.80% p.a.

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HSBC

Discounted Home Value Loan

Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest

interest rate

3.02% p.a. variableApply now to get this rate from 21 Oct

comparison rate*

3.04% p.a.Apply now to get this rate from 21 Oct

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ME

Flexible Home Loan (Member Package)

Owner Occupier, LVR less than 80%, Principal & Interest

interest rate

3.34% p.a. variable

comparison rate*

3.78% p.a.

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