Top personal loan myths busted

A personal loan can be a handy and cost-effective way to achieve big milestones in your life, like buying your first car or renovating your home, not to mention extremely useful for consolidating existing debt or establishing a good credit history.
But not all personal loans are created equal and this handy financial tool is often misunderstood. So to put your mind at ease, Mozo Director Kirsty Lamont has put to bed four of the top myths around personal loans.
MYTH 1. Your bank is the best place to start
Approaching your current bank might seem like the easiest way to apply for a personal loan, but it doesn’t guarantee you the lowest interest rate. According to the Mozo database, personal loan rates range from under 10% to a whopping 17.57%. What are the chances that your bank offers the best deal?
“There is so much choice when it comes to applying for a personal loan, which is why it’s a great idea to start by using a personal loan comparison tool, so you can be confident that you’re aiming for the best value offer around. Plus, even if you do wind up back at your current bank, comparing interest rates first gives you some ammunition to start haggling for a better deal,” says Lamont.
Hot personal loan rates right now
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Low Rate Personal Loan
Excellent Credit, $5,000 - $75,000, or up to $100,000 for eligible purposes
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.57% p.a.to 8.39% p.a.7.19% p.a.to 8.75% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsCompetitive low rates for borrowers with excellent credit on 1-7 year loans from $5,000 up to $75,000 (or up to $100K for home improvements or car loans); plus free extra repayments. Winner of Mozo's Experts Choice Excellent Credit Unsecured Personal Loan 2024 and Excellent Credit Secured Personal Loan 2024 awards ^. Min. income of 25k after tax, to apply.
Repayment terms from 1 year to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.57% would cost $35,528.12 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 8.39% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 8.75% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 8.39% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 8.75% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- $250.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $35.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- $0.00
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $75,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 1 Year
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- Loan amounts up to $100,000 are available for vehicle purchase or home improvement purposes.
- Other restrictions
- Rate for Excellent Credit. Establishment fee varies from $250 and is based on your OurMoneyMarket loan grade and total loan amount. The fee is added to the principal amount and paid over the loan term.
Read reviews and learn more about OurMoneyMarket personal loans
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Unsecured Personal Loan
Fixed
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.45% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.6.45% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsBorrow up to $50,000 unsecured. Perfect if you earn more than $22,100 p.a. and have good to excellent credit. Multi-year winner of Mozo’s Experts Choice Unsecured Personal Loan Award, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024^'
Repayment terms from 2 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.45% would cost $35,176.93 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.45% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.45% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 6.45% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.45% p.a.to 26.95% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- $0.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $0.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly
- Early repayment penalty
- 0
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $50,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 2 Years
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- Rates based on borrower with excellent credit score. Maximum 3 year term for loan amounts $8,000 or less.
Read reviews and learn more about NOW Finance personal loans
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Secured Personal Loan
Fixed
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment5.90% p.a.to 19.19% p.a.6.33% p.a.to 20.77% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsCompetitive rates depending on credit score. No monthly or early repayment fees. No penalties for paying your loan off sooner. Borrow from $5,000 to $80,000. Your choice of 3, 5 or 7 year terms. You will be given the option to use a vehicle as collateral to secure your loan. One upfront fee applies.
Repayment terms from 3 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 5.90% would cost $35,025.41 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 5.90% p.a.to 19.19% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.33% p.a.to 20.77% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 5.90% p.a.to 19.19% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.33% p.a.to 20.77% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- $310.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $10.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- 0
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $80,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 3 Years
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Vehicle
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- Interest rate and establishment fee vary according to an individuals credit history. Rates and fees shown are for an Excellent Credit borrower. Establishment fee ranges from $310 to $1,035.
Read reviews and learn more about MoneyPlace personal loans
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Debt Consolidation Loan
$5,000-$75,000
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.57% p.a.to 18.99% p.a.7.19% p.a.to 19.39% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsCompetitive fixed rates on loans up to $75,000 depending on your credit score. Zero monthly account keeping fees, no exit fees and no early repayment fees. Make weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments, over 1 to 7 years managed entirely online, at any time. Fast and easy, 100% online application.
Repayment terms from 1 year to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.57% would cost $35,528.12 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 18.99% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 19.39% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 18.99% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 19.39% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- $250.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $35.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- $0.00
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $75,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 1 Year
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- Loan amounts up to $100,000 are available for vehicle purchase or home improvement purposes.
- Other restrictions
- Interest rates may vary depending on assessment of application. Establishment fee varies from $250 and is based on your OurMoneyMarket loan grade and total loan amount. The fee is added to the principal amount and paid over the loan term.
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Ready Credit Personal Loan - 3 Year Fixed Rate, Balance Transfer Offer
Unsecured
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.90% p.a.n/aEnjoy a competitive rate on the initial balance that you request to be transferred to your bank account within 3 months of approval. Choose your repayments each month above the minimum payment due. Apply online in as little as 10 minutes. Only pay interest on the amount you have used, not on your whole credit limit. A one-off establishment fee of $249. This product is provided by National Australia Bank Limited, using certain trademarks temporarily under licence from Citigroup Inc.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.90% p.a.
- comparison rate
- n/a
- interest rate
- 6.90% p.a.
- comparison rate
- n/a
- Upfront fee
- $249.00
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $15.00
- Repayment options
- Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- $0.00
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $75,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 0 Years
- Maximum loan term
- 3 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- 6.90% for 3 years on loans up to $75,000, with any unpaid amount reverting to 22.49% p.a. variable rate after three years. Application and supporting documents must be submitted by 1st August 2025 end date.
Read reviews and learn more about Citi personal loans
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Unsecured Personal Loan
Fixed
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.55% p.a.to 19.99% p.a.6.55% p.a.to 21.49% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsCompetitive rates depending on credit score. No monthly or early repayment fees. No penalties for paying your loan off sooner. Borrow from $5,000 to $80,000. Your choice of 3, 5 or 7 year terms. One upfront fee applies.
Repayment terms from 3 years to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.55% would cost $35,261.24 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.55% p.a.to 19.99% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.55% p.a.to 21.49% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 6.55% p.a.to 19.99% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 6.55% p.a.to 21.49% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- On Application
- Monthly fee
- $0.00
- Exit fee
- $0.00
- Late payment fee
- $10.00
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- $0.00
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $80,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 3 Years
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- Interest rate and establishment fee vary according to an individuals credit history. Rates and fees shown are for an Excellent Credit borrower. Establishment fee ranges from 0 to 5.5% of the loan amount, up to a maximum of $975.
Read reviews and learn more about MoneyPlace personal loans
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Home Improvement Loan
Excellent Credit, $5,000 - $100,000
interest rate
comparison rate
Monthly repayment6.57% p.a.to 8.39% p.a.7.19% p.a.to 8.75% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 yearsGive your home a refresh with the 2025 Mozo award-winning provider OMM. Borrow up to $100,000 for loan terms 1-7 years. Flexible weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayment options. No monthly, early repayment or exit fees. Fast 100% online application.
Repayment terms from 1 year to 7 years. Representative example: a 5 year $30,000 loan at 6.57% would cost $35,278.12 including fees.
CompareCompare- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 8.39% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 8.75% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- interest rate
- 6.57% p.a.to 8.39% p.a.
- comparison rate
- 7.19% p.a.to 8.75% p.a.based on $30,000
over 5 years
- Upfront fee
- On Application
- Monthly fee
- -
- Exit fee
- -
- Late payment fee
- -
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Early repayment penalty
- -
- Minimum loan amount
- $5,000.00
- Maximum loan amount
- $100,000.00
- Minimum loan term
- 1 Year
- Maximum loan term
- 7 Years
- Security required
- Unsecured
- Other benefits
- -
- Other restrictions
- -
Read reviews and learn more about OurMoneyMarket personal loans
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MYTH 2. Banks are the only trustworthy lenders
“The big banks would probably like you to believe this one! But the truth is, there are a wide variety of trustworthy lenders out there, and often the best interest rates are found outside traditional banks,” says Lamont.
In Australia, any credit provider - including banks, mutuals, credit unions, peer-to-peer lenders and online fintech platforms - must be registered and regulated by ASIC. Under these regulations, the lender must practice responsible lending, which includes ensuring the loan you apply for is suitable for you and your financial situation.
MYTH 3. Applying for a personal loan hurts your credit score
Simply putting in an application for a personal loan shouldn’t impact your credit history at all, since at that point, you don’t actually have access to any credit. In fact, applying for a personal loan and then meeting your repayments faithfully is one way to start building up a positive credit report.
One thing that can send up a red flag is applying for multiple personal loans all at once, which is why it’s a good idea to compare your options first and then only put in an application for your top choices.
MYTH 4. Personal loan interest rates are unfairly high
Nobody wants to get stuck paying a heap of interest - the good news is, there are heaps of personal loans on the market with really competitive interest rates.
This myth might spring from the fact that personal loan rates are 5.32% higher than home loan rates on average. This is because personal loans are repaid over a much shorter timeframe than a mortgage. But look at it this way - the average personal loan rate is 7.43% lower than your typical credit card rate!*
To score a great rate on your personal loan, all you need to do is know where to look. To get you started, you can check out some super competitive personal loans in our comparison table.
*Based on average rate for P&I $300,000 home loan over 30 years with 80 LVR(4.35%), and average rate for $30,000 personal loan over 5 years (9.67%) and average credit card rate of 17.10%.
Calculate your personal loan repayments
We can show you the monthly repayment amount for a range of loans
* WARNING: The Comparison Rate combines the lender's interest rate, fees and charges into a single rate to show the true cost of a personal loan. The comparison rates displayed are calculated based on a loan of $30,000 for a term of 5 years or a loan of $10,000 for a term of 3 years as indicated, based on monthly principal and interest repayments, on a secured basis for secured loans and an unsecured basis for unsecured loans. 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.
^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Personal Loan Awards
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