Who are the lenders?
All the lenders participating in the Switch & Save Sale are regulated by either the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Community First is a credit union that was established in 1959. It offers home loans, car loans, personal loans, term deposits, savings accounts, insurance and credit cards. Over the years, it has featured in Money magazine’s Best of the Best awards and the Australian Financial Review’s Smart Investor Blue Ribbon Awards.
HSBC has had banking operations in Australia since 1986. It offers home loans, personal loans, savings accounts, credit cards, insurance and financial planning. HSBC is one of the world’s biggest banking groups, with more than 37 million customers in 70 countries.
IMB Bank was founded in 1880. It offers a full range of banking solutions including home and personal lending, savings and transaction accounts, term deposits, business banking and financial planning, and can organise a range of insurance and travel products. IMB has branches in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and regional NSW.
ING Direct is the Australian arm of European banking giant ING Group and has operated in Australia since 1999. Its products include home loans, commercial loans, savings accounts, superannuation and insurance. ING Direct was named Australian Financial Institution of the Year – Non Big 4 at the 2016 RFi Australian Retail Banking Awards.
Loans.com.au is an online-only non-bank lender that was founded in 2011. It regularly offers some of Australia’s cheapest mortgage rates. Loans.com.au took out the Best Property Investment Loan category in 2015 at the Australian Financial Review’s Smart Investor Blue Ribbon Awards.
Mortgage House is a non-bank lender that was founded in 1986. It offers home loans, personal loans and business loans. Mortgage House won Your Mortgage magazine’s award for Best Introductory Loan Non-bank in 2011 and the Australian Mortgage Awards’ award for Best Low-doc Loan Non-bank in 2010.
Reduce Home Loans is a non-bank lender that was founded in 2010. It operates mainly online and regularly offers some of Australia’s cheapest mortgage rates. Reduce Home Loans was awarded Best of the Best Cheapest Home Loan in 2016 and 2017 by Money magazine.
State Custodians is a non-bank lender that was founded in 2007. Money magazine named State Custodians its Non-bank Lender of the Year from 2011 to 2015. State Custodians also won the award for Cheapest Line of Credit Loan Non-bank in 2016, as well as Best Line of Credit Loan Non-bank from 2013 to 2015.
Related FAQ's
How does it work?
For 40 hours – from 6am, 8 May to 10pm, 9 May (AEST) – a selection of home loan products from eight participating lenders will be available, with competitive low rates in addition to rate reductions, fee waivers and cashback offers.
Answer a few quick questions, such as your current interest rate and the size of your monthly repayments, and in under 60 seconds you’ll have access to some great home loan offers.
Once you’ve selected an offer that interests you, you can contact the lender with just a click. The lender soon be in touch to guide you through the refinancing process.
At this point, there’s still no obligation to switch – you’ve got 30 days to think it over and submit your application to the lender.
How have you calculated the savings?
The calculations are a model only, and not a prediction. The results are only estimates, whereas the actual amounts may be higher or lower. We cannot predict things that will affect these results such as changes in interest rates and their differentials.
We used your data and compared against the loans that we have on sale.
To do your own independent calculations we recommend using the ASIC mortgage switching calculator. This calculator is provided by the Australian Government.
Why do I need to enter my contact details?
We will need to pass your details on to the lender so they can contact you about submitting your application. We may also use your information to keep you up to date on future RateCity initiatives and news, if you select this option. You can opt out at any time.
What are the costs involved in refinancing?
Switching lenders usually includes some costs, such as a discharge fee from your existing lender and upfront fees from your new lender, including application fees, settlement fees, legal fees and valuation fees.
When assessing a potential loan, it is good to work out your break-even point – i.e. the time it will take to recover the costs of switching.
Your new lender will disclose all fees and costs to switch to them.
Are there any risks with changing to a smaller lender?
A smaller lender is almost any institution outside of the big four banks (ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac). These include credit unions and building societies and ‘non-bank’ lenders. These lenders must follow the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009, which ensures the lender properly assesses whether a potential customer can realistically repay a loan, and that a specific standard if information is made accessible to potential customers.
They are regulated by the same bodies as the big four banks and many of them have been around for a very long time. The National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009, and the regulatory framework under which financial institutions work are all in place to minimise any risk to consumers.
All participating lenders in the Sale have been in business for over 5 years, and actively lending to thousands of Australian home owners.
Do I need to have a good credit score to refinance?
RateCity cannot determine this, as we are not privy to the different credit policies of each lender. Please seek advice or speak to a lender directly.
How do I determine the value of my property?
Here we are asking you to estimate only. It’s often hard to get an accurate estimate of your property value. Some real estate websites such as Domain, Realestate.com.au and Onthehouse will give you an estimate, however be aware that a bank valuer might assume a lower estimate, so it can be a good idea to make your estimate slightly lower.
If you do apply for refinance, the lender might send a valuer out to your home, so it is worth being prudent.