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RateCity reveals the banks offering the best deposit rates for pensioners

Laine Gordon avatar
Laine Gordon
- 2 min read
RateCity reveals the banks offering the best deposit rates for pensioners

RateCity welcomes the deeming rate changes, unveiled today by the government, designed to boost the pension of almost 1 million Australians.

Announced alongside the federal coronavirus stimulus package, the lower deeming rate will drop from 1.0 per cent to 0.5 per cent, while the upper rate will drop from 3 per cent to 2.5 per cent. The changes come into effect on May 1.

The highest rate pensioner account on the RateCity.com.au database is currently 1.85 per cent (for balances over $100,000), while the highest term deposit rate is 2.15 per cent for 5 years. In total there are more than 2,200 term deposit and savings accounts above the lower deeming rate.

Which banks are offering the highest deposit rates?

Highest 6 month term deposits on RateCity.com.au
BankRate
Judo Bank1.90%
ING1.80%
MyState Bank1.80%
Highest 12-month term deposits on RateCity.com.au
BankRate
Judo Bank1.95%
ING1.90%
ME Bank1.70%
Highest 36 month term deposits on RateCity.com.au
BankRate
Judo Bank2.05%
Australian Military Bank1.65%
Australian Military Bank1.60%
Greater Bank1.60%
The Mutual1.60%

Highest savings accounts on RateCity.com.au
Note: Some pensioners may not be able to meet these conditions
BankRateConditions
86 4002.25%Deposit $1000+ per month, interest paid on balances up to $100,000
Up2.25%Make 5 debit card or digital wallet purchases each month, interest paid on balances up to $50,000
Bank of Queensland2.00%Deposit $1000+ per month and make 5 or more eligible transactions, interest paid on balances up to $250,000
MyState Bank2.00%Deposit $20+ per month and make 5+ eligible transactions each month, interest paid on balances up to $150,000

RateCity research director Sally Tindall said, “This change to the deeming rates will help older Australians get more assistance from the government.

“Savings rates have taken a battering over the last year. Plenty accounts are offering returns well under the old benchmark of 1 per cent. Even at the new low rate of 0.5 per cent, pensioners will still have to shop around to make sure the income on their savings isn’t being unfairly assessed.

“While some big bank savings rates are as low as 0.05 per cent, it is still worth shopping around because there are still rates available that are a whisker above inflation,” she said. 

Disclaimer

This article is over two years old, last updated on March 12, 2020. While RateCity makes best efforts to update every important article regularly, the information in this piece may not be as relevant as it once was. Alternatively, please consider checking recent term deposits articles.

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Product database updated 20 Apr, 2024

This article was reviewed by Personal Finance Editor Alex Ritchie before it was published as part of RateCity's Fact Check process.