Compare fixed rate home loans from 5.99%

What is a fixed rate home loan?

A fixed rate home loan is a home loan where the interest rate is fixed (meaning it doesn’t change) for the duration of the term specified. This is usually between one and five years, but it can depend on the lender.

How to compare fixed home loans?

Before signing away on the dotted line, it’s important to do your research and make sure you compare all your options by considering the following:

Comparison rate

The headline interest rate isn’t the only rate to take into consideration when comparing home loans. The comparison rate is just as important because it’s essentially the ‘true cost’ of the loan which includes upfront and ongoing costs based on a $150,000 loan term over 25 years.

Revert rate

It’s also important to take the revert rate into account when comparing home loan fixed rate. The revert rate is the interest rate the loan reverts to once the fixed term period is over. Don’t make the mistake of assuming the lender will automatically switch your loan over to their lowest standard variable rate. it’s more likely that your interest rate will revert back to the lender’s standard variable rate, which can be a lot higher than its lowest variable rates.

Fees

Another important thing to consider when comparing fixed home loans is what ongoing and upfront fees there are, including costly break fees.

Features

If features like a redraw facility or offset account are important to you, a fixed home loan may not be the best option as these features are somewhat of a rarity among fixed loans.

What are the benefits and disadvantages of a fixed home loan?

There are a few advantages and disadvantages of fixing your home loan interest rate. A fixed home loan can offer more stability than a variable home loan because your repayments won’t change during the fixed loan period. So if your monthly mortgage repayments are $2,500 they will stay exactly the same throughout the duration of the fixed period, making it easier to budget accordingly for other things. This is why fixed home loans are so popular among first home buyers and investors.

Fixing your mortgage interest rate also means you’ll be protected from any rate hikes during the fixed rate period. However, if variable rates drop during the fixed period, you could end up with a higher rate and be paying more than the average punter. This is why fixing your interest rate can be a bit of a gamble.

Here is a quick guide for you: Consider these things before fixing your home loans

However, fixed rate home loans can be less flexible than variable home loans which generally have more home loan features like an offset account or redraw facility . You also can’t refinance your fixed home loan during the fixed period without incurring significant break costs for ending the fixed period early.

Pros and cons of fixed rate home loans

• Cash flow certainty
• Protected from rate hikes
• Fewer features, like redraw facilities or offset accounts
• Can miss out on rate cuts
• Significant break fees for ending the fixed period early

What are the features of a fixed rate home loan?

Fixed rate home loans generally have fewer features than variable rate home loans. However, some fixed home loans do come with features like offset accounts, redraw facilities, or the ability to make extra repayments.

However, it’s worth noting fixed home loans that offer these kinds of features are relatively rare and some lenders reserve these features for their variable loans only. If having a home loan packed with features is something that’s really important to you, a fixed home loan may not be suitable for you.

Why choose a fixed rate home loan?

Fixed rate home loans can be preferable for those who want stability and are risk averse. Investors and first home buyers generally favour fixed home loans because they want repayment certainty in the first two to three years of owning their home.

However, fixed home loans can ironically be risky because choosing when to fix your rate can be a bit of a gamble. If interest rates are low, locking in that low rate could protect you from future rate hikes. But if interest rates fall even further, you’ve essentially locked in your repayments at a higher rate and will miss out on potentially lower repayments.

Is now the right time for you to have your mortgage on a fixed rate?

The right time to fix your home loan and get a fixed rate depends on several factors such as market fluctuations, movement of the cash rate, and your personal financial health.

Generally, you would want to fix your interest rates if you think the RBA is going to increase the cash rate or announce changes to its monetary policy. This makes it important that you keep up-to-date with the latest happenings and development in the lending industry.

Fixing your rate will help shield you from further rate rises — while fixed rates typically go up first when there is an assumption of rate increases, the increase will, most of the time, be constrained than the increases in variable rates in times of hikes.

The biggest advantage of fixed rates is the certainty of payments. If you are on a strict budget, fixing your rates would be beneficial.

Break costs and fixed rate home loans

When borrowers are unable to fulfil the terms and conditions of their fixed rate contract, it could mean that they are breaking the deal. Examples are ending the fixed-term contract early or making extra repayments not stated in the contract.

When you break a fixed rate contract, you will be liable to pay certain fees, called the break cost.

Lenders charge break costs to recoup any potential lost revenue — they obtain funding from the money market at wholesale interest rates, based on the assumption of a fixed rate over a certain amount of term.

Break costs are calculated based on three things: your outstanding balance, the remaining years of your fixed term, and the difference between the wholesale interest rates from the onset and the termination of your contract.

Also read: Can you avoid break fees for fixed-rate loans?

You can also check other types of home loans that is more suitable for you. 

How long do I want to have a fixed home loan rate?

Fixed home loans generally have fixed periods of between one and five years, though some lenders offer longer fixed term periods. Generally speaking, shorter fixed periods have more competitive rates than longer fixed periods. How long you want to lock in your rate for may also depend on your short-term property goals.

What are my short-term property goals?

If you want to pour as much money as you can into your home loan right off the bat through extra repayments, a home loan with a fixed rate may not be the best option for you as they generally don’t allow extra repayments.

If you’re planning on moving within the next few years or just don’t know what your short-term future holds, locking yourself into a fixed home loan may not be the best idea as break costs can be very expensive.

Questions to ask your lender about fixed rate home loans

If you want to get a fixed rate home loan, you may want to ask the following questions to your lender to gain more understanding of the loan product.

• How long can I keep my rate fixed? What are the term options?
• Can I make additional repayments if I am still in my fixed rate term?
• Will I be allowed to have a redraw facility? What about offset account?
• What are my options if I want to split my loan between fixed and variable rates?
• What happens if I want to refinance my property in the middle of my fixed rate period?
• What will happen if my property gets sold during the fixed rate period?
• Will it be possible to access extra equity if my property’s value appreciated during the fixed rate term?
• How do you calculate break costs? What are the instances that could lead me paying for break costs?