Founded as a building society in 1937, St.George grew out of the southern Sydney suburbs to become one of the country's best known building societies before acquiring a banking license more than fifty years later, in July of 1992, and becoming a full service bank in 1994. On it's way to becoming one of Australia's largest banks, St.George became part of the Westpac Group in 2008, and it's banking distribution and lending businesses now operate under the name St.George Bank.
It offers its customers a wide range of home loan products, in addition to savings and transaction accounts, personal and car loans, credit cards and business banking.
Synonymous with innovation, St.George was the first bank to launch SMS Alerts, doing it all the way back in 2004.
They are also committed to responsible lending, which the bank identifies according to their four common principles (these are shared with the rest of the Westpac Group):
- "We seek to lend only what our customers can afford to repay."
- "We market our products and services responsibly."
- "We support customers facing financial difficulty."
- "We help to improve our stakeholders' financial literacy and capability."
They are also intimately involved in The St.George Foundation, which provides financial assistance to charities that don't see significant government or fundraising cash flow.
You can apply for a home loan with St.George by visiting a branch in person, applying over the phone, or completing an online application – if you do decide to go the online route, you can receive indicative approval in under 10 minutes.
As always, it's best to be prepared before you apply for a mortgage, so double-check that you've got all the necessary information ready and available before you apply.
That said:
- You will need to be at least 18 years of age to apply for a home loan
- You will need to be able to provide evidence of your income when you apply, so make sure you hang on to your tax returns, pay slips, and other financial details.
- Alongside your income, St.George, just like any other lender, will want to examine your assets and your debts
- You will also need to be able to prove your identity – a passport, a state ID, etc.
- Any information about the property you're looking to buy, if you've already found one that strikes your fancy.