Home loan myths busted!

Confused about home loans? Our FAQs set the record straight.

We spoke to member privileges partner ME Bank and their team of mobile bankers to discover which aspects of home loans Australians tend to be uncertain about. Let’s bust some myths and clear the confusion.

Myth 1 – There’s no difference between basic loans and standard loans

Home loan borrowers are spoilt for choice these days and there can be big differences between types of loans. When it comes to standard loans versus basic loans, it’s a bit like fare types with airlines. A standard loan will give you more features than a basic loan, but it can come with a slightly higher rate. The key is to only pay for features you need and are likely to use.

Myth 2 – Redraw lets me take money out of my home loan

A redraw facility is one of the handiest loan features available. Yes, it might let you withdraw funds from your home loan, but only if you’re ahead with your loan. For instance, if you have made $10,000 worth of extra payments on your home loan you can potentially redraw up to $10,000 back out of the loan.

Myth 3 – I will lose out if I fix my home loan rate

Right now interest rates are at historic lows and that has ignited the debate about fixed versus variable rates. You can lose out if the variable rate falls below the fixed rate, and that’s almost impossible to predict. However at present, fixed rates are below many variable rates, so it’s worth considering locking in a low fixed rate. If you wait until variable rates start to rise before fixing there’s a good chance fixed rates will have jumped ahead and that’s when you could miss out on the rate savings. Splitting your loan between fixed and variable rates is a solution that lets you enjoy the best of both worlds (take a look at Myth 5). 

Myth 4 – Fixed rate loans are inflexible

Fixed rate home loans have become a very exciting product in recent years – combining greater flexibility yet still with the certainty and ease of budgeting that a fixed rate brings. It does pay to pick your lender carefully as some banks offer more flexibility with fixed rate loans than others. With ME Bank new fixed rate borrowers can make up to $30,000 in extra repayments over the fixed term – it’s a sure fire way to pay off your loan sooner.

Myth 5 – I have to choose either a fixed or variable rate

Definitely myth busted! Borrowers can normally divide their loan into fixed and variable rate portions in what is called a ‘split’ loan. It doesn’t have to be a 50:50 split. You can usually nominate the fixed and variable break-up to suit your personal preferences, and the beauty of splitting is that you can take advantage of savings on falling rates but still enjoy some protection if rates climb higher.

To gain a further understanding of your home loan, call ME Bank on 13 15 63 or visit mebank.com.au

Members Equity Bank Ltd ABN 56 070 887 679 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 229500.

This content was provided by Members Equity Bank. The views expressed are not necessarily those of First Super. First Super has shares in Members Equity Bank.