ANZ was the only major bank cut its variable home loan rates following the Reserve Bank of Australia’s emergency cash rate cut of 0.25% announced last Thursday, sparking questions about the big banks intentions in the face of a global pandemic.

Effective March 27, ANZ will decrease its variable interest home loan rates by 0.15%.

However, while the other majors didn’t reduce their variable home loan rates, each has announced significant COVID-19 support packages for small business and home loan customers.

Here’s a summary of what’s available from each of the four major lenders at this point in time.

CBA

The bank will not change their variable home-loan rates. Instead, they have announced emergency measures for businesses and those on fixed home loan rates:

Small businesses: There will be a 1 per cent interest rate reduction for all existing cash-linked small business loans;
Owner occupiers: Customers on one, two and three-year fixed home loans will receive a 70 bps interest rate reduction to 2.29 per cent p.a;
Savers: Those with 12-month term deposits will receive a 0.60 per cent increase to 1.70 per cent;
Minimum repayments: 730,000 customers will have repayments reduced to the minimum required under their loan contract, from 1 May. This is expected to result in $400 per month extra for customers and create up to $3.6 billion in additional cash support for the economy.

Westpac

  • Overdrafts will be reduced by 200bps for new and existing small business customers, effective 6 April
  • Small business customers with cash flow issues can defer P&I repayments of business term loans for six months
  • 100bps reduction to variable interest rates on small business cash-based loans, effective 6 April
  • A 2.29% p.a. fixed rate home loan for 1-, 2- and 3-years for owner occupied customers on P&I repayments with a Premier Advantage Package, effective 27 March
  • Special 12-month term deposit of 1.7% p.a. to provide customers a higher return on their savings, an increase of 70bps (up to $500,000 per customer); for Australians aged 65 years and over the rate will be 2% p.a. for eight months (up to $500,000 per customer), effective 27 March
  • Westpac also announced a $10bn home lending fund to support the economy by assisting more Australians into home ownership.

Further, customers who have lost their jobs or sustained a reduction in income as a result of COVID-19 are eligible for a three-month deferral on their home loan mortgage repayments, with extension for a further three months available after review.

NAB

NAB business customers will be able to:

  • Defer P&I for up to six months on a range of business and equipment finance loans
  • Receive a 200bps rate cut on new loans and all overdrafts on QuickBiz, effective March 30
  • Receive a further 100bps reduction on variable rates for small business loans, effective March 30
  • Access up to $65bn of additional secured limits to pre-assessed customers, with $7bn currently available for fast assessment process
  • Defer business credit card repayments

NAB personal customers will be able to:

  • Pause home loan repayments for up to six months
  • Access a 10-month term deposit rate of 1.75% p.a. for 10 months, effective March 24
  • Access fixed home loan rates of 2.39% p.a. for 1-year, 2.29% p.a. for 2- and 3-year, and 2.79% p.a. for 5-year (owner-occupier P&I), effective March 25
  • First home buyers will have access to a rate of 2.19% p.a., fixed for two years
  • Access over $20bn in redraw and more than $30bn in offset
  • Reduce repayments on variable rate loans
  • According to the bank, most customers have not yet taken the option to reduce their payments as, over the past 12 months, reductions of 84bps to owner-occupier variable rates have provide a potential benefit of $3,360 per year to customers with a $400,000 loan.

ANZ

For home loan customers, the bank will:

  • Decrease variable interest home loan rates by 0.15%pa, effective 27 March
  • Introduce a two-year fixed rate of 2.19%pa for owner occupiers paying P&I, its lowest fixed-rate home loan on-record
  • Allow customers to request a repayment deferral for up to six-months, with a review at three-months, with interest capitalised.

For small businesses customers, ANZ will:

  • Decrease variable interest rates by 0.25%pa, effective 27 March
    Enable impacted customers to request a six-month payment deferral on loan repayments for term loans, with interest capitalised
  • Make available temporary increases in overdraft facilities for 12 months
  • Institute a reduction by 0.80%pa to a new two and three-year fixed rate of 2.59%pa for secured small business loans up to $1m, effective 3 April 2020

My bank hasn’t passed on the interest rate cut. What can I do?

The RBA has been slashing rates, but the big four banks haven’t passed on the entire cut to consumers.

So, if you’re a customer of the big banks, it might be time to consider switching banks to get a better rate.

This is not the time for blind loyalty to the big banks, so if you’d like to review your options, please get in touch with Dan today.

All lending subject to status and lenders criteria. Terms & conditions apply. This document contains general information only. Your own personal circumstances have not been considered and you should seek independent financial advice prior to making any decision on a financial product.

Similar Posts