Understanding Home Loans

Your Guide through the Mortgage Maze …

Countless people – in fact more than 80% of home buyers – choose a home loan for all the wrong reasons. They struggle year after year with results far below their true potential.

Throwing money at institutions simply because they have advertised the best rate on the day, or offered you  discounted establishment fees, more often than not ends in bitter disappointment.

Over time more and more of the shortcomings of the loan become painfully apparent and you will either put up with it, or pay huge penalties and new setup fees to get out and take a better deal elsewhere.
 

Do you feel you’re working too hard to pay off your loan with very little reward?

We Give You an Unfair Advantage

In this guide we will explain in easy to understand terms some of the benefits and shortcomings of different types of loans in today’s marketplace.

This guide will in no way make you an expert in home loans as there are variations in rates and charges in products from one lending institution to another. It’s our job to know these differences.

Traditional (Dinosaur) Loans

This loan has been around forever!

Your loan is normally approved for a period of up to 30 years (life sentence).

Regular repayments are required either monthly, fortnightly or weekly and most of this is credited to the accumulated interest, with the remainder going towards paying off the balance (principal) of the loan.

The interest rate for traditional loans is higher than "low frills" loans (we’ll get to these) as you generally have a little more flexibility with this loan.

Most lending institutions offer a discounted start-up period for 12 months which is designed to entice you into taking one of these little beauties (for them!), however the honeymoon is short lived as the remaining 24 years is at the standard variable rate.

Strangely enough, the majority of homebuyers still opt for this type of loan and the lenders do little to discourage this with billions of dollars spent in marketing Australia wide.

 

Benefits

Shortcomings

Discipline -
Regular repayments
help with budgeting

The interest rate is variable (aside from during the start-up period) and you are at the mercy of interest rate fluctuations

Redraw – Most institutions will allow you, subject to certain criteria, to withdraw additional repayments you have made over and above the minimum repayment

The interest rate applied is always higher than low-frills home loan rates

Extra repayments are usually
allowed at any time

 

Low-Frills Loans (Hold the Cheese!)

Low-frills means exactly that – You normally get what you pay for and this is like flying economy class.

Some of the additional features such as redraw facility
have been taken out.

A few years ago when some of the new non-banks started offering their discounted home loan products to consumers – this was the loan offered. The reason for the lower rate is simple:

Fewer Frills = Lower Running Costs = Lower Interest Rate.
 

In recent times the banks have rallied and produced their own budget home loans.

Today, on the whole, the banks offer budget loans at interest rates quite substantially lower than their non-bank counterparts.

The non-banks are now marketing the fact the banks charge maintenance fees whilst they don’t (the marketing has moved away from being interest rate driven), however the astute home loan borrower will measure just what impact these on-going fees have on their loan repayments, and then select their loan accordingly.


 

Benefits

Shortcomings

Discipline –
Regular repayments
help with budgeting

Money held in normal savings accounts with the same institution does not reduce your home loan rate (see 100% offset loans)

The interest rate applied is always lower than traditional loans

The interest rate is variable and you are at the mercy of interest rate fluctuations

Extra repayments are
usually allowed

Redraw is generally not available although there are some exceptions …


 

Line of Credit (Flexible Friend)

This type of loan can be both your best friend or your worst enemy.

Used correctly (as illustrated by a mortgage reduction plan), you will enjoy the benefits of paying your whole salary into this loan and instantly reducing the interest charged.

The net result is usually a staggering reduction in the time taken to pay out your home loan.

Used incorrectly, your loan limit will remain unchanged.

The key to managing this loan is budgeting and discipline as you always have access to your loan limit just like a credit card and abuse can end in financial self-destruction.

Benefits

Shortcomings

Can readily access money by simply writing out a cheque or using an ATM card which are both linked to this loan

Ease of withdrawal ability means this
loan can be subject to abuse by
non-disciplined borrowers

By placing your salary and savings
into this loan you will dramatically
reduce the interest charged

The interest rate is usually higher than traditional and low-frills loans

A mortgage reduction programme
can assist you with budgeting and illustrate exactly how quickly you
can pay out your loan

 

Extra repayments are allowed at any time

 

 

100% Offset Loans       (Flexible Friend with Peace of Mind)

If you like the concept of Line of Credit loans but are a little undisciplined, then this is your answer.

Styled similarly to the traditional loan, ( i.e. principal and interest payments reducing over time), this has the wonderful benefit of reducing the interest component of your loan by 100% of the amount you hold in your savings account (which is linked to your home loan)

It works this way:

Loan Amount $100,000
 - Savings (Offset) $5,000
You Pay Interest on $95,000

Put simply, if you have a home loan of $100,000 with $5,000 in your savings account, you are only charged interest on $95,000 of your loan.
This provides a nice little tax effective form of savings without the revolving limit

Benefits

Shortcomings

Can readily access money in savings account (offset account )
with ATM or cheques

The interest rate is usually higher than traditional and low-frills loan
But lower than a Line of Credit

Loan is reducing every month as repayments are required to pay off
the loan over a set period of time

At this stage less than a handful of
lenders offers this type of loan

The loan is effectively lowered by the savings in the offset account daily

 

 

Home to Home Loans       (Buy a new home before you sell...)

If you have your home on the market and in the meantime stumble across the home of your dreams, this loan can help.

Originally called "Bridging Loans", this loan has come a long way as lenders used to see this as a way to make a quick buck out of you but now it is a way of assisting you and encouraging you to move your accounts to them.

This is how it works ...

The lender advances the money to buy your new home (depending on your equity in your current home, you can sometimes also include all fees)
The interest charged to the new loan can be either paid by you or capitalised. Capitalised means added to the loan
When the original property is sold, proceeds are deposited to the new loan. The amount left owing becomes your "End Loan" and you start to make normal repayments as this new loan replaces your old loan

Benefits

Shortcomings

You can buy your new home before you sell your existing home

Nothing comes for free and interest is charged on the full amount of the new loan

You can avoid moving into a rental property and paying rent by moving directly into your new home

If you don’t sell your existing home in
due course, then the interest bill can
add up to something you would
rather not have to pay!

The offer you place on the new home will not be "subject to sale" and you will therefore be able to negotiate a better price

This loan relies on you having sufficient equity in your existing property to
support the purchase of both

Fixed Rate Loans

Depending on which way interest rates are headed, this loan is excellent if interest rates are on the upward trend. By fixing your interest rate for a period of time, you can effectively buy insurance against rate fluctuations and know exactly what your repayments will be for the remainder of the fixed period.

On the other hand if interest rates go down, you may find yourself paying a rate much higher than those people on variable rates.

When unsure about whether it is better to take a fixed or variable rate (in view of uncertain future rate variations) it may be wise to take a "split loan" (see next section) which gives you the option to take a part variable and a part fixed rate loan.

 

Benefits

Shortcomings

You can "lock in" the interest rate for a period of time and insure yourself
against future interest rate rises

If interest rates go down then you will
end up paying more for your loan
than everyone else

It is easy to budget for the same regular repayment each month

"Fixed rate" also usually means "Fixed repayments" and most lending institutions will penalize you for making additional repayments (However some will allow extra repayments).

"Split" loans (Insurance both ways !)

This loan is like betting on both Black and red at the roulette table.

Most of our customers who are confused about whether interest rates are going up or down usually end up with a "Split rate" loan. With this type of loan you nominate how much of the loan you would like To fix and how much you would like on a variable rate.

The reason for this is simple:

If interest rates increase, then the portion of the loan which is fixed will provide you with some comfort that part of your loan is "fixed"
If interest rates go down, then comfort is also gained from the knowledge that the variable rate portion of the loan will reduce accordingly.

This type of loan is becoming increasingly popular for obvious reasons…

Benefits

Shortcomings

You can "lock in" part of interest rate
for a period of time and insure yourself
against future interest rate rises, as well as leave part of the loan on "variable"
in case interest rates reduce

Only a limited number of lenders
offers this home loan product

Peace of mind no matter which way
rates are heading

 

Additional payments are allowed on
the variable portion of the loan

 

Protection (Do you need it?)

A person aged 30 with an annual income of $30,000 per year would need to produce $2,710,000 by age 65 (assuming 5% inflation)

We insure the car and the TV – but do we insure ourselves?
Which do you feel is more important ?

Most lending institutions do not require you to have personal protection, but they do insist that you have insurance to protect any portion of your loan that represents more than 75-80% of the house value – they have protected themselves; have you !!

It is a priority to understand the options and implications of protecting the family and the family home.

Benefits

Shortcomings

If you are ill or injured, payments
of the mortgage and other
expenses are guaranteed

Good health is important for protection
to be provided – if health fails, it may
be too late to arrange cover

Should you die prematurely, the mortgage
is paid off and family home protected.

If interest payments cannot be made,
the home could be repossessed

Up to 75% of your earned income can
be protected to the age of retirement
+ full tax relief on premiums.

 

A layman's guide to interest rates

Introduction

Choosing the loan product that is right for you can be very confusing. The choice is made more difficult by the very large number of products available.

Definitions

A fixed rate loan is one where the interest rate does not vary during the fixed rate period.

A variable rate loan is a loan where the interest rate can vary during the term. There are a number of kinds of variable rate loans. The main types are described below.

A wholly variable loan is one where the lender decides what the interest rate will be. The lender can change the interest rate whenever it likes.

An example of wholly variable rate loans are the standard housing loans made by most banks. There is no guarantee that all the bank housing variable rate loans will be the same rate at any time, and you may find that your lender sets an interest rate which is higher than other lenders.

A bank bill rate loan is a loan which has its interest rate set by reference to the professional money market. There are a number of different types of bank bill rates and there are several ways of linking the interest rate to those rates. For example, some lenders have a fixed margin (eg, the rate will not exceed 3% per annum above the bank bill rate). Other lenders have a variable margin which is not disclosed to you (eg. the interest rate is "linked" to the bank bill rate). Make sure you clearly understand how a bank bill mortgage rate is set, and how it compares to other bank bill mortgage rates on offer. It is likely the interest rate, and hence repayments, for bank bill rate loans will vary more frequently (up and down) than wholly variable rate loans. It is impossible to say whether over the term of a housing loan a bank bill rate loan will be more or less expensive than a wholly variable rate loan.

An interest only period is a period during which you make payments of interest only. During this period the loan amount does not reduce unless you make an additional special payment of principal.

An amortising loan or a principal and interest loan is a loan where instalments (usually monthly) are made which progressively repay the loan. Check whether you will repay the whole of your loan over the term or whether there will be a balloon payment (ie, a lump sum payment) at the end of the term. Generally, instalments will vary when interest rates vary, although sometimes the lender will adjust the term of the loan (shorten it if interest rates come down or extend it if interest rates go up) so that your payments do not change.

A split loan is a term generally used to describe a loan which has a fixed rate for part of the loan amount and a variable rate or bank bill rate for the other part of the loan.

A honeymoon or discounted rate is a low rate which applies at the commencement of the loan term. For example, a lender may offer a loan at 7.95% per annum for the first 12 months and wholly variable following. If the 7.95% per annum is less than that lender's current variable or fixed rate, the first 12 months at the 7.95% per annum rate is the honeymoon or discounted period.

If you are considering a honeymoon or discounted rate, make sure you clearly understand what rate will apply at the end of the honeymoon or discount period. Check whether you are being offered a honeymoon or discounted rate, so that you are not surprised if interest rates go up later. Also check on the terms for early repayment because sometimes lenders impose early repayment fees to discourage borrowers from repaying at the end of the honeymoon or discounted period.

Standard variable rate usually refers to the lender's non-discounted rate charged on all existing loans or on all loans of a particular type. It is generally the same as a wholly variable rate and usually applies after any honeymoon period. If an interest rate that is stated to be standard, or wholly variable, is materially lower than most standard variable rates on offer in the market, then ask questions. It could mean you are really being offered what is in fact a honeymoon rate, or a rate that can fluctuate quickly like that for a bank bill rate loan.

A home equity or "redraw" loan is a term which generally describes a loan where you can re-borrow some of the money you have paid off. For example, if you have paid $5,000 off your loan, you might be able to re-borrow that money and continue making payments in the ordinary way. Generally interest rates for home equity loans are slightly higher than for ordinary home loans.

Tips

Watch out for fees and charges Before you sign up for a loan, make sure you understand all the fees and charges which you must pay. Check on fees and charges which apply both to set up the loan and during the loan term. Sometimes an interest rate that seems quite cheap will not look so good when you take into account the initial or ongoing fees and charges. These may be called an establishment fee, an unused fee, a line fee, an account fee or an early repayment fee. There are lots of other names too

Comparison rates A comparison rate is a way of expressing the interest rate for a loan (calculated using a complicated formula) to enable you to compare that interest rate to another loan. In calculating the comparison rate all fees and other charges are brought into account.

Comparison rates are of limited value when comparing variable rate loans. This is because they cannot take into account future interest rate movements. Remember no-one knows for sure how variable rates will change in the future! Comparison rates are useful in comparing two or more fixed rate

Should I borrow fixed rate or variable rate? Generally, fixed rates are more appropriate if:
a) you think variable or fixed interest rates may go up in the future; or
b) you want to be sure that your repayments cannot change during the fixed rate period.

Whether to borrow fixed or variable is always difficult. No-one knows with any certainty how interest rates will move in the future. The choice of fixed or variable must therefore always be made based on your own personal assessment of whether interest rates will rise or fall in the future, and for how long a rise or fall may prevail. Remember, interest rates can be affected by many factors, and no-one can be sure what will happen.

Break costs If you borrow at a fixed interest rate, break costs may be payable if the loan is repaid early. Usually, they are only payable if market interest rates fall during the fixed rate term. Break costs are designed to compensate the lender because it will have to reinvest its money at a lower rate. If borrowing at a fixed rate, find out when and how break costs will be calculated on early repayment. Remember that early repayment fees may be payable on variable rate loans as well.

Read the loan documents If you apply for a loan, you should read carefully your letter of offer, the terms of your mortgage and other documents required by the lender, as these set out your obligations.

If there is any inconsistency between the offer letter, this brochure, and other documents, the terms of the lender's documents prevail.

Ask questions before you sign Make sure you understand the terms of the loan before signing. We recommend that you ask your originator or lender to describe the terms to you. If you are confused, ask the originator or lender to put the advice in writing. If you are still confused, seek advice from a lawyer or an accountant.

The Catch, or … (What’s in it for Us)

IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE FRUSTRATING AND CONFUSING TO DECIDE ON A HOME LOAN!


We provide you with a comprehensive and accurate comparison between banks, non-banks, insurance companies etc. which helps you to fully understand some of the features and pitfalls BEFORE YOU SIGN a mortgage contract.

Here is what we offer you:

We come to you
We are available for you during and after normal business hours
No bank interviews
We can assist you with having your loan approved – before you buy your next home
OUR SERVICE IS FREE as we are paid by the lending institutions
We WILL help you find the perfect loan for you and your family

You pay exactly the same costs and interest rate you would have paid if you approached the lending institution directly!

When you make your decision (in conjunction with us) as to both the Type of loan and the best Lending institution, we take care of all of the arrangements for your loan application and we are then remunerated by the lending institution you choose.

Contact us: enquiries@directadvisers.com.au

In this guide we will explain in easy to understand terms some of the benefits and shortcomings of different types of loans in today’s marketplace.

This guide will in no way make you an expert in home loans as there are variations in rates and charges in products from one lending institution to another. It’s our job to know these differences.

Traditional (Dinosaur) Loans

This loan has been around forever!

Your loan is normally approved for a period of up to 30 years (life sentence).

Regular repayments are required either monthly, fortnightly or weekly and most of this is credited to the accumulated interest, with the remainder going towards paying off the balance (principal) of the loan.

The interest rate for traditional loans is higher than "low frills" loans (we’ll get to these) as you generally have a little more flexibility with this loan.

Most lending institutions offer a discounted start-up period for 12 months which is designed to entice you into taking one of these little beauties (for them!), however the honeymoon is short lived as the remaining 24 years is at the standard variable rate.

Strangely enough, the majority of homebuyers still opt for this type of loan and the lenders do little to discourage this with billions of dollars spent in marketing Australia wide.

 

Benefits

Shortcomings

Discipline -
Regular repayments
help with budgeting

The interest rate is variable (aside from during the start-up period) and you are at the mercy of interest rate fluctuations

Redraw – Most institutions will allow you, subject to certain criteria, to withdraw additional repayments you have made over and above the minimum repayment

The interest rate applied is always higher than low-frills home loan rates

Extra repayments are usually
allowed at any time

 

Low-Frills Loans (Hold the Cheese!)

Low-frills means exactly that – You normally get what you pay for and this is like flying economy class.

Some of the additional features such as redraw facility
have been taken out.

A few years ago when some of the new non-banks started offering their discounted home loan products to consumers – this was the loan offered. The reason for the lower rate is simple:

Fewer Frills = Lower Running Costs = Lower Interest Rate.

In recent times the banks have rallied and produced their own budget home loans.

Today, on the whole, the banks offer budget loans at interest rates quite substantially lower than their non-bank counterparts.

The non-banks are now marketing the fact the banks charge maintenance fees whilst they don’t (the marketing has moved away from being interest rate driven), however the astute home loan borrower will measure just what impact these on-going fees have on their loan repayments, and then select their loan accordingly.


Benefits

Shortcomings

Discipline –
Regular repayments
help with budgeting

Money held in normal savings accounts with the same institution does not reduce your home loan rate (see 100% offset loans)

The interest rate applied is always lower than traditional loans

The interest rate is variable and you are at the mercy of interest rate fluctuations

Extra repayments are
usually allowed

Redraw is generally not available although there are some exceptions …


Line of Credit (Flexible Friend)

This type of loan can be both your best friend or your worst enemy.

Used correctly (as illustrated by a mortgage reduction plan), you will enjoy the benefits of paying your whole salary into this loan and instantly reducing the interest charged.

The net result is usually a staggering reduction in the time taken to pay out your home loan.

Used incorrectly, your loan limit will remain unchanged.

The key to managing this loan is budgeting and discipline as you always have access to your loan limit just like a credit card and abuse can end in financial self-destruction.

Benefits

Shortcomings

Can readily access money by simply writing out a cheque or using an ATM card which are both linked to this loan

Ease of withdrawal ability means this
loan can be subject to abuse by
non-disciplined borrowers

By placing your salary and savings
into this loan you will dramatically
reduce the interest charged

The interest rate is usually higher than traditional and low-frills loans

A mortgage reduction programme
can assist you with budgeting and illustrate exactly how quickly you
can pay out your loan

 

Extra repayments are allowed at any time

 

 

100% Offset Loans       (Flexible Friend with Peace of Mind)

If you like the concept of Line of Credit loans but are a little undisciplined, then this is your answer.

Styled similarly to the traditional loan, ( i.e. principal and interest payments reducing over time), this has the wonderful benefit of reducing the interest component of your loan by 100% of the amount you hold in your savings account (which is linked to your home loan)

It works this way:

Loan Amount $100,000
 - Savings (Offset) $5,000
You Pay Interest on $95,000

Put simply, if you have a home loan of $100,000 with $5,000 in your savings account, you are only charged interest on $95,000 of your loan.
This provides a nice little tax effective form of savings without the revolving limit

Benefits

Shortcomings

Can readily access money in savings account (offset account )
with ATM or cheques

The interest rate is usually higher than traditional and low-frills loan
But lower than a Line of Credit

Loan is reducing every month as repayments are required to pay off
the loan over a set period of time

At this stage less than a handful of
lenders offers this type of loan

The loan is effectively lowered by the savings in the offset account daily

 

Home to Home Loans       (Buy a new home before you sell...)

If you have your home on the market and in the meantime stumble across the home of your dreams, this loan can help.

Originally called "Bridging Loans", this loan has come a long way as lenders used to see this as a way to make a quick buck out of you but now it is a way of assisting you and encouraging you to move your accounts to them.

This is how it works ...

The lender advances the money to buy your new home (depending on your equity in your current home, you can sometimes also include all fees)
The interest charged to the new loan can be either paid by you or capitalised. Capitalised means added to the loan
When the original property is sold, proceeds are deposited to the new loan. The amount left owing becomes your "End Loan" and you start to make normal repayments as this new loan replaces your old loan

Benefits

Shortcomings

You can buy your new home before you sell your existing home

Nothing comes for free and interest is charged on the full amount of the new loan

You can avoid moving into a rental property and paying rent by moving directly into your new home

If you don’t sell your existing home in
due course, then the interest bill can
add up to something you would
rather not have to pay!

The offer you place on the new home will not be "subject to sale" and you will therefore be able to negotiate a better price

This loan relies on you having sufficient equity in your existing property to
support the purchase of both

Fixed Rate Loans

Depending on which way interest rates are headed, this loan is excellent if interest rates are on the upward trend. By fixing your interest rate for a period of time, you can effectively buy insurance against rate fluctuations and know exactly what your repayments will be for the remainder of the fixed period.

On the other hand if interest rates go down, you may find yourself paying a rate much higher than those people on variable rates.

When unsure about whether it is better to take a fixed or variable rate (in view of uncertain future rate variations) it may be wise to take a "split loan" (see next section) which gives you the option to take a part variable and a part fixed rate loan.

 

Benefits

Shortcomings

You can "lock in" the interest rate for a period of time and insure yourself
against future interest rate rises

If interest rates go down then you will
end up paying more for your loan
than everyone else

It is easy to budget for the same regular repayment each month

"Fixed rate" also usually means "Fixed repayments" and most lending institutions will penalize you for making additional repayments (However some will allow extra repayments).

"Split" loans (Insurance both ways !)

This loan is like betting on both Black and red at the roulette table.

Most of our customers who are confused about whether interest rates are going up or down usually end up with a "Split rate" loan. With this type of loan you nominate how much of the loan you would like To fix and how much you would like on a variable rate.

The reason for this is simple:

If interest rates increase, then the portion of the loan which is fixed will provide you with some comfort that part of your loan is "fixed"
If interest rates go down, then comfort is also gained from the knowledge that the variable rate portion of the loan will reduce accordingly.

This type of loan is becoming increasingly popular for obvious reasons…

Benefits

Shortcomings

You can "lock in" part of interest rate
for a period of time and insure yourself
against future interest rate rises, as well as leave part of the loan on "variable"
in case interest rates reduce

Only a limited number of lenders
offers this home loan product

Peace of mind no matter which way
rates are heading

 

Additional payments are allowed on
the variable portion of the loan

 

Protection (Do you need it?)

A person aged 30 with an annual income of $30,000 per year would need to produce $2,710,000 by age 65 (assuming 5% inflation)

We insure the car and the TV – but do we insure ourselves?
Which do you feel is more important ?

Most lending institutions do not require you to have personal protection, but they do insist that you have insurance to protect any portion of your loan that represents more than 75-80% of the house value – they have protected themselves; have you !!

It is a priority to understand the options and implications of protecting the family and the family home.

Benefits

Shortcomings

If you are ill or injured, payments
of the mortgage and other
expenses are guaranteed

Good health is important for protection
to be provided – if health fails, it may
be too late to arrange cover

Should you die prematurely, the mortgage
is paid off and family home protected.

If interest payments cannot be made,
the home could be repossessed

Up to 75% of your earned income can
be protected to the age of retirement
+ full tax relief on premiums.

 

A layman's guide to interest rates

Introduction

Choosing the loan product that is right for you can be very confusing. The choice is made more difficult by the very large number of products available.

Definitions

A fixed rate loan is one where the interest rate does not vary during the fixed rate period.

A variable rate loan is a loan where the interest rate can vary during the term. There are a number of kinds of variable rate loans. The main types are described below.

A wholly variable loan is one where the lender decides what the interest rate will be. The lender can change the interest rate whenever it likes.

An example of wholly variable rate loans are the standard housing loans made by most banks. There is no guarantee that all the bank housing variable rate loans will be the same rate at any time, and you may find that your lender sets an interest rate which is higher than other lenders.

A bank bill rate loan is a loan which has its interest rate set by reference to the professional money market. There are a number of different types of bank bill rates and there are several ways of linking the interest rate to those rates. For example, some lenders have a fixed margin (eg, the rate will not exceed 3% per annum above the bank bill rate). Other lenders have a variable margin which is not disclosed to you (eg. the interest rate is "linked" to the bank bill rate). Make sure you clearly understand how a bank bill mortgage rate is set, and how it compares to other bank bill mortgage rates on offer. It is likely the interest rate, and hence repayments, for bank bill rate loans will vary more frequently (up and down) than wholly variable rate loans. It is impossible to say whether over the term of a housing loan a bank bill rate loan will be more or less expensive than a wholly variable rate loan.

An interest only period is a period during which you make payments of interest only. During this period the loan amount does not reduce unless you make an additional special payment of principal.

An amortising loan or a principal and interest loan is a loan where instalments (usually monthly) are made which progressively repay the loan. Check whether you will repay the whole of your loan over the term or whether there will be a balloon payment (ie, a lump sum payment) at the end of the term. Generally, instalments will vary when interest rates vary, although sometimes the lender will adjust the term of the loan (shorten it if interest rates come down or extend it if interest rates go up) so that your payments do not change.

A split loan is a term generally used to describe a loan which has a fixed rate for part of the loan amount and a variable rate or bank bill rate for the other part of the loan.

A honeymoon or discounted rate is a low rate which applies at the commencement of the loan term. For example, a lender may offer a loan at 7.95% per annum for the first 12 months and wholly variable following. If the 7.95% per annum is less than that lender's current variable or fixed rate, the first 12 months at the 7.95% per annum rate is the honeymoon or discounted period.

If you are considering a honeymoon or discounted rate, make sure you clearly understand what rate will apply at the end of the honeymoon or discount period. Check whether you are being offered a honeymoon or discounted rate, so that you are not surprised if interest rates go up later. Also check on the terms for early repayment because sometimes lenders impose early repayment fees to discourage borrowers from repaying at the end of the honeymoon or discounted period.

Standard variable rate usually refers to the lender's non-discounted rate charged on all existing loans or on all loans of a particular type. It is generally the same as a wholly variable rate and usually applies after any honeymoon period. If an interest rate that is stated to be standard, or wholly variable, is materially lower than most standard variable rates on offer in the market, then ask questions. It could mean you are really being offered what is in fact a honeymoon rate, or a rate that can fluctuate quickly like that for a bank bill rate loan.

A home equity or "redraw" loan is a term which generally describes a loan where you can re-borrow some of the money you have paid off. For example, if you have paid $5,000 off your loan, you might be able to re-borrow that money and continue making payments in the ordinary way. Generally interest rates for home equity loans are slightly higher than for ordinary home loans.

Tips

Watch out for fees and charges Before you sign up for a loan, make sure you understand all the fees and charges which you must pay. Check on fees and charges which apply both to set up the loan and during the loan term. Sometimes an interest rate that seems quite cheap will not look so good when you take into account the initial or ongoing fees and charges. These may be called an establishment fee, an unused fee, a line fee, an account fee or an early repayment fee. There are lots of other names too

Comparison rates A comparison rate is a way of expressing the interest rate for a loan (calculated using a complicated formula) to enable you to compare that interest rate to another loan. In calculating the comparison rate all fees and other charges are brought into account.

Comparison rates are of limited value when comparing variable rate loans. This is because they cannot take into account future interest rate movements. Remember no-one knows for sure how variable rates will change in the future! Comparison rates are useful in comparing two or more fixed rate

Should I borrow fixed rate or variable rate? Generally, fixed rates are more appropriate if:
a) you think variable or fixed interest rates may go up in the future; or
b) you want to be sure that your repayments cannot change during the fixed rate period.

Whether to borrow fixed or variable is always difficult. No-one knows with any certainty how interest rates will move in the future. The choice of fixed or variable must therefore always be made based on your own personal assessment of whether interest rates will rise or fall in the future, and for how long a rise or fall may prevail. Remember, interest rates can be affected by many factors, and no-one can be sure what will happen.

Break costs If you borrow at a fixed interest rate, break costs may be payable if the loan is repaid early. Usually, they are only payable if market interest rates fall during the fixed rate term. Break costs are designed to compensate the lender because it will have to reinvest its money at a lower rate. If borrowing at a fixed rate, find out when and how break costs will be calculated on early repayment. Remember that early repayment fees may be payable on variable rate loans as well.

Read the loan documents If you apply for a loan, you should read carefully your letter of offer, the terms of your mortgage and other documents required by the lender, as these set out your obligations.

If there is any inconsistency between the offer letter, this brochure, and other documents, the terms of the lender's documents prevail.

Ask questions before you sign Make sure you understand the terms of the loan before signing. We recommend that you ask your originator or lender to describe the terms to you. If you are confused, ask the originator or lender to put the advice in writing. If you are still confused, seek advice from a lawyer or an accountant.

The Catch, or … (What’s in it for Us)

IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE FRUSTRATING AND CONFUSING TO DECIDE ON A HOME LOAN!


We provide you with a comprehensive and accurate comparison between banks, non-banks, insurance companies etc. which helps you to fully understand some of the features and pitfalls BEFORE YOU SIGN a mortgage contract.

Here is what we offer you:

We come to you
We are available for you during and after normal business hours
No bank interviews
We can assist you with having your loan approved – before you buy your next home
OUR SERVICE IS FREE as we are paid by the lending institutions
We WILL help you find the perfect loan for you and your family

You pay exactly the same costs and interest rate you would have paid if you approached the lending institution directly!

When you make your decision (in conjunction with us) as to both the Type of loan and the best Lending institution, we take care of all of the arrangements for your loan application and we are then remunerated by the lending institution you choose.

Contact us: enquiries@directadvisers.com.au

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