How Frequent Repayments Can Reduce Your Total Interest Payable
Fortnightly repayments save money only if you pay half your monthly repayment every fortnight. Because there are 26 fortnights in a year,…
Home loan guides
Plain-English guides to how Australian home loans work, from comparing rates and choosing between fixed and variable to fees, loan features, refinancing, investing and buying your first home. The rates we quote come from the product data lenders publish under the Consumer Data Right, so you can check any guide against today's numbers in our comparison table.
How to Calculate the True Cost of Your Home Loan Beyond the Interest Rate
The true cost of a home loan is all the interest you’ll pay plus every fee, over the time you actually expect…
Tips to Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster Despite Higher Rates
You can pay off your mortgage years faster even with rates higher in 2026. The most effective steps are getting a lower…
The Benefits and Risks of Extending Your Loan Term to Lower Payments
Extending your loan term lowers your repayments, but it adds a lot of interest. Stretching a $500,000 loan with 20 years left…
The Relationship Between Interest Rates and Rental Yield: What Investors Need to Know
Interest rates play a major role in determining whether a rental property generates enough income to cover its borrowing costs. As mortgage…
How Loan Terms Affect Your Interest Rate and Total Cost
Your loan term usually has little effect on the interest rate you’re offered, since most Australian lenders charge the same rate for…
What the RBA Cash Rate Means for Your Next Home Loan
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cash rate is now 4.85%, following a 0.25 percentage point increase on 3 November 2026. This…
Why Your Deposit Size Can Influence the Interest Rate You’re Offered
A bigger deposit usually gets you a lower interest rate because it lowers your loan-to-value ratio (LVR), and lenders price loans in…
Home Loans 101: A Complete Guide for Property Investors
An investment home loan works much like a home loan you live in, but with higher rates, stricter lending rules and different…
Home Loan Tips for First-Time Investors
Your first investment loan sets up habits and structures you’ll live with for years, so it’s important to get it right. The…
Home Loan Approval Checklist for Investors
You need to show three things to get an investment loan approved: steady income you can prove, a deposit or equity of…
Fixed vs Variable Rates for Investors
For most property investors, the choice between fixed and variable comes down to three things: whether you need certain cash flow to…