Why you'll probably pay less interest with a small lender

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (and presumably paying too much for it!), you’ll realise that you may fork out more in interest if you take out a mortgage with a big bank.

In fact, at any given time, the difference between what a large outfit and a smaller competitor will charge you can differ by about 1 percentage point.

Doesn’t sound like a lot? Well, that can add up to an extra $73,000 interest paid over the life of an average $400,000 home loan.

So it’s no wonder that customers are defecting at a rapid rate to the cheaper, smaller guys. What still makes no sense, though, is that some 80% of Australian mortgage holders remain with the banks they know but (usually) don’t love.

Did you know, almost a quarter of all Aussies have a mortgage with the same bank they banked with as a child?

[Read about how 23.7% of Aussies have a mortgage with the same bank they were with as a child or the bank their parents use here.]

Here’s why.

Small lender safety

The global credit crack-up that commenced in 2008 played beautifully into our largest institutions’ hands. Aussies got nervous en masse and many retreated to the perceived safety of the Big 4 thanks to fears that smaller players might go bust.

When it comes to your mortgage, that’s a bit silly. Think about it: you’d be worried about insolvency if you were owed money… but if you owe the money, it’s an entirely different matter.

The worst case scenario in the event of a lender collapse is your loan (and all the rest of them) will be sold to another lender and they’ll more than likely jack up the rates. But remember, you have mortgage mobility now that exit fees were banned since 2011 (unless you have committed to a fixed rate home loan). It might be the best time to find a better deal.

Sure, small banks, credit unions and building societies are all regulated by APRA, when so-called alternative lenders are not. But alternative lenders are still subject, like all credit contracts, to a (strengthened) consumer credit code (now called the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009). The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) can also rule on small lenders, while the corporate watchdog, ASIC, can get involved if there is misleading and deceptive conduct.

Indeed, the big banks have become so concerned about the potential loss of loans to smaller lenders that some have even started their own. NAB for instance, operates online outfit Ubank.

And you’re asking: how does this help them? Keep reading…

Small lender service

The reason that alternative lenders can offer such materially cheaper loans is their significantly lower overheads.

Often these lenders have no “shop front” or retail outlet. That means no rent and related expenses… all of which a big bank has to account for in the interest rate it charges you. They will typically have an online presence only. And this is how with Ubank, NAB can get a fresh, cheaper slice of the mortgage pie.

But just because alternative lenders don’t have ‘bricks and mortar’ branches doesn’t mean they skimp on service. Many have fantastically responsive teams. Also, there are some cutting-edge real-time ‘chat’ facilities available.

You’ll get a good gauge for how much help you’ll get from a lender you are considering from a quick website visit. Bear in mind, too, that the smaller mobs really want your business – and often they’re willing to work hard for it.

Small lender types

Possibly the best term for small mortgage issuers is ‘non-bank lenders’. This definition obviously catches building societies and credit unions too (which as mentioned previously are, like banks, regulated by APRA).

If your mind automatically runs to large lenders when thinking about a mortgage, you should realise that there are some 100 lenders operating in the Australian market. That’s a lot aside from the big 4… and a lot of potential to find a better interest rate.

But besides a typically lower interest rate, many online lenders also offer cheaper upfront and ongoing fees. Again, they want your business and are fully aware that high upfront costs work as a deterrent to ditching your big bank.

That’s why you should check the comparison rate when you investigate your home loan options. The comparison rate will be listed in all product tables and is a mandated calculation that incorporates upfront fees and ongoing charges, as well as the interest rate. They do more than just reflect the interest rate – it should help you understand the true cost of the loan.

The comparison rate will give you the apples with apples comparison of the bank and non-bank options, so you can have a clearer picture how much better off you could be.

uno works with more than 20 lenders, with roughly a third of our business going to the big four banks and two-thirds going to non-major lenders. Get in touch now to find out more.

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