Westpac raises fixed home loan rates by up to 80 bp
Today, Westpac announced a series of hikes to its fixed rate Premier Advantage home loans , making it the first Big Four bank to lift fixed interests this month. The changes will affect both owner-occupier and investment products and vary between 80 basis points on 1-year terms and 30 for 5-year terms.
This is in addition to the variable rate hikes Westpac made in response to the RBA decision earlier this May. With headline inflation on the rise, we’re likely to see another cash rate bump soon, which will only increase the cost of housing finance.
RELATED: How to manage higher mortgage repayments
The table below shows the new fixed rates on the Westpac Premier Advantage home loan for owner-occupiers making P&I repayments (LVR < 95%):
Westpac Fixed Options Home Loan (P&I) - 26 May 2022
| Term | Increase | New Rate |
|
1-year
|
+80 bp
|
3.69% p.a. (3.97% p.a. comparison rate*)
|
| 2-year | +60 bp | 4.39% p.a. (4.10% p.a. comparison rate*) |
| 3-year | +50 bp | 4.79% p.a. (4.28% p.a. comparison rate*) |
| 4-year | +40 bp | 4.89% p.a. (4.41% p.a. comparison rate*) |
| 5-year | +30 bp | 4.99% p.a. (4.54% p.a. comparison rate*) |
These new rates are 20 basis points cheaper than Westpac’s basic fixed rate home loan option.
Comparing Westpac’s lowest rates with the other Big Four, we can see how the banks stack up against one another.
Big Four fixed rate home loans comparison (OO, P&I) - 26 May 2022
| Bank | Product | 2-year rate | 5-year rate |
|
CBA
|
Fixed Wealth Package |
3.79% p.a. (4.46% p.a. comparison rate*)
|
4.49% p.a. (4.67% p.a. comparison rate*)
|
| ANZ | Fixed home loan | 3.99% p.a. (3.38% p.a. comparison rate*) | 4.89% p.a. (3.92% p.a. comparison rate*) |
| Westpac | Premier Advantage | 4.39% p.a. (4.10% p.a. comparison rate*) | 4.99% p.a. (4.54% p.a. comparison rate*) |
| NAB | Tailored Choice | 4.49% p.a. (4.62% p.a. comparison rate*) | 4.99% p.a. (4.91% p.a. comparison rate*) |
Fixed rates have been rising for a while now, but this latest round pushes percentages in excess of pre-pandemic levels.
The housing market continues to cool significantly since last year’s boom, driven partially by cost constraints on the part of buyers. The new Labor government has proposed an affordability solution , but real reform is a long way off.
As we watch interest rates going into June, research will be key for buyers making decisions between fixing their loan now, or gambling for variable dips later.
Loan details
Repayment change if rates change
If you’re in the market for a home loan, have a go using our fixed rate comparison tool to help find competitive rates.