Juicy cuts on the way? More lenders beginning to reduce rates

There’s been a lot of noise in the home lending and financial space recently, so there’s every chance you may have missed it, but some lenders are starting to cut rates.

The RBA may have kept rates on hold for 30 consecutive months, but that hasn’t stopped lenders from making cuts (or increases) on their own accord.

Bendigo Bank is the latest bank to make a downward move, cutting its interest rates by as much as 0.20 percentage points for new borrowers across a range of its products, while rates for existing borrowers remain unchanged.

Other lenders have also made moves

Bendigo is by no means the only lender cutting rates. In fact, it’s the eighth or ninth lender to make variable cuts this year.

Other lenders that have made cuts include Heritage Bank, Bankwest and State Custodians.

The move comes after RBA governor Phil Lowe recently indicated there’s now a 50/50 chance that the next official cash rate move could be down, despite most pundits previously predicting it would be up.

That said, 14 to 15 lenders have recently increased the variable rate on loans for existing customers, including NAB, Macquarie and ING.

So, what does this all mean?

Well, with so much movement and uncertainty in the market, it might be a good time to give us a call for a home loan health check.

We’d be more than happy to look at your current home loan to make sure it’s still appropriate to your needs – or whether the market has shifted enough for you to start considering other options.

Meanwhile, Treasury warns against damaging competition

In other news, Treasury Secretary Philip Gaetjens has highlighted the important role that mortgage brokers play in promoting competition in the home lending sector.

He’s warned the government and Labor not to damage competition, which could happen if they adopt a banking royal commission recommendation to change the broker remuneration structure to a user-pays model.

“One issue, in particular, where Treasury did express a strong opinion was in relation to the role of mortgage brokers in promoting competition,” Mr Gaetjens told a Senate Estimates committee on Wednesday.

“As governments of all persuasions have recognised, it is important that care be taken to not damage – and where possible, to enhance – competition in the banking sector.”

Queensland-based lender Heritage Bank has also publicly defended broker commissions.

“We do not support increasing the costs for customers to obtain a home loan in the form of a customer-paid fee for service and worsen the current affordability crisis for those customers already struggling to afford a home,” says Heritage Bank CEO Peter Lock, whose comments echo those made by several other non-major lenders, including P&N Bank and ING.

“A major contraction of the mortgage broking industry would reduce competition and put the big banks in an even more powerful position in the home loan market.”

Final word

As we’ve mentioned in previous articles, if you value the service we offer, now more than ever we’d love for you to let those in Canberra know.

Doing so takes just a few minutes, and can be done using this pre-populated letter here. Many thanks!

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

In this together: help us help you

Higher interest rates, increased fees, less flexibility and fewer options. That’s how borrowers will lose out if the banking Royal Commission’s recommendations around how mortgage brokers are paid are implemented. Here’s how you can have your say!

You may have seen in the news that the banking Royal Commission recently recommended that the cost of using a mortgage broker should be transferred from the banks to the customers.

Now, first things first: it’s business as usual for us.

We’re here to help you and will always do so with your best interests at heart.

However, it’s important to note that if these recommendations are adopted, it would cost customers using a mortgage brokers thousands of extra dollars up-front when buying a home.

On top of this, the imposition of a blanket ban on commissions (starting with the removal of trail commissions from 2020) would significantly lower broker remuneration, kill competition, and drive up the cost of borrowing for millions of Australians.

Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) CEO Mike Felton explains: “The recommendations on brokers represent a massive win for the big banks. The Royal Commission was set up to protect (consumers) from big bank power but has simply entrenched it further”.

“How mortgage brokers can be front and centre of the recommendations is inexplicable. A massive new bank fee added to the cost of buying a home cannot be a good outcome for Australians.”

The stats

Reviews by ASIC and the Productivity Commission have found that brokers drive competition by providing a shopfront for smaller lenders.

In fact, mortgage brokers now originate 59.1% of all mortgages in Australia, and more than half a million home buyers use a broker each year.

“I fail to see how decimating the broker channel, leaving Australians with a handful of lenders to choose from, is good for competition, or good for customers,” adds Mr Felton.

Additionally, over the past three decades brokers have contributed to the fall in net interest margin for banks of over 3% points, according to Deloitte. This saves you $300,000 on a $500,000 30-year home loan (based on an interest rate fall from 7% to 4% pa).

Here are some other interesting stats from the Deloitte Access Economics report and independent research released last month from a survey of 5,800 Australian broker and bank customers:

– 58% of Australian consumers who intend to use a mortgage broker in future would be unwilling to pay a broker fee of any nature.

– Only 3.5% of consumers would be willing to pay a fee of $2,000 or more.

– A mortgage broker earns on average $86,417 before tax.

As the stats indicate, most mortgage brokers are small businesses that would be crippled by the proposed changes – and it would only be the big banks that profited!

How you can help us to continue to support you

Right now there’s an industry-wide, grassroots campaign running for everyday Australians to send a message to the government that they don’t want mortgage broking fees transferred onto them.

Here’s what you can do in four easy steps:

1. Take action with your local politician: Contact your Federal MP and let them know how you feel by visiting this site. It takes just a couple of minutes as there’s a pre-populated letter already filled out for you (you can edit it as well).

2. Get others involved: Talk to your family, friends and your customers and ask them to go to the site and contact their Federal MP as well.

3. Sign and share the petition: There is also a petition available at www.brokerbehindyou.com.au – please sign and share the petition to ensure policy makers understand the weight of support behind the channel.

4. Share the campaign: Additional campaign advertising collateral will be made available on the website for you to share and promote on your social media platforms daily over the next few weeks and beyond.

If you’d like any further information on this issue, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d love to discuss it with you!

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Interested in a cool $150? Update your Medicare account details

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Medicare customers are being urged to update their bank account details to see if they’re entitled to a share of more than $110 million in unclaimed rebates. Here’s how to do so online in a few minutes.

And no, this is not one of those pesky scams doing the rounds! But we’ll touch upon that later.

The government released an interesting stat this week: almost 670,000 people have not provided Medicare with their bank details, which has resulted in more than $110 million in unclaimed rebates.

As such, the average amount owed to each individual is about $150 – a decent injection that could help you pay off your mortgage, an upcoming bill, or a nice Valentine’s Day dinner!

Some people are missing out on far more – and often they’re the people who need it most – if they are regular visitors to their doctor or have had treatment for a serious medical condition. So make sure you let your friends and loved ones know too.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt put out a statement this week encouraging residents to update their bank account details so they could start receiving their cash rebates.

“It only takes a couple of minutes, and the easiest way to update your details is by using one of the Australian Government’s digital channels, such as the Medicare Express Plus app, or through your myGov account,” he says.

Is that it?

Yup, that’s it.

Once you’ve logged into your account and updated your details Mr Hunt says Medicare will take care of the rest.

“The money you’re owed will be deposited in your account in a matter of days,” he explains.

“My advice is to set aside a couple of minutes, to do what is a really simple task that will ensure you receive what you are entitled to quickly and easily.”

Be wary of scammers!

It’s not lost on us that this sounds like a scam. And guess what? There are actually scammers out there trying to take advantage of this rebate payment by getting in touch with people directly over the phone, via SMS, or email.

The scammers are posing as Medicare representatives and contacting people asking for their bank account details, so you need to remain vigilant.

To avoid falling victim: don’t click on any links in emails or texts as they may take you to a fake website. Instead, go directly to www.my.gov.au to update your account.

“As recently as late last year, scammers were actively targeting people through SMS messages, that urged them to click on a hyperlink to claim their outstanding Medicare rebates,” says Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation Michael Keenan.

“While the department does call, SMS, or email people, it never includes hyperlinks in emails or text messages.”

For more information on how to set up a Medicare online account, visit www.humanservices.gov.au/medicareonline

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Customers set to lose out as Big 4 Banks profit, yet again

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Once again the Big 4 Banks have escaped major punishment and gotten exactly what they wanted: adding a multi-thousand-dollar tax on borrowing that’ll hit consumers and brokers hardest.

By now you might have seen some of the Royal Commission recommendations in their final report.

All in all, the banks got off with a very light rap on the knuckles – as indicated by all four banks having their best day in months on the ASX.

On the other hand, the existing business model for 20,000 mortgage brokers – most of whom run businesses just like ours – is at risk.

That’s because one recommendation made by the Honourable Kenneth Madison Hayne AC QC in the final report is to ban trail commissions on all new loans by July 1st 2020.

It’s then proposed that over the following two to three years, all other commissions be phased out, with mortgage brokers shifting to a consumer-pays model whereby borrowers foot the bill.

This is exactly what the banks want.

Because if implemented, the banning of mortgage broker commissions will strengthen the profits and position of the major banks and reduce lender competition substantially.

What this will save the banks

According to a report on ABC news, Credit Suisse says this move will collectively save the banks a whopping $1.8 billion over five years.

That’s a staggering amount.

Destroying the viability of the mortgage broker channel would immediately reduce competition and drive customers back into the banks with the largest branch networks.

With less competition, the banks will likely increase their rates.

MFAA CEO Mike Felton says these recommendations do not represent a good outcome for consumers.

“These policy recommendations are effectively a new multi-thousand-dollar tax on borrowing. They will put the broker channel at severe risk, damaging competition and access to credit and entrench bank power,” Mr Felton says.

“I fail to see how decimating the broker channel, leaving Australians with a handful of lenders to choose from, is good for competition, or good for customers. We are critical to the health of Australia’s mortgage lending market.”

The fallout

At this stage it remains unclear whether the Final Report is recommending a consumer fee-for-service or the so-called ‘Netherlands’ model.

“If the recommendation is a broker only consumer fee-for-service, that will mean brokers and smaller lenders will no longer be able to compete on a level playing field with the big banks with major branch networks,” Mr Felton explains.

“We know from recent, independent research that 96.5% of customers are not willing to make a payment to a broker of $2,000 and most are unwilling to pay anything at all.”

Meanwhile Peter White, managing director of the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA), says brokers should never have found themselves in the firing line.

“This royal commission is about the greed of the big banks and insurance companies, and so it should be because their behaviour has been appalling,” he said.

It’s not just the mortgage broking industry that’s been left dumbfounded by the recommendation. Here’s what Financial economist and Australian Financial Review contributing editor Christopher Joye had to say:

“The biggest winners from the royal commission are demonstrably the big banks while the largest losers are Australia’s mortgage brokers. Indeed, the top end of town have done an amazing job convincing everyone that brokers should be made the ‘fall guys’ for their own deeds, surreptitiously fattening their profits, despite no evidence of pervasive misconduct,” Mr Joye said.

What next?

For the time being, the recommendations remain just that: recommendations.

They’re not set in stone. Not yet.

Because while the Coalition and Labor have both said they’ll take action on all 76 recommendations in the report, there is an election coming up.

Enough noise made now could result in one of the two major political parties sitting up and taking notice.

That means there’s still time to let your local MP know that you’re happy with the way the system is and that you don’t want the banks transferring the costs of a mortgage broker onto customers.

If you’d like any further information on this issue, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Are you on the NBN? You could be entitled to a big refund

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Ahh, the NBN. Depending on where you live it’s either lightening fast, or so agonizingly slow that you want to pull your hair out. Well, the good news is you could be entitled to a refund worth hundreds of dollars.

Over the last 15 months the ACCC has been negotiating with internet service providers to offer their customers a refund if warranted.

Telstra, Optus, TPG, iiNet, Internode, Dodo, iPrimus and Commander have each admitted that they likely made false or misleading representations about their connection speeds.

So now the ACCC is “urging” you to contact your retail service provider (RSP) to see if you’re eligible for a refund which, in many cases, is worth a few hundred dollars.

That’s a decent injection to help you pay off your mortgage, bills that have accumulated over Christmas, or even some spending money over the upcoming Easter holidays.

Why you might be entitled to a refund

Ok, so when you signed up to the NBN, the RSP that sold you the plan most likely advertised it with maximum theoretical speeds.

This might have looked something like: “100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 40 Mbps upload” speeds – aka 100/40.

However, if you’re on a FTTN (fibre-to-the-node) or FTTB (fibre-to-the-building) plan, you probably aren’t getting anywhere near those speeds because there are existing copper lines connecting your building to the NBN network.

Put simply: copper = unreliable connections and slower internet speeds.

It’s mainly FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) that can really reach the advertised theoretical speeds, as it doesn’t rely on any copper for the internet connection.

You have (unopened) mail

Since November 2017, the RSPs were meant to contact more than 142,000 affected consumers to offer them a range of remedies, such as moving to a lower speed plan of their choice, or exiting their contract and receiving a refund.

However, two in three affected consumers – roughly 100,000 households – have not responded to the letter or email from their RSP.

“They may be eligible for refunds, some in the hundreds of dollars,” says ACCC Acting Chair Mick Keogh.

“The ACCC is urging NBN customers to contact their NBN retailer if they have received a letter or email offer of a remedy, or think they might be entitled to a remedy.”

You might even be entitled to a refund if you’re a new customer, too.

Within four weeks of signing up, RSPs must check their speeds and if the speeds are below those advertised for the plan the consumer chose, the RSP must offer remedy options.

How much you could be refunded

Ok, let’s say back in December 2016 Anne purchased a 100/40 NBN plan from a Telco at a cost of $100 a month.

In December 2017, Anne would have received an email from her Telco advising that her connection was only capable of maximum speeds of 37 Mbps download and 13 Mbps upload.

This means she was unable to receive the full benefit of the 100/40 plan.

In the email that was originally sent, but that Anne missed or overlooked, the Telco offered her the following options:

Option 1 – Move to a lower plan of her choice, such as a 50/20 or 25/5 plan, and receive a refund of $360.

Option 2 – Exit the plan without cost and receive a refund of $360 for the difference in plan prices.

Option 3 – Remain on her current plan with no refund.

In this example, with a maximum speed of 37 Mbps download, Anne could receive the maximum speed of the 25/5 plan but not the 50/20 plan.

Therefore, Anne is entitled to a refund of $360, which is the difference between a 100/40 Plan and 25/5 Plan ($30 a month) over 12 months.

All she has to do is let her Telco know.

Your next step

This is the simple part. Simply get in contact with your RSP and see if you’re entitled to a refund.

The ACCC is on their case about it so it should be fairly straightforward and the customer service representative will know what you’re referring to.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.