015: Switching home loans

This episode is all about how to compare and switch home loans to save you money, and features an interview with a mortgage broker.

There are thousands of home loans available on the market, so chances are at least one of them offers:

• a lower interest rate
• lower fees
• more flexible repayment options or features like apps and internet banking that are better than your current mortgage.

Depending on your current loan amount, loan period and other loan terms, the savings to be had can be enormous.

Why and how to switch home loans

Mia and Dinah talk about the recent changes in the home loan market in Australia due to both falling property prices and the impact of the Royal Commission into banking. This could lead to a rate decrease later this year, which may make it a good time to switch home loans.

Dinah and Mia talk about the key features you should consider when comparing loans including:

• establishment fees
• interest and comparison rates
• redraw facilities
• offset accounts and
• customer experience including online banking and in branch access.

This episode includes an interview with mortgage broker, Donna from Wilde F&I in Melbourne.  She provides some tips on what to consider when comparing home loans and the benefits of using a broker including understanding the products that are out there and the deals that are available. The interview also covers the costs and process of switching and the paperwork you will need such as loan statements, tax records, and budgets. They also talk about what paperwork is important to keep.

Life admin highs of the week

• Dinah talks about finally switching her gas and electricity contracts, which were inconveniently in her husband’s name.
• Mia reviewed her store loyalty cards including switching to more immediate cash back benefits for her supermarket rewards and starting to use the FlyBuys app.

Life admin low of the week

• Dinah talks about the frustrations she faced when her son’s sporting team rescheduled all its practices after she had already spent time adding all of the information to her calendar and negotiating logistics with her husband.

Life admin resources

• Money Smart website – government website with financial guidance on switching home loans

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