What is a Home Loan Offset Account?

A  home loan offset account is one of the most powerful ways to save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your home loan.

A “100 percent home loan offset account” can sound too good to be true. You cannot be more wrong. With it, you will be able to have every cent of your money working for you to:

  1. Reduce your mortgage
  2. Rather than sitting idly in your cheque or savings account

If you decide to put as much of your spare cash as you can into the account, and keep it for as many days as possible each month then your loan repayments can be reduced, because your savings are bringing down the interest incurred and in effect “offsetting” the cost of your home loan

How does a 100% Offset Account work?

It is important to know how to use the account effectively. The concept of how the account works is best explained in the following example. The example assumes:

  • You have a loan balance of $100,000.00
  • You have an offset transaction account with a balance of $10,000

So what does this mean? From the example illustrated above the lender/credit provider will calculate the interest payable on $90,000 ($100,000 less $10,000 = $90,000), which means:

  • Your repayments will help to reduce your loan balance
  • Ultimately your mortgage will reduce much faster

Why Should I get an Offset Account?

If you decide to use an offset account to its full potential, you will benefit by the long-term savings, and the shorter mortgage life of your home loan can be highly rewarding

So, if you have savvy money skills and can live between paydays, you will find it to be very beneficial.

Are there any different types of Home Loan Offset Accounts?

Yes, there are two types of the accounts available, these are:

  1. A full offset account, which is when the interest rate on the credit funds is the same as the rate on the borrowed funds
  2. A partial offset account, which is when the interest rate on the credit funds is less than the borrowed funds

Can I Start with my Wage?

Yes, you can start by sending your wage directly into your chosen transaction account. So even if you find it hard to save, the money you earn is immediately reducing the interest you pay on your loan.

So, next time you apply for a home loan, don’t forget to contact a lender/credit provider that offers offset account to its clients.

Finance Me’s expert finance brokers will help you in finding the best home loan packages with 100% Offset Accounts. We have funding for both clean credit and credit impaired.