Borrow
1 in 3 Aussies lies to get a mortgage
Australian home buyers are allegedly inflating income and deflating expenses despite banks promising tougher lending standards following the royal commission.

1 in 3 Aussies lies to get a mortgage
Australian home buyers are allegedly inflating income and deflating expenses despite banks promising tougher lending standards following the royal commission.

According to research from UBS, 37 per cent of mortgagors were not “completely factual and accurate” when reporting their statements to banks.
It is a significant jump in inaccurate numbers, with 32 per cent of applicants lying when the royal commission was in full swing last during 2018.
Bank analyst at UBS Jonathan Mott stipulated that “since the royal commission was announced, the banks have significantly increased their level of verification, more questions are asked and more documentation is being requested”.
Despite this “tougher lending standard”, he has questioned the legitimacy of the stance, having commented that “while asking increasingly detailed questions appears prudent, it does not appear to be effective as many factually inaccurate mortgages are still working their way through the process”.
The increase in inaccurate mortgage applications was heavily concentrated across certain cohorts, the research has alleged.
Of mortgagors who bought more than one property over the last year, 63 per cent used inaccurate information, while half of mortgagors who own two or more investment properties had also lied (49 per cent).
Inaccurate mortgages were entered into by investors with interest-only mortgages 56 per cent of the time, while a similar number required the use of a guarantor to access lending (53 per cent).
Just over half of would-be borrowers who had their mortgage rejected (53 per cent) admitted having stretched the truth, while three-quarters of hopeful borrowers who had fabricated their circumstances were rejected twice or more (76 per cent).
Worryingly, the research highlighted that 22 per cent of respondents who were factually inaccurate in their application missed a mortgage payment over the last 12 months, versus 6 per cent who were factual, making a case for the need for more stringent testing of information given in loan applications.
About the author

About the author


Loans
CBA launches digital home loan with 10-minute application
According to the bank, Unloan will provide a single low-cost interest rate to borrowers with an application time of as little as ten minutes. ...Read more

Loans
Are central banks weighing the economic pain of rate hikes?
The hype around interest rate hikes usually centres around the urgent and fundamental need to alleviate the consequences of inflation – but does this monetary policy do more harm than good? ...Read more

Loans
As rates begin to rise, how much more will new borrowers pay?
Mortgage holders could be asked to pay over $1,000 more per month due to rising interest rates. ...Read more

Loans
New investor home loan commitments climb to a record high
The value of new investor loan commitments reached $11.7 billion in March. ...Read more

Loans
Major banks announce interest rate changes
Following the RBA’s first rate hike in 11 years, the big four banks have tweaked their home loan variable interest rates. ...Read more

Loans
Up to $400bn of fixed rate home loans tipped to roll off into variable rates
A surge of refinancing is anticipated in the next couple of years. ...Read more

Loans
‘Liar loans’ most prevalent at ANZ, survey finds
UBS has identified an increase in factual misstatements coming from ANZ’s mortgage customers. ...Read more

Loans
How will rising rates impact mortgage stress?
Mortgage holders could face thousands of dollars in extra repayment costs per year as a result of impending rate hikes. ...Read more

Wrapping up an eventful 2021
Listen now

What Omicron means for property, and are units right for first-time buyers? What is equity crowdfunding? Are industry super funds tapping into member funds to save their skins?
Listen now

Will housing affordability improve in 2022? Will buy now, pay later become the norm? Why are Aussies staying in failing super products?
Listen now

Who really benefits from crypto ETFs? How will the RBA respond to rising inflation? Could a mandate help address unpaid super?
Listen now

Loans
CBA launches digital home loan with 10-minute application
According to the bank, Unloan will provide a single low-cost interest rate to borrowers with an application time of as little as ten minutes. ...Read more

Loans
Are central banks weighing the economic pain of rate hikes?
The hype around interest rate hikes usually centres around the urgent and fundamental need to alleviate the consequences of inflation – but does this monetary policy do more harm than good? ...Read more

Loans
As rates begin to rise, how much more will new borrowers pay?
Mortgage holders could be asked to pay over $1,000 more per month due to rising interest rates. ...Read more

Loans
New investor home loan commitments climb to a record high
The value of new investor loan commitments reached $11.7 billion in March. ...Read more

Loans
Major banks announce interest rate changes
Following the RBA’s first rate hike in 11 years, the big four banks have tweaked their home loan variable interest rates. ...Read more

Loans
Up to $400bn of fixed rate home loans tipped to roll off into variable rates
A surge of refinancing is anticipated in the next couple of years. ...Read more

Loans
‘Liar loans’ most prevalent at ANZ, survey finds
UBS has identified an increase in factual misstatements coming from ANZ’s mortgage customers. ...Read more

Loans
How will rising rates impact mortgage stress?
Mortgage holders could face thousands of dollars in extra repayment costs per year as a result of impending rate hikes. ...Read more