Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA
Powered by momentummedia
nestegg logo

Borrow

CBA slashes mortgage serviceability rate

By Charbel Kadib
  • November 08 2019
  • Share

Borrow

CBA slashes mortgage serviceability rate

By Charbel Kadib
November 08 2019

The big four bank has lowered its interest rate floor for home loan serviceability assessments for the second time in less than four months.

CBA slashes mortgage serviceability rate

author image
By Charbel Kadib
  • November 08 2019
  • Share

The big four bank has lowered its interest rate floor for home loan serviceability assessments for the second time in less than four months.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has announced that it will be lowering its interest rate floor for mortgage serviceability assessments from 5.75 per cent to 5.40 per cent, effective from Saturday, 9 November.

The major bank added that applications submitted prior to Saturday, 9 November, that have not yet been formally approved will be assessed using the new floor rate.

The 2.5 per cent interest rate buffer will remain unchanged.

Advertisement
Advertisement

A CBA spokesperson told nestegg sister publication Mortgage Business that in making the decision, CBA sought to balance its regulatory obligations with the interest of its customers and the broader economy.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia

“In delivering this change, we have ensured we continue to meet our regulatory commitments while remaining focused on delivering great customer outcomes and supporting the Australian economy,” the spokesperson said.

CBA joins Auswide Bank, Heritage Bank and Westpac in revising its interest rate floor twice in response to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s (APRA) changes to its home lending guidance.

In early July, the prudential regulator scrapped its requirement for a 7 per cent interest rate floor and raised its recommended buffer rate from a minimum of 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent.

APRA chair Wayne Byres said the regulator’s amendments were “appropriately calibrated”, stating that a serviceability floor of more than 7 per cent was “higher than necessary for ADIs to maintain sound lending standards”.

Forward this article to a friend. Follow us on Linkedin. Join us on Facebook. Find us on X for the latest updates
Rate the article

more on this topic

more on this topic

More articles