Borrow
Access to credit spikes as more banks change their loan conditions
Two non-major banks have indicated that they are lowering their loan serviceability requirements, making a case for increased access to money lending.
Access to credit spikes as more banks change their loan conditions
Two non-major banks have indicated that they are lowering their loan serviceability requirements, making a case for increased access to money lending.
Macquarie Bank and Suncorp have both announced a change to their loan serviceability assessments, with the announcements by the non-majors a roll-on effect of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s decision to enable authorised deposit-taking institutions to set their own lending review standards.
It follows news from earlier this week that both ANZ and Westpac had lowered their rate floors for the consideration of customer lending.
Macquarie Bank announced that it had cut its interest rate floor to 5.3 per cent, where it previously sat at 7.25 per cent, with the effect of undercutting the serviceability rates of both ANZ (which now sits at 5.5 per cent) and Westpac (sitting at 5.75 per cent).
The non-major also increased its buffer in line with APRA’s new guidelines from 2.25 per cent to 2.5 per cent.
Suncorp also announced a change, which will see its serviceability rate sit comparably with ANZ, now offering a reduced interest rate floor for serviceability of 5.5 per cent.
A spokesperson from the bank, who noted an increased sensitivity buffer to 2.5 per cent, said “this change will deliver positive benefits for customers wanting to enter the property market”.
“As always, we encourage aspirational home owners to do their homework, ask questions of their broker or bank and have a clear understanding of what they can afford to repay each month.”
RELATED ARTICLES
About the author
About the author
Loans
First-home buyer grants are blowing up prices and risk while savvy investors make their move
A new white paper argues first‑home buyer incentives are being capitalised into higher prices and larger loans—echoing long‑running warnings from the Reserve Bank and market economistsRead more
Loans
Low-deposit loans signal a high-value gap: how brokers and non-banks can turn constraint into competitive edge
An emerging wave of low-deposit approvals from non-bank players points to a structural gap in Australia’s mortgage market: strong borrowers blocked by savings friction, not serviceabilityRead more
Loans
The low‑deposit mortgage opportunity: A broker‑led growth case for Australia
Fresh loan performance data from non‑bank challenger Skip has surfaced a quiet truth: low‑deposit borrowers are materially underserved — and that’s a commercial opportunity hiding in plain sight for ...Read more
Loans
First-home buyers shrug off rate rises: A lender–developer playbook to capture resilient demand
Against conventional wisdom, Australia’s first-home buyers are proving rate-resilient. Government guarantees, tight rental markets and shifting lender tactics are fuelling a surge in activity even as ...Read more
Loans
Investor refinancing hits record highs: inside Australia’s race for mobile mortgage capital
Refinancing by property investors has surged to record levels in Australia as borrowers chase sharper rates and lenders fight to defend margins. Average loan sizes have pushed to new highs even as ...Read more
Loans
Australia’s mortgage stress is back: the 2026 playbook for banks, brokers and boards
Mortgage stress has re‑accelerated after the Reserve Bank’s February move, with fresh data indicating 24.5% of owner‑occupier borrowers are under pressure. Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania are ...Read more
Loans
First-home buyers are back: what the 26% surge means for lenders, builders and boards
A record fourth-quarter rise in first-home buyer activity has reset the mortgage market’s centre of gravity. With aggregator data showing a 26% jump in first-home buyer lodgements in Q4 2025 and ...Read more
Loans
Viking’s entry rewrites Australia’s mortgage aggregation playbook: win on software, not just scale
A new residential aggregator entering Australia after a decade-plus hiatus is more than a competitive curiosity—it’s a test of whether software, data and compliance-by-design can overcome entrenched ...Read more
Loans
First-home buyer grants are blowing up prices and risk while savvy investors make their move
A new white paper argues first‑home buyer incentives are being capitalised into higher prices and larger loans—echoing long‑running warnings from the Reserve Bank and market economistsRead more
Loans
Low-deposit loans signal a high-value gap: how brokers and non-banks can turn constraint into competitive edge
An emerging wave of low-deposit approvals from non-bank players points to a structural gap in Australia’s mortgage market: strong borrowers blocked by savings friction, not serviceabilityRead more
Loans
The low‑deposit mortgage opportunity: A broker‑led growth case for Australia
Fresh loan performance data from non‑bank challenger Skip has surfaced a quiet truth: low‑deposit borrowers are materially underserved — and that’s a commercial opportunity hiding in plain sight for ...Read more
Loans
First-home buyers shrug off rate rises: A lender–developer playbook to capture resilient demand
Against conventional wisdom, Australia’s first-home buyers are proving rate-resilient. Government guarantees, tight rental markets and shifting lender tactics are fuelling a surge in activity even as ...Read more
Loans
Investor refinancing hits record highs: inside Australia’s race for mobile mortgage capital
Refinancing by property investors has surged to record levels in Australia as borrowers chase sharper rates and lenders fight to defend margins. Average loan sizes have pushed to new highs even as ...Read more
Loans
Australia’s mortgage stress is back: the 2026 playbook for banks, brokers and boards
Mortgage stress has re‑accelerated after the Reserve Bank’s February move, with fresh data indicating 24.5% of owner‑occupier borrowers are under pressure. Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania are ...Read more
Loans
First-home buyers are back: what the 26% surge means for lenders, builders and boards
A record fourth-quarter rise in first-home buyer activity has reset the mortgage market’s centre of gravity. With aggregator data showing a 26% jump in first-home buyer lodgements in Q4 2025 and ...Read more
Loans
Viking’s entry rewrites Australia’s mortgage aggregation playbook: win on software, not just scale
A new residential aggregator entering Australia after a decade-plus hiatus is more than a competitive curiosity—it’s a test of whether software, data and compliance-by-design can overcome entrenched ...Read more
