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Saturday, January 25 2014
 With rates near record lows there is temptation to lock rates in. But will this actually be the best move and are the savings really there? Before fixing there are a number of things to consider.
Do you eally think you will beat the bank?
3 year fixed rates are sitting around 5.34% and there are variable rates around 4.8%. So straight away you are locking yourself into a higher rate. On a $300,000 loan this would mean $1620 a year more in interest.
And here’s the catch people thinh they are ahaed by fixeing when the variable rate increases beyond the fixed rate. This is incorrect. Your breakeven point is not when variable rates reach 5.34%. The breakeven point is determined by the actual cost of funds over the fixed term. If the loan was interest only your total interest cost over 3 years is $48060. If rates on average remain around 4.8% for the next 12 months and average 5.34% in the second year the rates would have to average above 5.88% for the final 12 months before you cam out ahead.
Remember banks are very good at making profits. They don’t set fixed rates on the basis of losing the bet. They are betting you will end up paying more interest under the fixed rate than if you stayed on variable.
Penalties
Penalties can be into the thousands if you have to exit a fixed rate loan at the wrong time. Remember the timing of exiting a loan may not be of your choosing
Loss of flexibility
Generally there is limited scope to make large lump sum reductions during fixed period - eg you could be on a low rate but can't pay off the loan any faster . Also generally no access to redraw - what if you need those funds for a rainy day?
Also most fixed rate facilities do not offer genuine 100% offset accounts.
You're stuck
What if you require extra funds and the bank says no. You might be forced to refinance and get a nice big penalty on the way out. A realistic proposition in the current market with lenders tightening their policies.
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