Big Four bank home loans – current rates and offers
Think the biggest banks offer the best deals? See current home loan offers from Australia's Big Four banks, and how they compare to the rest of the market.
These home loans offer low costs, coupled with a host of features, giving the best overall value.
7+
Great
These home loans may have slightly higher interest rates or fewer features but overall, a competitive offering.
5+
Standard
Usually the home loans would offer above average rates. They may still include some competitive features.
0+
Basic
Higher costs and/or fewer features.
Who are the Big Four banks?
Australia has 4 main banking giants and they account for roughly 75% of all mortgages in the country.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Australia's largest bank, CBA is a massive institution with a strong market share and over 15 million customers. The bank has an extensive branch network and a popular banking app. CBA owns online home loan lender Unloan.
Westpac. Australia's second biggest bank, Westpac started life as the Bank of New South Wales in 1817. Westpac owns many well-known finance brands, including St.George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA.
NAB. The National Australia Bank has been around for almost 160 years and has 9 million customers, mainly in Australia and New Zealand but also across the globe. Digital lender UBank is owned by NAB.
ANZ. This bank has a strong presence in both Australian and New Zealand. ANZ now operates in 33 markets around the world.
What are the lowest rates from the Big Four banks?
The interest rate you are offered will depend on your circumstances and won't necessarily be the cheapest. But the cheapest rates are still a good indication of where the big 4 sit compared to the rest of the market.
Their rates have become much more competitive over the last few months as other lenders have begun dropping rates in preparation for a cut in the RBA cash rate.
Although the Big Four banks have the largest reputation in Australia, they don't necessarily have the most competitive rates. Here's how the compare with the lowest rates and average rates.
Australian interest rates January 2025
Data
Average variable mortgage interest rate
7.02%
Lowest variable rate on Finder's database
5.69%
Average fixed mortgage interest rate
6.38%
Lowest fixed rate on Finder's database
4.99%
*Lowest rates listed above are based on owner occupier products in Finder's database with LVRs of at least 80%.
How much of the mortgage market belongs to the Big Four?
The Big Four are the largest players in Australia's home loan market by far. To understand just how large their share of the market is, here's a snapshot of the latest APRA data showing the value of owner occupier and investor loans held by the Big Four and some of their closest competitors.
This table shows the value of home loans "on the books" at each lender. Even the smallest of the Big Four holds well over double the value than the next smallest competitor.
My first home loan with ANZ
"I bought my first home several months ago. I used a mortgage broker to find my home loan and one of the lenders they recommended was ANZ. ANZ was offering a pretty good variable rate as well as a 100% offset account and a $3,000 cashback, so I went with them.
The application process was really simple and ANZ provided me with all the information I needed so I was never left in the dark. Honestly, no complaints about the loan itself, but I have some issues with the app. There are some improvements that could be made, like real-time notifications when I transfer my money into my offset account."
Harrison Khannah
Software Engineer
Big Four bank home loan features
A home loan from one of the Big Four doesn't necessarily offer anything different to any other home loan lender. Features such as extra repayments, redraw facilities and offset accounts are common.
But there are a couple of areas where the bigger banks might have more of a focus.
Package loans
While by no means exclusive to the largest banks, the Big Four often advertise their premium package loans. These products let you bundle a home loan with a credit card, bank account (which functions as an offset account) and other products. These days, the big banks often have the most competitive offers on their package loans and may offer a cashback if you switch to them from another lender.
And that's a big part of why banks do package loans. They want all your business, not just your mortgage.
Basic home loans and introductory discount rates
Again, not exclusive to the Big Four, but these banks frequently offer these two types of products. Basic home loans have low variable rates (usually) but don't have offset accounts. Introductory rate loans offer a very low (usually variable) rate for an initial period, but increase later.
What are my alternatives to a home loan from the Big Four?
Mortgage lending in Australia is a thriving, crowded industry, with lenders big and small looking to lend you money. So it's always worth comparing a wide range of home loans. Alternatives to the major lenders include:
Online lenders. If you're comfortable with applying online or over the phone an online lender could be convenient and save you money. These lenders often have the cheapest interest rates.
Non-banks. Credit unions, building societies and other non-bank institutions offer mortgages and are also very competitive. Some of these institutions limit their lending to states, cities or geographic regions.
Smaller banks. Many local banks can serve customers in cities, states or large portions of the country. There are also newer bank brands, often operating online, which offer cheaper rates. Some of these brands are owned by one of the Big Four.
Fintechs and neobanks. Smaller, high-tech startups are beginning to enter the mortgage market. They can be very competitive and convenient if you're comfortable with banking via an app.
Lenders in the categories above often overlap. A small bank could be entirely online, while credit unions may have limited physical branches and a strong online service. And some banks are starting to use the technology of the fintechs.
Some smaller lenders are actually backed by the Big Four
You might not know this, but the nation's biggest institutions own or are associated with the following financial brands:
NAB.UBank is a digital bank owned by NAB, although it operates by its own brand philosophy and strategy.
Convenience and service. The Big Four have the largest networks of ATMs and physical branches. For many people, face-to-face service and brick and mortar branches are very important.
Product range. The big lenders have products for most Australian borrowers and a greater range than many smaller lenders.
Stability. Even small Australian lenders are heavily regulated, so this shouldn't be a big concern. But the Big Four are the oldest and biggest lenders for a reason.
Service. The Big Four have large customer service departments. They are also the most likely to have dedicated migrant banking services for non-residents.
What are the downsides of getting a mortgage with the Big Four?
In most respects the Big Four are as good as any other lender. But depending on what you're looking for, you might be better served with one of their smaller competitors. Here are a few reasons why:
Interest rates. Most of the time, the Big Four banks don't offer the absolute lowest interest rates on the market. Smaller lenders, especially online lenders, could offer more competitive deals, with their reduced overheads and online infrastructure.
Options for non-conforming borrowers. The Big Four don't specialise in loans for borrowers who have unique needs, such as borrowers who are self-employed, have a complex financial situation, have poor credit histories or are discharged bankrupts. This is where mortgage brokers and smaller, specialist lenders can help, as their loan policies and lending criteria may be more flexible.
Technology and customer service. The Big Four have strong online banking and well-designed apps, but there are smaller fintech lenders and neobanks who offer faster service, better apps and more tools to help you manage your mortgage. Although the gap in technology between new players and the old banks is shrinking all the time.
Frequently asked questions
All of Australia's Big Four are Authorised Deposit-Taking Institution (ADI). But so are almost all the smaller banks, credit unions and digital banks. You can find more detailed information here.
All registered financial institutions, regardless of their size, are regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).
Financial institutions are required to hold a certain portion of capital, as they provide a permanent commitment of funds and are available to absorb losses.
The lender takes on the risk, not the borrower. In the unlikely event your lender goes bankrupt, it won't affect your ownership of the property as your loan account would pass to a new institution, who bought the assets of your now-defunct lender.
Interest rates from the big four banks vary depending on the loan type and your LVR. They typically do not have the lowest rates on the market though. Currently, the lowest rate available by a big four bank is 5.74% from ANZ. This is for a 2 year fixed rate with a 30% deposit. ANZ also offers the best variable interest rate at 6.09% for an owner occupier loan through its ANZ Plus brand.
What is Finder Score?
The Finder Score crunches 7,000 home loans across 120+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.
To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like loans. So if you're comparing the best home loans for cashback, you can see how each home loan stacks up against other home loans with the same borrower type, rate type and repayment type. We also take into consideration the amount of cashback offered when calculating the Score so you can tell if it's really worth it.
Richard Whitten is Finder’s Money Editor, with over seven years of experience in home loans, property and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University. See full bio
Richard's expertise
Richard has written 623 Finder guides across topics including:
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