Compare home loans with offset accounts

The below table displays home loans from our Online Partners which have the option of an offset account.

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promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 496431.
5.54%
Variable
5.55%
$2,852
Principal & Interest
Owner occupied
10% min deposit
Redraw facility
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 496431. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 496431. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237391.
5.64%
Variable
5.76%
$2,883
Principal & Interest
Cashback
Owner occupied
20% min deposit
Redraw facility
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237391. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237391. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence Illawarra Credit Union is a division of Community First Credit Union Limited ABN 80 087 649 938 AFSL and Australian credit licence 231204.
5.59%
Variable
6.04%
$2,867
Principal & Interest
Owner occupied
5% min deposit
Redraw facility
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence Illawarra Credit Union is a division of Community First Credit Union Limited ABN 80 087 649 938 AFSL and Australian credit licence 231204. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence Illawarra Credit Union is a division of Community First Credit Union Limited ABN 80 087 649 938 AFSL and Australian credit licence 231204. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237856.
5.49%
Variable
5.85%
$2,836
Principal & Interest
Owner occupied
30% min deposit
Redraw facility
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237856. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237856. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237502.
5.64%
Variable
5.89%
$2,883
Principal & Interest
Owner occupied
30% min deposit
Redraw facility
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237502. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237502. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237502.
5.64%
Variable
5.89%
$2,883
Principal & Interest
Owner occupied
40% min deposit
Redraw facility
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237502. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 237502. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 229500.
5.69%
Variable
6.08%
$2,899
Principal & Interest
Cashback
Owner occupied
20% min deposit
Redraw facility
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 229500. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 229500. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 240573.
5.39%
Variable
6.09%
$2,805
Principal & Interest
Owner occupied
30% min deposit
Redraw facility
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 240573. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 240573. Star Rating for a $500k owner occupier variable rate P+I loan at 80% LVR

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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Comparison rate^ p.a. (Low-High) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, which impact the results displayed in the table - filters can be applied or removed at any time.

About home loans with offset accounts

A home loan offset account can help you put your money to work for you, helping to pay down the balance of your mortgage sooner while your money is available for everyday banking. Here’s how it works.  

What is a home loan offset account?

A home loan offset account is a bank account that’s linked to your home loan. A key difference between this and other kinds of bank accounts is that, where a savings account might earn interest on the funds you have deposited, an offset account will instead reduce the amount of interest you pay on your mortgage. Generally speaking, offset accounts are linked to variable rate home loans, but some providers may offer them with a fixed rate loan.

How does a home loan offset account work?

When it comes to depositing funds, a home loan offset account works in much the same way as most other bank accounts – you can deposit money into the account yourself, or even have your salary paid into it. The money will then be available to you for everyday banking, so your offset account can be used as a transaction account, typically with a card attached.

Once money is deposited into your offset account, however, it will not earn interest. Instead, the balance of the account will be deducted or ‘offset’ from the remaining balance of your home loan when your monthly interest is calculated. This means that the money you have in your offset account, the less interest you’ll pay on your home loan.

To understand how this works, consider this example: Say you have $700,000 owing on the balance of your home loan, and $400,000 deposited in your home loan offset account. That $400,000 will be ‘offset’, meaning that you’ll only pay interest on the $300,000 difference between what you have deposited and what you owe on your home loan.

This means that you can reduce your interest repayments month by month, and as the balance of your home loan shrinks, the less you’ll pay in monthly interest. The money in your offset can be used to reduce your interest repayments in this way, but will still be available for you to draw on for everyday banking if you need it.

Frequently Asked Questions about Home Loans with Offset Accounts

Whether you would rather have your money in a savings account or an offset account will come down to a question of priorities, and how you would prefer your money to work for you.

While you will not earn interest on money that you keep in an offset account, that money will help you offset the balance of your mortgage and pay less interest on your home loan.

Depending on the size of your home loan and the amount of interest you would be paying, you may consider this to be advantageous.

It is also worth keeping in mind that interest earned on savings accounts is usually taxable, so depending on your earnings and situation, it may be advisable to consult a qualified tax professional to determine a strategy that will be suitable for you.

A redraw facility is different from an offset account in that it is not a separate account, but rather, a facility that sits inside your home loan. With a redraw facility, you can redraw any additional repayments that you have made towards your home loan, but you cannot use it for everyday banking in the same way you can use an offset account.

Some lenders may also have minimum redraw amounts, or may limit how often you can make a withdrawal.

Generally speaking, there are two main types of offset accounts – full (or 100%) offset and partial offset accounts. These work in different ways so it is important to know what you are signing up for:

  •  100% offset accounts: These see the full balance of your linked offset account deducted from your home loan balance when your interest is calculated.
  • Partial offset accounts: These only offset part of your home loan balance when interest is worked out, at a percentage determined by your lender.

While most home loan lenders in Australia could be expected to offer 100% offers accounts for home loans, it is important to check to make sure this is the case, if you want to bring your interest repayments down.

Some potential benefits of an offset account could include:

  • Less interest to pay on your home loan: By building up funds in your offset account, you can lower the balance of the home loan that you will be paying interest on, which could save you a significant amount in interest over the life of the loan.
  • A way to get your savings to work for you: If your home loan interest rate is higher than the interest rate you would earn with your money in a savings account, then your money could be working harder for you by sitting in an offset account and saving you money on home loan interest repayments.
  • Access to your funds: You never know when you will need access to cash for one of life’s necessities, and putting money in your offset account can be a way to save on home loan interest repayments but still have access to your cash when you need it.

Some potential drawbacks of offset home loans could include:

  • Potential for higher fees: Variable rate home loans with offset accounts can come with higher fees than other types of home loans.
  • Potential to pay a higher interest rate: An offset home loan can come with a higher rate than a basic loan with fewer features, and with a variable rate home loan, you will also be vulnerable to interest rate rises.
  • Need to have money in the account: An offset account works best when you have money in it, offsetting the balance of your home loan. If you take one out, but keep it at a low balance, you may find that you are paying high fees and interest rates without reaping any of the benefits.

If the balance of your offset account is equal to or greater than the balance of your home loan, then you will no longer need to pay interest on the loan, and with each monthly repayment, you will just be paying down the loan’s principal.

When the balance of your offset account is equal to the amount owing on your home loan, you might decide to pay off the remainder of your mortgage in full, although there could be some potential downsides to this, for example:

  • Lenders may charge you a fee for discharging a home loan before the term expires
  • You may potentially be using up a large amount of your savings, and while your home loan will be paid off, you will not have access to this cash if you need it

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About the authors

Alasdair Duncan, Content Editor

Alasdair Duncan
Alasdair Duncan is Canstar's Content Editor, specialising in home loans, property and lifestyle topics. He has written more than 500 articles for Canstar and his work is widely referenced by other publishers and media outlets, including Yahoo FinanceThe New DailyThe Motley Fool and Sky News. He has featured as a guest author for property website homely.com.au. In his more than 15 years working in the media, Alasdair has written for a broad range of publications. Before joining Canstar, he was a News Editor at Pedestrian.TV, part of Australia’s leading youth media group. His work has also appeared on ABC News, Junkee, Rolling Stone, Kotaku, the Sydney Star Observer and The Brag. He has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Journalism from the University of Queensland, and has completed a RG146 compliance training course. When he is not writing about finance for Canstar, Alasdair can probably be found at the beach with his two dogs or listening to podcasts about pop music. You can follow Alasdair on LinkedIn.

Joshua Sale, GM, Research

Joshua Sale

As Canstar’s Ratings Manager, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Home Loans Star Ratings and Awards and the Home Loan Refinance Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right home loan for them.

Josh is passionate about helping consumers get hands-on with their home loans, always reminding home buyers that finding the right loan can be as important for your finances as negotiating a fair property purchase price. Josh has been interviewed by media outlets such as the Australian Financial Reviewnews.com.au and Money Magazine, discussing topics including home loan equity and wider finance trends.

When it comes to Josh’s own property journey, the home loans expert once bought two houses in the same transaction when he ensured the cubby house his daughter loved was listed on the purchase contract for his new home.

You can follow Josh on LinkedIn, and Canstar on Twitter and Facebook.

Important information

For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

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A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general financial advice is right for your personal circumstances. Canstar provides information about credit products. We’re not suggesting or recommending a particular credit product for you. If you decide to apply for a loan, you will deal directly with the provider, not with Canstar. Consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. It’s important you check rates and product information directly with the provider. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure. ^Read the Comparison Rate Warning.

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