Is it safe to get a mortgage with a smaller lender?
Are non-bank lenders safe, and when it comes to the question of big bank vs smaller lender, is one better for a mortgage? Here are some things to know.

Are non-bank lenders safe, and when it comes to the question of big bank vs smaller lender, is one better for a mortgage? Here are some things to know.
Are non-bank lenders safe, and what is the difference between taking out a mortgage with a smaller lender versus a big bank? Here are some things to know.
While Australia’s home loan landscape is dominated by the so-called ‘big four’ banks – ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac – there are dozens of other smaller lenders, including non-bank lenders, on the market.
If you currently have a home loan and are considering refinancing to a smaller lender, or if you’re a first home buyer who’s curious about your options outside the big four, then you may be wondering – are non-bank lenders safe, and when it comes to the question of big bank vs small lender, which is better?
What are non-bank lenders?
A non-bank lender is a business that:
- holds an Australian Credit Licence, so can offer credit products such as personal loans, mortgages, credit cards and other types of finance, and
- does not hold an Authorised Deposit-taking Institution (ADI) licence, so cannot take deposits nor offer products such as savings accounts.
Is it safe to get a mortgage with a smaller lender?
Home loan providers in Australia are regulated in a number of ways. Smaller lenders are subject to government oversight and regulation, just as their larger counterparts are, so in this sense most of the risks and protections for borrowers are relatively similar regardless of where you go for your mortgage.
Banks and other deposit-taking institutions (including the big four as well as smaller lenders with ADI licences) are regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) while non-bank lenders are generally not regulated by APRA but are still governed by (ASIC.
Any lender who provides a credit product in Australia is required to abide by certain rules, including holding an Australian Credit Licence. Lenders are required by law to make an assessment about whether borrowers can realistically afford to repay a loan before offering credit, and also required to make sure customers have sufficient information to make an informed decision about a loan product.
The ASIC website has further information about the rules and regulations that govern credit providers, including big banks, smaller lenders and non-bank lenders.
What happens to your home loan if a smaller lender goes bust?
Another component of whether it’s ‘safe’ to get a mortgage with a smaller lender could be concern over what might happen if that lender goes out of business. For this reason, you may feel it’s safer to take out a mortgage with one of the big four banks, as you may feel they are less likely to fail. In some cases, borrowers may be prepared to forego the most competitive home loans they can find in terms of rates, fees and features as a trade-off for the greater familiarity and sense of safety that they may feel from being with a larger bank.
One question on your mind may be if you are with a smaller lender that fails or goes bust, would you lose your house? Otto Dargan, founder of homeloanexperts.com.au, told Canstar that if your home loan is sold on, another lender will then take over managing it. He also added that, if a lender is experiencing financial difficulties, your lender may preemptively raise interest rates, in order to encourage customers to refinance elsewhere.
If you are in a position to refinance your home loan, then it is important to be aware that you may still be required to pay a break fee if you have a fixed rate loan and choose to break out of it early. Other refinancing costs can also apply, regardless of your loan type. Whether you refinance or your home loan is sold on to another lender, it is likely that your new lender will also charge different interest rates and fees than the old one.
What are the pros of smaller lenders?
Some potential pros of getting a mortgage with a smaller lender or non-bank lender include the potential for lower rates and fees as well as more personalised customer service, and the potential to have a more satisfying experience.
Potential for lower rates and fees
Some smaller lenders are able to provide more competitive interest rates or fees while still offering many or all of the same features as loans from the big banks, such as offset accounts and redraw facilities, the ability to make extra repayments, and more.
This may be because some of these smaller lenders have less infrastructure and fewer overhead costs than bigger banks. Some smaller lenders may even be online-only, without bricks and mortar branches.
Likewise, some smaller lenders may offer competitive rates and fees thanks to the fact they are customer-owned institutions or mutual banks whose aim is to provide value for their customers. This distinguishes such lenders from bigger banks, whose primary aim may be to provide profit for shareholders.
Similarly, because smaller lenders may have a smaller volume of applications to process relative to larger banks, you may find that your applications and queries are processed faster, depending on the institution.
Potential for more personalised customer service
Smaller lenders may offer more attentive and personalised customer service than big banks, and this could be appealing to you. You may find, for example, that you have just one banker or other staff member guiding you through the application and approval process for a home loan, and this person may then also be available to you later on down the line when you have questions or concerns about your loan.
This kind of personalised service may be more appealing than ringing up a larger bank’s call centre and waiting to be connected to an operator to help, especially if you happen to be experiencing financial hardship or having difficulty repaying your loan.
The factors mentioned above can combine to mean greater satisfaction for customers of smaller banks. In fact, a recent Roy Morgan survey of customer satisfaction among home loan customers found that, as of March 2024, the top five banks with the most satisfied home loan customers were all outside the big four.
What are the cons of smaller lenders?
There are also some things to be wary of when it comes to smaller home loan lenders, including the possibility that there may be fewer loan options available to you, a possible lack of branches and infrastructure, and the concern that your institution might be absorbed into a larger one.
Possibility of more limited loan options
Smaller lenders may be able to offer more competitive interest rate options and fees than their bigger counterparts, but it is also worth keeping in mind that the range of loan options available to you may be relatively limited.
This may simply be because smaller lenders have fewer staff, and therefore less capacity to keep track of the features of multiple loan products, and may therefore offer a smaller selection of one or two products.
Similarly, smaller lenders may not always be able to offer some of the packaged extras that bigger lenders can, such as bundled credit cards and transaction accounts. That said, the potential convenience of having all your banking in one place in a packaged home loan doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting the best value for money overall.
It is also not always the case that smaller lenders will have more limited options, and if you’re curious about what’s out there on the market, you can compare home loans with Canstar to see if you can find a lender and product that is suitable for you.
Lack of branches and infrastructure
While a potential lack of infrastructure means that some smaller lenders may have lower overheads and operating costs, it can also mean that in some cases, there may not be a branch for you to visit should you wish to do business in person.
You may be happy solely doing business with your lender over the phone or the internet, but if you want engagement on a personal level and want to be able to visit a bricks-and-mortar branch to discuss business in person, this may not be possible.
Potential for your lender to be absorbed by a larger one
If you choose a smaller home loan lender because you do not like the big banks’ ethos or simply do not want to do business with them, it’s important to bear in mind the possibility that your lender may be taken over by or absorbed into one of the big banks at some point down the line.
It is worth keeping in mind, though, that some smaller lenders are owned by larger ones. For example, NAB owns smaller online lender ubank, and Commonwealth Bank owns Unloan. This arrangement can come with some potential advantages, but if your reason for choosing a smaller lender is to get away from the big banks, it is worth your while to research the ownership structure of the lender, to find out whether it is part of a larger entity.
What are the pros of a big bank mortgage?
Generally speaking, the main reasons a big bank might be attractive for a potential home loan customer are security, convenience and the potential to have a broader range of products on offer due to the bank’s size. In terms of security, large and small banks and home loan lenders are regulated in the same way, so you are at no greater risk whether you go with a large or small one – that said, the security of a big bank mortgage may lie in the knowledge that a larger institution may be less likely to go out of business or be bought out than a small one, meaning you could have more certainty in your mortgage.
In terms of convenience, the big banks tend to offer a suite of financial products alongside home loans, from bank accounts to credit cards and other types of loans, and you may simply find that it’s more streamlined to have and manage a variety of accounts with the one lender. As for the home loan product itself, you may also find that a big bank is able to offer a more diverse array of loans to suit your needs and conditions, simply due to the fact that it has more resources to do so.
What are the cons of a big bank mortgage?
When weighing up a big bank vs a small lender, there are also a number of reasons why a big bank may be less attractive for a mortgage – chief among these reasons are the potential for higher rates and fees as well as for less personalised service. Because the so-called big four banks control the lion’s share of the home loan market, they can afford to be less competitive with interest rates, meaning that small lenders may offer lower rates as a way to compete. Similarly, smaller lenders tend to have lower overheads in terms of branches and staff, meaning that they can afford to charge lower rates to customers.
That said, smaller lenders still have the potential to offer more personalised service than big banks. You may find with a smaller lender that you have one banker guiding you through the whole home loan application process, who is still present to help manage your home loan and help out with future home loan inquiries, which may not be the case with a larger bank.
Compare Home Loans (Refinance with variable rate only) with Canstar
If you’re currently considering a home loan, the comparison table below displays some of the variable rate home loans on our database with links to lenders’ websites that are available for homeowners looking to refinance. This table is sorted by Star Rating (highest to lowest), followed by comparison rate (lowest to highest). Products shown are principal and interest home loans available for a loan amount of $500,000 in NSW with an LVR of 80% of the property value. Consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. Use Canstar’s home loans comparison selector to view a wider range of home loan products. Canstar may earn a fee for referrals.
The comparison rate for all home loans and loans secured against real property are based on secured credit of $150,000 and a term of 25 years.
^WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate.
Up to $2,500 when you refinance with a Greater Bank home loan. Minimum loan amounts and LVR restrictions apply. Offer available until further notice. See provider website for full details. Exclusions, terms and conditions apply.
Up to $4,000 when you take out a IMB home loan. Minimum loan amounts and LVR restrictions apply. Offer available until further notice. See provider website for full details. Exclusions, terms and conditions apply.
Canstar is an information provider and in giving you product information Canstar is not making any suggestion or recommendation about a particular product. If you decide to apply for a home loan, you will deal directly with a financial institution, not with Canstar. Rates and product information should be confirmed with the relevant financial institution. Home Loans in the table include only products that are available for somebody borrowing 80% of the total loan amount. For product information, read our detailed disclosure, important notes and additional information. *Read the comparison rate warning. The results do not include all providers and may not compare all the features available to you.
Home Loan products displayed above that are not “Sponsored or Promoted” are sorted as referenced in the introductory text followed by Star Rating, then lowest Comparison Rate, then alphabetically by company. Canstar may receive a fee for referral of leads from these products.
When you click on the button marked “Enquire” (or similar) Canstar will direct your enquiry to a third party mortgage broker. If you decide to find out more or apply for a home loan, you can provide your details to the broker. You will liaise directly with the broker and not with Canstar. When you click on a button marked “More details” (or similar), Canstar will direct your enquiry to the product provider. Canstar may earn a fee for referral of leads from the comparison table above. See How We Get Paid for further information.
Cover image source: Prostock-Studio/Shutterstock.com
This article was reviewed by our Editor-in-Chief Nina Rinella before it was updated, as part of our fact-checking process.

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 Finance, The New Daily, The 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.
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.
- What are non-bank lenders?
- Is it safe to get a mortgage with a smaller lender?
- What happens to your home loan if a smaller lender goes bust?
- What are the pros of smaller lenders?
- What are the cons of smaller lenders?
- What are the pros of a big bank mortgage?
- What are the cons of a big bank mortgage?
The comparison rate for all home loans and loans secured against real property are based on secured credit of $150,000 and a term of 25 years.
^WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate.
Try our Home Loans comparison tool to instantly compare Canstar expert rated options.
The comparison rate for all home loans and loans secured against real property are based on secured credit of $150,000 and a term of 25 years.
^WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate.