An interest-only loan is a home loan where you only pay the interest charged on the borrowed amount for a specified period – typically between one and five years.
During this interest-only period, your repayments are lower because you’re not paying down the principal (the actual amount you borrowed). Once the interest-only period ends, your loan automatically converts to principal and interest repayments, which will be higher than your initial payments as you begin paying off the loan balance over the remaining loan term.
Let’s look at a comparison:
Approximately $3,160 per month
Approximately $452
Principal and interest repayment (remaining 25 years): Approximately $3,375 per month
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As you can see, repayments increase once you begin paying down the principal, so it’s important to plan for this change.
However, owner-occupiers should be cautious as the interest is not tax-deductible and you’re not building equity through repayments.
Interest-only loans can work for owner-occupiers who:
While interest-only loans offer short-term cash flow benefits, there are important considerations:
You’ll pay more interest over the life of the loan because you’re not reducing the principal during the interest-only period.
When the interest-only period ends, your repayments will jump significantly as you begin paying off the principal over a shorter remaining term.
You’re relying entirely on property appreciation to build equity during the interest-only period.
If interest rates rise during the interest-only period, you could face significant payment shock when converting to principal and interest.
Interest-only loans require careful financial planning to ensure you can manage the higher repayments when the period ends.
To maximise the benefits of an interest-only loan:
Know why you’re choosing interest-only and what you’ll do with the extra cash flow.
Park savings in a 100% offset account to reduce the effective interest while maintaining flexibility.
Assess whether interest-only still suits your circumstances and consider switching to principal and interest if your situation changes.
Even during the interest-only period, you can often make lump sum payments to reduce the principal when you have extra funds.
Interest-only loans are particularly valuable for:
Our experienced brokers can help you determine whether an interest-only loan aligns with your financial goals and circumstances, and guide you through structuring your loan for maximum benefit.
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