Founded as a digital subsidiary of National Australia Bank (NAB), ubank was Australia’s first homegrown digital bank when it launched in 2008. It’s only grown since then and has remained completely digital and online. In 2022, ubank acquired the Australian online-only bank 86 400 in a merger to consolidate its presence in the digital banking market.
Offset accounts available | ✅ |
Redraw facilities available | ✅ |
Line of credit available | ❌ |
Split rate option available | ✅ |
Green loan available | ❌ |
Ability to make extra repayments | ✅ |
Internet banking available | ✅ |
Salary crediting | ✅ |
Choice of repayment flexibility | ✅ |
Refinance available | ✅ |
Services first home buyers | ✅ |
ubank’s range of home loan products currently includes:
ubank offers home loans that may be appropriate for first home buyers, refinancers, property investors, and more.
However, when it comes to what types of borrowers ubank lends to, there are a few points that prospective borrowers should keep in mind.
The first is that ubank has a minimum required loan-to-value ratio (LVR) of 85%, meaning you are unlikely to be approved for a home loan with ubank if your saved deposit is less than 15% of your total proposed loan size. Additionally, depending on the suburb a property is located in, ubank may require a lower minimum LVR to reduce the perceived risk of lending against a property in that area.
ubank also likely won’t give you a home loan if you can’t repay your proposed home loan at a rate 3% higher than the advertised interest rate. This is because the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) requires all lenders to assess an applicant’s ability to service their proposed home loan in the event of interest rate hikes.
Yes, ubank provides home loans to first home buyers. While they don’t have a specific home loan product designed for first home buyers, they have several tools and resources available to first home buyers designed to help them navigate the process of buying a home for the first time.
No, ubank is not one of the 33 participating lenders chosen by the Federal Government to offer the Home Guarantee Scheme. The Home Guarantee Scheme helps certain home buyers secure a home loan with a deposit smaller than 20%, without having to pay lenders mortgage insurance (LMI).
The Home Guarantee Scheme is made up of three separate initiatives:
Applications for one of these schemes can only be made through a participating lender or a mortgage broker acting as an authorised representative of a participating lender.
Yes, you can switch your home loan to ubank from another bank by refinancing. Borrowers refinancing their loan with ubank can switch to a fixed, standard variable rate or split rate loan. They can also can add a redraw facility and/or an offset account to eligible loans.
ubank doesn’t charge LMI to borrowers, but lenders are required to have at least 15% of the loan amount in the form of a deposit or existing equity. Borrowers without at least a 15% deposit won’t be approved for a ubank home loan.
As of July 2024, ubank charges the following fees across its range of home loan products:
If you want to learn more about ubank home loans, you can use our home loan comparison tool to compare them against a wide range of other loan products from nearly 20 other lenders.
Comparing home loans with us means only being shown home loans you’re eligible to apply for, and having a dedicated team of Home Loan Specialists on-hand to help you with any questions you may have. And if you find a home loan that you think might be appropriate for you, you can apply for it then and there – entirely online, with no physical paperwork.
So, if you’re in the market for a home loan, compare your options today with Compare the Market.
Stephen has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and holds a Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking. He’s also a member of both the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) and the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA).
Stephen leads our team of Home Loan Specialists, and reviews and contributes to Compare the Market’s banking-relating content to ensure it’s as helpful and empowering as possible for our readers.