Fresh from increasing a series of fixed-term mortgage rates, ASB is also lifting its floating, or variable, mortgage rate.
ASB and its Bank Direct brand are increasing their floating mortgage rate by 10 basis points to 5.65% from 5.55%.
The new rate is effective for existing floating home loan rate customers from December 7, and for new customers from November 30. At 5.65%, ASB's new floating rate will be similar to those of most of its rivals. Kiwibank currently has the lowest carded floating rate on offer from a bank at 5.25%.
On Friday ASB also raised all mortgage rates for 18 month to five year terms.
Recent fixed-term mortgage rate hikes from ASB and other banks such as ANZ and BNZ, follow sharp rises in wholesale swap rates for terms of three years and longer. The steepening of the rate curve has been quite marked over the past two weeks. However, ASB's floating rate hike is a surprise. On November 10 the Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate to a new record low of 1.75%.
ASB did, however, grow its residential mortgage lending by a net $2.782 billion during the six months to September 30, or around 3%, and may now be looking to slow this growth down.
See all bank advertised, or carded, home loan interest rates here.
25 Comments
Just a trick being played by banks to force the 40% of people who are floating into fixing - then in January they will drop the floating and fixed rates after the Reserve Bank announces an emergency OCR cut once they realize the economic disasters that is descending upon Wellington post quake.
I am wondering what the figures will show. There's been less activity in some areas, it's bound to affect productivity and the tax take for the Government. That said I am dealing with less earthquake jobs than what I anticipated. At this point I am expecting the damage to economic activity to be worse than the physical damage.
On the face of it a good move. I am thinking that interest rates are going to steadily move up from here. On $200k one or two per cent does not make much of a difference but on say $800k it does. Despite the recent drop in the OCR the Banks seem hell bent on increasing their lending rates. The housing markets in places like Auckland and Christchurch are off their highs and now it is just a matter of where they are going to go to.The housing data for November will be interesting. If what the Aucklanders were telling me when I was up there last week is a true indication of where the market is at then we can probably expect another softening from October.
I could never service a 800k loan, must be earning mega bucks to service that in my world of lowish income.
I agree i think long term rates are about to move much higher very fast.
Id take Westpacs 5 year special.... last bank to move higher.
I think they are hunting to lock in good customers with a good history of payment.
Their allocation at good rates must be running out.
I think westpac will adjust higher very soon.
Why? Firstly, at present only $150 mln of almost $230 bln is longer than 5 years. I think that is 0.06% (0.0006), a truly tiny market demand. It costs banks real money to set up the processes for these types of contracts and they just won't spend the money if there is no real demand. If there was real demand you would expect higher market share from the two banks that offer it now.
And secondly, you could get into a severe trap if you need to quit the mortgage early and get faced with a break fee. A very long mortgage term to run could be very very expensive to exit. Remember, it is a legally binding contract. You might think in a rising rate market the risk would be small, but guessing what interest rates will do in five to ten years is itself a very uncertain thing.
Such a concept would be new in NZ David.
Give Choice build it and they will come, wave break fees after a 5 year period if need be.
Just because it is unknown doesn't be mean there will be no demand.
Market it.
Long term clients
It could take time.
The reason Banks don't do it is because its outside their risk parameter.
Lets be honest
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