7 Questions You Must Ask If You’re Considering Fixing Interest Rates

Is it time to lock in some or all of your loans into fixed rates?

Or is it too late?

Interest rates were at historic lows and clearly are on the way up now.

The Reserve Bank has made it clear they're going to increase the official cash rate a few more times till they get inflation under control.

Starting lat last year the banks slowly increased their fixed interest loan rates and now variable rate loans are costing more.

This has led many investors and homeowners to reconsider the cost of one of their biggest expenses - their mortgage and many are looking to lock in their interest commitments, recognising they've already missed the bottom of the interest rate cycle.

So how do you decide what’s right for you?

And what do you need to consider to ensure you make an informed decision?

I don't know how much higher "official"  interest rates are going to rise but the money market is factoring in significant further increases in rates.

Of course "locking into" a fixed rate home or investment loan gives you the advantage of knowing what your commitments will be for a predetermined period - the fixed term.

This could be a suitable strategy if you want certainty for your cash flow commitments - especially if you're worried about your cash flow.

However, there are also disadvantages that you need to be aware of before you make a decision.

With this in mind…

Here are 7 questions you should ask yourself when considering whether to fix your loans

1. Will I want to sell my property during the fixed loan period?

If so there could be a penalty for breaking your loan commitment.

2. Will I want to access the equity in my property to invest further during the fixed period?

Often this will come at a cost that may be prohibitive.

3. Do I need an offset account?

An offset account is a transaction account linked to your loan.

Many borrowers put their savings into this account and the credit balance here is offset against your outstanding loan balance reducing the interest payable on that loan. Most fixed-rate loans do not allow an offset facility.

4. Can I make extra repayments on my loan?

As some lenders will restrict how much extra you can repay each year when you fix your loan if you are able to save significant amounts you may consider leaving some of your mortgage variables and maximising the use of your offset account.

5. What balance of fixed and variable rates do I need for my portfolio?

Even if you only have one loan, you can usually split the facility with a portion being fixed and the rest being a variable loan, giving you the flexibility you need.

Many beginning investors choose to have a bet each way and lock in 50% of their loans, while investors with larger portfolios protect themselves by fixing a larger percentage of their loans.

6. How long should I fix my loan?

Now, this is a difficult question, but if you believe that interest rates will remain high for a number of years, then fixing for a short period such as two or three years may not make sense.

That’s because your loan facility will mature and revert to the prevailing interest rate at a time when it could be a few percentage points higher.

This is an area where you should take specialist advice.

7. If interest rates don't rise too much, what will lock in today cost me? 

How would you feel if you'd locked into a five-year loan facility and interest rates dropped in a year or two?

I know when I've been in that situation I took comfort in the fact that I was not trying to beat the banks; instead, I had secured my cash flow position.

Yet I know others who have become stressed when rates turned against them.

Now a disclaimer...

I'm clearly no expert in this field (over the years I often got the fixed vs variable decision wrong) so please get expert advice regarding your own circumstances.

You see…

There are many other issues to consider - things like your job security –and speculating on rate movements is fraught with danger and making a fixed versus variable decision for the wrong reasons can be costly.

While fixing your rate has the benefit of achieving “certainty” with your mortgage repayments, breaking a fixed-rate loan can be costly as well as removing flexibility and control.

Choose wisely because you’ll only know if you’ve made the right decision in 3 or 4 years.

About Michael Yardney Michael is a director of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and one of Australia's 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.