Major banks cut back interest-only lending by $4.5 billion over past year: ASIC

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has found that major banks have cut back their interest-only lending by $4.5 billion over the past year. 

However, other lenders have partially offset this decline by increasing their share of interest-only lending.

The 16 lenders reviewed by ASIC provided $14.3 billion in interest-only loans to owner-occupiers in the June 2017 quarter, down from $19 billion in the September 2015 quarter.

Announced in April 2017, the review looked into whether lenders and mortgage brokers are inappropriately recommending more expensive interest-only loans.

“With many lenders, including major lenders, charging higher interest rates for interest-only loans compared with principal-and-interest loans, lenders and brokers must ensure that consumers are not provided with unsuitable interest-only home loans,” said the ASIC media release.　

The watchdog’s first stage of its review involved data collection from 16 home loan providers (including large banks, mid-tier and smaller banks, and non-bank lenders).

The lending review has also found:

• Borrowers who used brokers were more likely to obtain an interest-only loan compared to those who went directly to a lender
• Borrowers approaching retirement age continue to be provided with a  significant number of  interest-only owner-occupier loans

The second stage of its review will include individual loan files from both lenders and mortgage brokers. 

ASIC will examine individual loan files to ensure that lenders are providing interest-only home loans in appropriate circumstances. 

It will carefully review cases where owner-occupiers have been provided with more expensive interest-only home loans, to ensure that consumers are not paying for more expensive products that are unsuitable.

Lenders and brokers are required to make sure that a loan meets the requirements and objectives of a consumer, in addition to making sure that the loan is affordable. 

“Lenders and brokers must have a reasonable basis for suggesting that a consumer apply for a particular loan product, and no consumer should be surprised by the type of home loan product that they have obtained,” the release said.

In providing the update, ASIC Deputy Chair Peter Kell said he expected lenders offering these types of loans to be making thorough enquiries into the financial status and the needs of their clients:

"The spotlight has been firmly on interest-only lending for some time, and there are no excuses for lenders and brokers not meeting their legal obligations," he said.

"While interest-only loans may be a reasonable option for some borrowers, lenders must make appropriate enquiries into the needs and financial circumstances of their customers, and they must be able to demonstrate that they have done so."

ASIC will consider appropriate enforcement action if breaches of the law are identified.

ASIC collected data from the following lenders covering their interest-only lending activities over the last two years:

• Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
• Australian Central Credit Union Ltd (trading as People's Choice Credit Union)
• Bank of Queensland Limited
• Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited
• Citigroup Pty Limited
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• ING Bank (Australia) Limited
• La Trobe Financial Services Pty Limited
• Liberty Financial Pty Ltd
• Macquarie Bank Limited
• Members Equity Bank Limited
• National Australia Bank Limited
• Pepper Group Limited
• Suncorp-Metway Limited
• Teachers Mutual Bank Limited
• Westpac Banking Corporation