The cost of doing nothing adds up
On a $500,000 loan, a 0.50% rate gap is roughly $150 a month — about $9,000 over five years. That's money already paid, before you've moved.
Finance Lab · Resources · Calculators · Fix vs Float
Complimentary · 60 seconds · No obligation
Considering fixing — is it worth it?
Tell us about your loan and what you think will happen to interest rates. We'll model fixed terms 1 to 5 years against staying variable — and show what each scenario costs you.
Real rates from the Finance Lab lender panel. Refreshed daily via the open-banking feed each lender publishes. · ACL 389328 · 17 years in Norwood.
Step 1 of 1
Your loan + your view on rates
Where the loan is secured. We use this to calculate your loan-to-value ratio.
Owner Occupier
Investment
Principal & Interest
Interest Only
$
Your current outstanding balance.
$
Your best estimate. We'll confirm via a formal valuation if you proceed.
%
The rate you're paying right now.
Pick from the list, or type a lender we don't show.
No change 0.00%
+1 rise +0.25%
+2 rises +0.50%
+3 rises +0.75%
+4 rises +1.00%
+5 rises +1.25%
How many 0.25% RBA rises do you think we'll see during your fixed term? We'll model the variable scenario assuming an even spread across the term.
01
Your loan
A few fields about your current loan. No log-in, no credit pull.
02
Your view
How many 0.25% rate rises do you think will land during your fixed term?
03
The model
We model 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 year fixed terms vs your variable scenario.
04
The verdict
See which term wins under your assumptions — and what could go wrong.
Why this matters
Most home loans drift over time
Lenders sharpen their pricing for new customers. After 18 months, your rate could sit 0.30% above what they're offering today. The gap quietly compounds.
Two minutes here. Two years of repayments saved
Plug your numbers in below and see where you sit against today's market. A typical refinance settles in 4 to 6 weeks — the work pays back month after month.
Why a broker beats DIY
The calculator shows the carded rate
The numbers above are what each lender publishes — the rate you'd be quoted walking into the branch. A broker negotiates on top of that. Typically another 0.30% to 0.80% off, depending on your loan size and servicing position.
One application. 50+ lenders considered
Walking into one bank gets you one offer. We hold accreditation across 50+ lenders, including the four majors, the second-tier banks and the digital lenders the comparison sites don't show. One conversation, the full panel.
Represents you, not the banks
We're paid for the loan that suits you, not the lender we're closest to. That's the model we've operated under for 17 years. The rate, the structure and the lender are picked around your circumstances — not theirs.
Frequently asked questions
No. The calculator doesn't pull your credit file. It uses the loan numbers you enter and the rates each lender publishes via the open-banking feed. A credit check only happens later, with your written consent, if you decide to apply with a specific lender.
Yes. The calculator, the 20-minute call and the written breakdown afterwards are all complimentary. Brokers in Australia are paid by the lender at settlement — not by you.
A break cost is what you pay the lender if you exit a fixed-rate loan early. The amount depends on how much fixed term remains, the loan size and movement in wholesale rates since you fixed. On a $500,000 loan with three years left, break costs typically sit anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over $20,000 depending on rate movement. We always model these before you decide.
Yes. A split loan locks part of your loan at a fixed rate and leaves the rest variable. It hedges your position — you get certainty on part, flexibility on the rest. Split loans are one of the most common structures we use for borrowers sitting on the fence.
The calculator models the scenario you select. If the actual rate path runs higher, your fixed term protects the locked portion of your loan, but the rate after the term expires resets to the lender's variable book at that point. The opposite is also true — if rates fall further than predicted, the fix locks you into a higher rate than the variable would have given you.
Most fixed-rate products cap extra repayments at $10,000 per year, with no offset account. Some lenders allow more; some allow less. If extra repayments are a priority, we'll surface the lenders with the most flexible fixed terms before you commit.
Selling during a fixed term triggers break costs (see Q3). If you're considering selling within the next two years, fixing for longer than that horizon is rarely the right call. We work the timing through with you on the call.
Where do I land against the market?
You've read the why. The how takes two minutes. Plug your numbers in, see where you sit against today's market and decide from there.
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