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Here’s how much that personal loan will cost you
Want to go on an epic holiday? Got a wedding to pay for? Been hit by a sudden medical bill?
If so, you might be thinking about taking out a personal loan – and wondering who’s offering the cheapest personal loans in Australia are right now.
But it’s not that simple.
First, the cheapest personal loan won’t necessarily be the best personal loan for your situation.
Second, you might not qualify for the cheapest personal loan.
Third, it might actually be better not to get the personal loan in the first place.
Smaller lenders have the lowest-rate personal loans
There are dozens of personal loan lenders in Australia, so it can be tough to keep track of who’s offering what.
The good news is that we’ve crunched the numbers for you. The average interest rate for all the personal loans listed on RateCity was 11.89 per cent at the end of February.
Here are some of the personal loans with the lowest interest rates in Australia:
| Lender | Product | Advertised rate | Comparison rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalyst Money | Online Personal Loan Package | 5.25% | 5.89% |
| Illawarra Credit Union | Online Personal Loan Package | 5.25% | 5.89% |
| G&C Mutual Bank | Fair Rate Personal Loan Diamond | 5.99% | 6.20% |
| Credit Union SA | Special Fixed Rate Personal Loan | 5.99% | 6.26% |
| Community First Credit Union | Home Improvement Loan | 6.12% | 6.39% |
| Summerland | Equity Plus | 6.22% | 6.82% |
| Cairns Penny | Secured Personal Loan | 6.25% | 12.07% |
| First Option Bank | VIP Personal Loan | 6.44% | 6.68% |
| Police Bank | Green Loan | 6.49% | 6.63% |
| Newcastle Permanent | Personal Loan Secured | 6.69% | 8.41% |
Stronger credit history equals lower rate
Time for a reality check: a lot of borrowers aren’t able to qualify for low-rate personal loans.
Lenders are allowed to discriminate on the basis of credit history, which means they tend to offer the lowest interest rates to borrowers with the strongest credit history.
By contrast, you’re likely to be charged a higher interest rate if you’ve got a weaker credit history.
You can use the Personal Loan Marketplace to check your chance of approval and get personalised rate estimates. Don’t worry – it won’t affect your credit score.
Should you take out a personal loan?
Before comparing personal loans for holidays, weddings or medical bills, it’s worth asking whether a personal loan is in your best interests.
There’s no right or wrong answer: it all depends on your individual situation.
Remember, though, that when you take out a personal loan – even a low-rate personal loan – you’re effectively buying money.
For example, here’s how much a two-year, $10,000 personal loan would cost you:
| Interest rate | Monthly repayments | Total repayments |
|---|---|---|
| 6.00% | $443 | $10,637 |
| 8.50% | $455 | $10,909 |
| 11.00% | $466 | $11,186 |
| 13.50% | $478 | $11,466 |
| 16.00% | $490 | $11,751 |
With that in mind, it might be worth considering other options:
- Could you delay your holiday so you can pay for it out of your savings?
- Could you find ways to reduce the cost of your wedding?
- Could you ask your medical provider to extend the deadline for your bill?
If you’re still interested in exploring your personal loan options, click the Personal Loan Marketplace button below.
Disclaimer
This article is over two years old, last updated on March 29, 2019. While RateCity makes best efforts to update every important article regularly, the information in this piece may not be as relevant as it once was. Alternatively, please consider checking recent personal loans articles.
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Product database updated 26 Nov, 2024
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