If you are looking to purchase a new home, it often can be overwhelming coming to terms with the facts and figures of home loan offerings provided by a number of different lenders. To break these down into simple terms, lenders will provide new home loan borrowers with a key facts sheet, or KFS.
What is a key facts sheet?
Designed to help new borrowers choose the right home loan to meet their needs, a key facts sheet provides a summary of the home loan you may be looking at, including information such as interest rates, the total cost of a loan, monthly and annual repayments and explains how monthly repayments will be influenced if interest rates increase. As a rule of thumb, all lenders are required by law under the Australian Government to have a readily available KFS for standard home loans to allow for ease in comparing home loan features and shopping around for better deals across lenders. Many lenders have a key facts sheet generator on their websites. Usually you must input how much you want to borrow, how long of a mortgage you want (e.g. 25 or 30 years), and if you're paying principal & interest (P&I) or interest only (IO). From there you will be given matching loans with which to generate a KFS. It's important to note financial information such as interest rates and comparison rates outlined in the key facts sheet provided by lenders serves as an estimate only, based on the accuracy of information provided. New borrowers will need to apply for the desired home loan and meet lender specific criteria before eligibility can be determined.
Key facts sheet features
Interest rate
The KFS will provide information relating to standard interest rates including the comparison rate for the home loan new borrowers may be considering. This information serves purely as a guide, given interest rates are subject to constantly change through both internal and external factors.
Interest type
Alongside rate, the KFS will provide information on the types of interest that are available for the relevant home loan. These will typically include either P&I or IO.
Loan term
The KFS will outline the loan term or the length of the home loan, up to a maximum of 30 years.
LVR
Particular home loans may require new borrowers to meet LVR requirements such as a 20% home loan deposit. These requirements are outlined in the KFS.
Fees
A key factor to consider when analysing KFS from different lenders is the fees charged on particular home loan offerings. Some lenders are likely to charge more than others, therefore it's important to read over this carefully before committing to a lender.
To help determine which home loan option may be best for your current financial circumstances and to find a competitive interest rate, be sure to check out InfoChoice's Home Loan Comparison Calculator.
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