Mortgage holders preparing for the end of COVID-19 induced repayment holidays should not cave into pressure or bullying from banks if they cannot currently afford to resume paying off their home loans, says a Queensland broker.
Borro™ Owner Cara Giovinazzo said along with the federal government’s JobKeeper scheme, the six-month mortgage holidays which have frozen almost $200 billion of debt have been crucial to helping Australians navigate the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
Ms Giovinazzo said many thousands of households now face the choice of whether to restart paying off their home loan or securing a four-month extension of the deferral.
“Mortgage holders facing the dilemma over whether to resume repayments or seek a further deferral should not feel under any extra pressure over this decision,” Ms Giovinazzo said.
“The main thing these borrowers need to keep in mind is they do have a range of options. This includes negotiating a solution with their lender such as switching to interest only repayments for a year or reducing payments.
“The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has warned lenders they need to be flexible and provide help which genuinely addresses the needs of consumers.
“If borrowers are still facing financial hardship, they should have confidence from ASIC’s assurances that they will be treated sympathetically by their bank and not bullied.”
Ms Giovinazzo said it is not up to mortgage holders on a deferral to contact the bank as the repayment deadline approaches.
“According to ASIC, the lender should be contacting the home loan customer prior to their repayment deferral expiring and clearly setting out available options and providing information to help them make a decision.
“Many thousands of borrowers may have already advised lenders they can resume payments, but those in doubt should know how much their future repayments will be, how much extra interest they will have to pay and whether this is affordable.”
Ms Giovinazzo said ASIC’s guiding principle for banks is to avoid defaults, evictions and forced sales where possible.
“Banks should work with customers facing difficulty to find the best options to restructure or vary their loan,” she said.
“This includes extending the length of the loan, converting to interest-only payments for a period of time, consolidating debt or a combination of these and other measures.
“If you are not confident about these negotiations, please seek assistance from an experienced mortgage broker or financial advisor.”
Ms Giovinazzo said people unhappy with the decisions or actions of their lender can also contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) for free and independent advice on 1800 337 444.
ENDS
Further inquiries:
Cara Giovinazzo
Owner and Senior Finance Broker
Borro™
p: 1300 1 borro™ m: 0409 463 850
