MEDIA RELEASE
3 November 2010
Comm Bank nets $1B on margin increases
The Commonwealth Bank stands to make an astonishing $1 billion in extra annual interest revenue
by increasing its home loan margins over the last two years, according to data crunched by banking
comparison website Mozo.com.au.
Over the last two years, including yesterday’s 45 basis point gouge, the Commonwealth Bank has
increased its standard variable home loan rates by a total of 57 basis points over official cash rate
movements.
According to the latest APRA monthly banking statistics, the Commonwealth Bank has a total of
$248 billion in housing loans in Australia. Assuming 75% of these loans are variable interest rates,
the annualised effect of the bank’s 57 basis point increase is $1B in extra revenues.
If ANZ, NAB and Westpac follow the Commonwealth Bank’s lead and increase home loan rates by
20 basis points above the Reserve Bank, the Big 4 banks stand to earn a combined total of $3.7
billion in extra interest each year1
.
Rohan Gamble, managing director of Mozo said: “These figures show that it is absolutely time for
increased regulation of the banking industry to finally put an end to the merciless gouging of
Australian home loan customers.
“If the Big 4 banks are forced once and for all to end their cynical interest rate profiteering and keep
rates in line with the Reserve Bank, either through increased regulation or competition, Australian
mortgage borrowers will be billions of dollars better off each year.”
Commonwealth Bank’s interest rate profiteering over the last two years:
•
April 2009 - Increased home loan margins by 15 basis points by only passing on 10 bps of
the Reserve Bank’s 25 bp cut
•
June 2009 - Raised home loan rates by 10 bps even though the Reserve Bank didn’t.
•
December 2009 - Increased margins by 12 bps with a 37 bp increase in home loan rates
compared to the Reserve Bank’s 25 bp rate rise
•
November 2010 - Increased home loan margins by 20 bps, raising rates by 45 bps compared
to the Reserve Bank’s 25 bp rise
-
ends -
For more information, or to arrange an interview with Rohan Gamble, please contact:
Kirsty Lamont, Mozo Communications Director
P (02) 9037 4372 M 0400 411 148 , E kirsty.lamont@mozo.com.au
About Mozo.com.au
Mozo is an online comparison service that launched in October 2008 to help Australians navigate the
money maze. Mozo lets consumers easily compare the interest rates, fees and features of hundreds
of different home loans, credit cards and savings products. Mozo is independently owned and our
product data is 100 per cent objective.
1
Assumptions as follows: ANZ $700M p.a. (0.82% margin increase on total home loans of $149B, less
estimated 25% fixed); nab $500M p.a. (0.65% margin increase on total home loans of $150B, less fixed);
Westpac $1,500M p.a. (0.95% margin increase on total home loans of $267B, less fixed)
NEWS 
