Trying to wrap your head around home loans can be a bit daunting—especially when figuring out how the interest is calculated. But here’s the good news: once you understand the basics, it’s not as complicated as it first seems. Knowing how it all works can make a big difference in managing your mortgage and saving thousands of dollars over time. In this guide, we’ll break down interest rates, go over the key terms you need to know, and share some smart tips to help you cut down on the interest you pay. We will also share how working with a mortgage broker in Brisbane can help you reduce the interest you pay over the life of your loan.
1. The Core Calculation: How Lenders Work Out Your Interest
Let’s talk about how interest really works. In simple terms, it’s the fee lenders charge you for borrowing their money. It’s basically the cost of taking out a home loan, and it’s worked out as a percentage of the amount you still owe.
The Standard Australian Method
In Australia, most lenders – including the big banks – calculate interest daily based on your loan’s outstanding balance for that specific day. This means the lender checks how much you owe at the end of each day, calculates that day’s interest, and then adds it to a running total. These daily charges are usually added up over the month and then applied to your loan account monthly.
Simple Formula Breakdown
Here’s how the daily interest is worked out:
- First, find the current outstanding balance on your home loan.
- Then, multiply it by your annual interest rate (remember to convert it to a decimal. For example, 5% becomes 0.05).
- Finally, divide that annual figure by the number of days in the year – normally 365, but some lenders may use 366 in a leap year. It’s always smart to check your lender’s specific terms.
This gives you the interest you’ll be charged for just one day.
Formula – Daily Interest = Outstanding Loan Balance × (Annual Interest Rate ÷ 365 or 366)
Example of how home loan interest rate is calculated
Let’s say you’ve got $400,000 left on your loan, and your annual interest rate is 5.00%.
The daily interest would be:
$400,000 × (0.05 ÷ 365) ≈ $54.79
To estimate the interest for a month, multiply that daily amount by the number of days in that month. For a 31-day month:
$54.79 × 31 ≈ $1,698.49
Why Daily Calculation Matters
Knowing that interest accrues daily on your actual loan balance is crucial. Any payment that reduces your balance – even for just a day – instantly lowers the interest charged for that day and for each day after until your balance changes again. That’s why features like offset accounts and more frequent repayments can save you thousands. Over a typical 30-year loan term, even small daily reductions can really add up.
Minor Calculation Differences
While daily calculations are standard, there can be slight variations. Some lenders count 366 days in a leap year; others stick with 365. Some online tools may even assume each month is the same length or that a year has exactly 364 days (52 weeks × 7 days). These differences may seem small, but over time, they can affect your total interest. That’s why it’s important to read the terms and conditions in your loan contract carefully.
2. Decoding the Lingo: Essential Home Loan Terms Explained
Understanding the key terms used in the mortgage world is a great first step to feeling more confident about managing a home loan. Here’s a plain English guide to some of the most important ones:
- Principal – This is the original amount you borrow from the lender to buy your property. As you make repayments (unless you’re on an interest-only plan), the principal goes down over time. It’s also the amount lenders use to calculate how much interest you owe.
- Interest Rate – This is the percentage a lender charges you for borrowing the principal. It’s usually shown as an annual rate (per annum or p.a.), but as mentioned earlier, interest is typically worked out daily in Australia. Rates can be fixed or variable – and this affects how much your repayments are and what your loan ends up costing you overall.
- Loan Term – This is how long you agree to repay the loan. In Australia, loan terms are usually 25 or 30 years, though shorter terms are available. A longer loan term generally means smaller repayments, but you’ll likely pay much more interest over time compared to a shorter loan with higher repayments.
- P&I (Principal and Interest) Repayments – This is the standard setup for most home loans. Each payment you make goes toward both the interest charged since your last payment and a portion of the loan principal. Over time, this gradually reduces your loan balance until it’s fully paid off.
- Interest-Only (IO) Repayments – With this option, you only pay the interest for a set period – usually one to five years, sometimes more if agreed upon. During this time, the principal doesn’t change. IO repayments are lower at first, which can help with cash flow, especially for property investors. However, once the IO period ends, repayments increase a lot since you have to start paying down the principal within a shorter remaining term. In the long run, this usually means paying more interest overall.
- Amortization – This is the process of gradually paying off your home loan through regular Principal &Interest payments. An amortization schedule – often shown in a table or graph – breaks down each payment, showing how much goes toward interest and how much toward principal. At the beginning, most of your payment covers interest. As time goes on, more of it starts chipping away at the principal.
- Comparison Rate – By law in Australia, lenders have to show a comparison rate alongside the advertised interest rate. This figure rolls together the base interest rate and most standard fees (like application or account fees) into a single percentage, helping you compare loans more fairly. A loan with a lower interest rate might actually cost more once all fees are factored in. Keep in mind, comparison rates don’t include government charges like stamp duty or penalties like late fees. Some lenders also offer a personalized comparison rate based on your specific loan size and term.
These terms are interconnected. The Interest Rate is applied to the principal over the Loan Term. P&I Repayments facilitate amortization, reducing the principal. An interest-only period pauses Principal reduction. The Comparison Rate offers a truer cost indicator than the Interest Rate alone. Understanding these relationships is key to making informed home loan decisions.
3. Fixed vs. Variable Rates: How Your Choice Affects Interest
When you’re taking out a home loan, one of the big decisions you’ll need to make is whether to go with a fixed or variable interest rate. Some lenders even let you split the loan between the two, which can offer the best of both worlds.
How Home Loan Interest Is Calculated on Variable Interest Rate
With a variable-rate loan, the interest rate isn’t locked in—it can go up or down over time. These changes usually follow movements in the official cash rate set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), along with the lender’s own costs.
How it affects your repayments: Since your rate can change, so can your repayments. If the rate rises, your repayments will probably increase too. If it drops, your repayments might go down. That unpredictability can make budgeting a little tricky.
Flexibility benefits: One big plus with variable loans is flexibility. You can usually make unlimited extra repayments without penalties, and you’ll often get handy features like redraw facilities and offset accounts. At times, variable rates may even start out lower than fixed rates.
Fixed Interest Rate
With a fixed interest rate, the rate stays the same for a set period—often one, two, three, or five years.
How it affects your repayments: During the fixed period, your repayments won’t change, no matter what’s happening in the market. This makes it easier to budget. If rates go up, you’re protected. But if rates drop, you won’t see any savings.
Flexibility limitations: Fixed loans usually don’t offer as much flexibility. They often limit how much extra you can repay each year, and if you try to refinance or pay off the loan early, you might face break fees. Features like offset accounts may not be included or could be limited.
What happens after the fixed period: Once your fixed term ends, your loan usually switches to the lender’s current variable rate unless you choose to fix it again. This change can bring a noticeable shift in your repayment amount.
Split Loans
A split loan gives you the option to divide your loan into two parts: one with a fixed interest rate and the other with a variable rate. This setup can offer both stability and flexibility. You can enjoy predictable repayments on the fixed part while still making use of features like redraw or offset on the variable side. You can also choose how to split the loan—like 50/50 or 70/30—based on what suits you.
Weighing Certainty vs. Flexibility
Choosing between fixed, variable, or split comes down to your personal priorities and how comfortable you are with change. Fixed rates lock in repayment amounts and shield you from rising rates but limit your flexibility. Variable rates let you pay off the loan faster and offer more features, but your repayments can vary. Split loans aim to balance both. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The right option depends on your finances, goals, and how you feel about interest rate movements—especially when understanding how home loan interest is calculated over time.
Table 1: Fixed vs. Variable vs. Split Rate Comparison
Feature | Fixed Rate | Variable Rate | Split Rate |
Interest Rate | Stays the same for a set period (e.g., 1-5 yrs) | Can change (up or down) over the loan term | Part fixed, part variable |
Repayment Amount | Constant during the fixed period | Can change if the interest rate changes | Partially constant, partially subject to change |
Budget Certainty | High during the fixed period | Lower, repayments can fluctuate | Mixed: certainty on fixed portion, fluctuation on variable |
Flexibility (Extra Repays) | Often limited, potential fees/penalties | Usually allows unlimited extra repayments | Unlimited on variable portion, limited on fixed portion |
Flexibility (Offset/Redraw) | Often unavailable or limited | Typically available | Available on variable portion, potentially limited on fixed |
Risk Exposure | Risk of missing out if rates fall | Risk of repayments increasing if rates rise | Balanced risk exposure |
4. How Your Repayments Reduce Your Loan (Amortization Explained)
When you’re making Principal and Interest (P&I) repayments on a home loan, each payment covers two things: the interest charged for that period and a portion that goes toward reducing your loan balance. This evolving split over time is called amortization, and it plays a big role in how home loan interest is calculated.
How the P&I Breakdown Changes Over Time
In the Early Years: At the start of your loan, your principal—what you owe—is at its peak. Since home loan interest is calculated on this full amount, most of your repayment goes toward interest, with only a small portion chipping away at the actual loan. It can feel like you’re barely making progress at first, which is completely normal.
As Time Goes On: With each repayment, your principal balance drops. Because your interest is always calculated on the remaining principal, a smaller balance means less interest charged. If your repayment stays the same (as it typically does with fixed rates or until a variable rate changes), more of your money goes toward reducing the loan itself.
In the Final Years: Near the end of the loan term, your principal is much lower. So, the interest component becomes minimal, and most of your payment goes straight to clearing off the last of the loan.
Seeing Amortization in Action
You can often find a visual breakdown of this process in something called an amortization schedule, either from your lender or a mortgage calculator. It shows, month by month or year by year, how much of each repayment goes toward interest and how much goes toward reducing the principal balance.
Simplified Example of how home loan interest is calculated
Let’s say you have an $800,000 loan with a 6% annual interest rate, and your monthly P&I repayment is $5,000.
Monthly amortization schedule :
- Interest: $800,000 × (0.06 ÷ 12) = $4,000
- Principal Paid: $5,000 – $4,000 = $1,000
- New balance: $800,000 – $1,000 = $799,000
Yearly amortization schedule:
- Interest: $799,000 × (0.06 ÷ 12) = $3,995
- Principal Paid: $5,000 – $3,995 = $1,005
- New balance: $799,000 – $1,005 = $797,995
Even though your monthly repayment stays the same, the interest portion drops slightly each time, and the amount going toward the loan increases.
Why Reducing Principal Early Matters
Understanding how home loan interest is calculated helps explain why paying down the loan early can save you a lot over time. Since interest is highest when your balance is highest, any extra payments or smart strategies—like using an offset account or making fortnightly repayments—have the biggest impact when done early. By cutting down the principal sooner, you’re reducing the base on which future interest is calculated. That means you’ll pay less interest overall and could be mortgage-free years ahead of schedule.
5. Paying Less Interest: Smart Strategies & Loan Features
Once you’ve locked in a good interest rate, there are smart ways to reduce the overall interest you’ll pay on your mortgage.
Repayment Frequency
Paying your mortgage more often than once a month—say, weekly or fortnightly—can really cut down how much interest you pay over time.
How it Works: Since home loan interest is calculated daily, the sooner you make a payment, the sooner your balance drops—and the less interest you’ll be charged in the days that follow. More frequent payments mean interest has fewer days to build up between repayments.
The “Extra Payment” Effect: A popular method is to pay half your monthly repayment every two weeks. Since there are 26 fortnights in a year, that adds up to 13 monthly repayments instead of 12. That extra month’s payment each year goes straight toward reducing your principal, which speeds up your loan payoff and reduces the total interest. Just check with your lender to make sure fortnightly payments are processed this way.
Offset Accounts
An offset account is a savings or transaction account linked to a variable-rate home loan.
How it Saves Interest: The balance in this account is subtracted from your loan before home loan interest is calculated each day. For example, if your loan is $500,000 and you keep $50,000 in your offset, you only get charged interest on $450,000. The more money you hold in the offset, the less interest you’ll pay.
Flexibility: You can use this account like any regular bank account—with debit cards, transfers, and even direct salary deposits. Some lenders also allow multiple offset accounts linked to one loan.
Tax Efficiency: Since the money saved through reduced interest isn’t counted as income, there’s no tax to pay on it—unlike interest earned in a normal savings account.
Considerations: Offset accounts often come bundled in loan packages with an annual fee—usually around $400. To make this worthwhile, you’ll need to keep a high enough balance in the account to save more interest than the fee costs.
Redraw Facilities
A redraw facility lets you access extra repayments you’ve made on your home loan beyond the required minimum.
How it Saves Interest: Putting more money into your home loan reduces the principal, so less interest gets calculated daily.33 The redraw feature doesn’t directly save interest—it just gives you access to the extra money you’ve paid in.
Accessing Funds: Getting your money out via redraw might take a little longer than using an offset account. There could be minimum redraw amounts, transaction fees, or restrictions, especially on fixed-rate loans. Plus, as your loan progresses, the redraw amount available may shrink.
Nature of Funds: Unlike offset accounts, where your money sits separately, redraw funds have already been applied to your loan, and you’re just pulling them back out.
Offset vs. Redraw
Which one’s better depends on your personal needs.
Function: Offset accounts reduce interest using a separate, linked account. Redraw gives you access to extra repayments already applied to your loan.30
Flexibility & Access: Offset accounts usually offer easier, more immediate access to funds for daily use.30
Fees: Offset accounts often have package or account fees.16 Redraw tends to have fewer fees but may involve limits or extra steps.16
Tax Implications (if converting to an investment): If you rent out the property later, withdrawing personal funds from a redraw could affect the loan’s tax deductibility. Using offset funds typically doesn’t have the same issue.33 It’s wise to get tax advice in these cases.
Extra Repayments
Paying more than the minimum whenever you can is one of the most effective ways to cut interest and shorten your loan. But make sure your loan allows extra repayments—fixed-rate loans often have limits or may charge fees for going over a certain amount.
Evaluating Features
Loan features like offsets and redraws often come with added costs, like annual package fees or slightly higher interest rates than basic home loans. Borrowers should compare the interest savings with these costs. For example, an offset account only makes sense if you can keep enough money in it to save more interest than you’re paying in fees. The Comparison Rate—required by law—can help you see the full cost of a loan, including standard fees.
Comparing How Home Loan Interest Is Calculated On Offset Account vs. Redraw Facility
Feature | Offset Account | Redraw Facility |
How it Works | Separate transaction account linked to loan; balance reduces loan for interest calc. | Accesses extra repayments already made directly into the loan account |
Access to Funds | Easy, instant access like a normal bank account (debit card, transfers) | May require transfer process; potentially less immediate; possible minimums/fees |
Nature of Funds | Separate funds held in a distinct account | Funds are part of the loan account (representing prepayment) |
Potential Fees | Often involves annual package fees or specific account-keeping fees | Generally fewer direct fees, but potential transaction fees or restrictions |
Tax Implications (Investment Focus) | Generally cleaner; withdrawing funds doesn’t usually affect loan deductibility | Can potentially complicate tax deductions if redrawn funds used for personal purposes |
How Home Loan Interest Is Calculated | Interest is calculated daily on the loan balance minus the offset account balance | Interest is calculated daily on the reduced loan balance after extra repayments have been made |
Home Loan Interest FAQ'S
Home loan interest in Australia is usually calculated daily and charged monthly on the outstanding loan balance. This means the lender calculates interest each day based on the amount you owe and then adds it to your loan at the end of each month.
Home loan interest is calculated daily but charged monthly. Even though interest rates are advertised annually (e.g. 6% p.a.), the actual interest you pay is added to your loan account every month.
It means your lender calculates the interest you owe daily based on your loan balance, but they only apply or debit it from your account once a month.
Yes. Making extra repayments reduces your loan balance faster, which means less interest is calculated daily. Over time, this can significantly reduce the total interest you pay.
A fixed interest rate stays the same for a set period, offering repayment certainty. A variable rate can change with the market, which can lead to lower or higher interest payments over time.
Lenders set home loan interest rates based on the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) cash rate, economic conditions, and their own lending criteria. Your credit history, loan type, and deposit size can also affect your rate.
The comparison rate includes the interest rate plus most fees and charges, giving you a better idea of the true cost of a loan. It's a more accurate way to compare loans from different lenders.
Home loan interest in Australia is not typically compounded daily. Instead, interest is calculated daily and charged monthly. The term "compound interest" is more common with savings; home loans focus on reducing the principal to lower daily interest.
Yes. A larger deposit reduces your loan-to-value ratio (LVR), which often qualifies you for a lower interest rate because you're seen as a lower-risk borrower.
You can use a home loan calculator by entering your loan amount, interest rate, and loan term. This gives an estimate of both monthly repayments and how much interest you'll pay over the life of the loan.
A principal and interest loan means you repay both the original loan amount (principal) and the interest. Over time, your balance reduces, and less interest is charged.
An interest-only loan lets you pay only the interest for a set period (usually 1–5 years). During this time, your repayments are lower, but the loan balance doesn't reduce, so more interest is charged over the life of the loan.
Yes. An offset account is linked to your loan and reduces your interest by offsetting your loan balance. For example, if your loan is $400,000 and you have $50,000 in your offset account, you're only charged interest on $350,000.
Variable home loan rates can change at any time, especially after the RBA adjusts the cash rate. Fixed rates stay the same during the fixed term, usually 1 to 5 years.
The advertised rate (nominal rate) shows the yearly interest percentage, but the actual amount you pay is calculated daily and charged monthly. The comparison rate is a better reflection of the total cost of a loan, including most fees.
Key Takeaways On How Home Loan Interest Is Calculated
Understanding how home loan interest is calculated isn’t just helpful—it can make a huge difference to your finances. The more you know, the more control you have over your mortgage and the total interest you’ll pay.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
Interest Is Calculated Daily: In Australia, home loan interest is usually worked out daily based on your current loan balance and charged monthly. That daily calculation is why strategies like early repayments and offset accounts can be so effective.
Know Your Terms: Getting familiar with key terms—like principal, interest rate, loan term, P&I vs IO repayments, amortization, and comparison rate—makes it easier to compare loans and understand your options.
Your Loan Type Matters: Choosing between a fixed or variable interest rate comes down to your preferences. Fixed rates give you predictable repayments, while variable rates offer more flexibility but can fluctuate. Similarly, P&I repayments reduce your balance over time, while interest-only options give short-term relief but cost more in the long run.
Smart Strategies Can Save Big: You can cut down the total interest you pay by using features like offset accounts or redraw facilities, making extra repayments when possible, and switching to more frequent payment schedules—like fortnightly instead of monthly.
Look Past the Rate: Don’t be fooled by a low interest rate. The comparison rate includes standard fees and gives a clearer idea of the true cost of the loan.
Tailor It to You: The best loan structure, interest rate type, and features will depend entirely on your financial situation, long-term goals, and how comfortable you are with risk.
Next Steps
Once you understand how home loan interest is calculated, you’re in a much better position to take charge of your mortgage. But applying this knowledge to your own situation takes more than just research.
If you want help figuring out your borrowing power, comparing options, or finding the best strategy for your needs, our team at Hunter Galloway is here to help you. Unlike other mortgage brokers who are just one-person operations, we have an entire team of experts dedicated to helping make your home loan journey as simple as possible.
If you want to get started, please give us a call on 1300 088 065 or book a free assessment online to see how we can help.
Start again
