If you can demonstrate an ability to repay the loan before you're 75 years old, they will consider your application no matter your age! For example, if you needed to borrow $300,000 and were 50 years old, the standard 30-year mortgage term could be reduced to 25 years and your loan would be approved.
Summary: maximum age limits for mortgages
Many lenders impose an age cap at 65 - 70, but will allow the mortgage to continue into retirement if affordability is sufficient. Lender choices become more limited, but some will cap at age 75 and a handful up to 80 if eligibility criteria are met.
Is there an age that is considered too old for a home loan? Since we have no forced retirement age in Australia, 65-75 is considered to be the retirement age by most lenders. As a result, people aged over 35, looking to take out a mortgage may need to show that they can repay the home loan before they retire.
If you're 55 years or older and interested in taking out a home loan, the good news is that it is possible to take out a mortgage with many Australian lenders. However, you will need to go the extra mile to prove your ability to repay the loan, and there are a few risks you should be aware of before taking on any debt.
Regardless of age, lenders always look at your current financial situation to assess your home loan application. Lenders can't discriminate on age, but if you're mature aged and close to retirement, they will want to know you have a plan for how you will support yourself financially.
The accepted retirement age varies between lenders, from 65 to 75 years of age. Many lenders will not approve a loan for someone over a particular age, particularly if you're over the age of 60.
Self-funded retirees can get the whole 150 per cent of the pension as a loan, while those on the maximum rate of Age Pension can get 50 per cent of the pension as a loan.
Age doesn't matter. Counterintuitive as it may sound, your loan application for a mortgage to be repaid over 30 years looks the same to lenders whether you are 90 years old or 40.
Regardless of your age, lenders need to make sure you can afford to repay the loan - so their priority is minimising their risk. Generally speaking, lenders view mature mortgage applicants - 55+ years and older - as a higher risk, and consequently have stricter lending requirements.
Age Pension age is: 65 years and 6 months, if you were born between 1 July 1952 and 31 December 1953. 66 years, if you were born between 1 January 1954 and 30 June 1955. 66 years and 6 months, if you were born between 1 July 1955 and 31 December 1956.
Assuming that the average mortgage age in Australia starts somewhere between 25 and 34 years, then to work out the average age to pay off a mortgage in Australia, you just need to add a 25 to a 30-year term. This would make the average age to pay off a mortgage in Australia between 50 and 64 years.
Discrimination against credit applicants on the basis of age is prohibited by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. However, while lenders may not consider age per se when qualifying an applicant, they can look at age-related factors such as whether that applicant's income might drop because they are about to retire.
A lifetime mortgage is a type of equity release, a loan secured against your home that allows you to release tax-free cash without needing to move out. Lifetime mortgages are available to homeowners aged 55 or over. You can take the money as a lump sum or as series of lump sums.
When people consider for themselves, how many years can I get a mortgage for, many first thoughts are that a 25 year term is the maximum permitted. However, much has changed and virtually all lenders will now allow a mortgage term of up to 35 years.
Do banks offer a 35 year mortgage? Mortgage lenders normally offer maximum mortgage terms of 35 or 40 years. Depending on factors like your age or job, and whether you are paying into a pension when applying. However, most lenders will have a maximum age the borrower can be when the mortgage ends.
Because a 30-year mortgage has a longer term, your monthly payments will be lower and your interest rate on the loan will be higher. So, over a 30-year term you'll pay less money each month, but you'll also make payments for twice as long and give the bank thousands more in interest.
If you're receiving a Centrelink benefit, your home loan application will be processed the same as any other: you save a deposit and then borrow money from the lender, which you pay back with interest. However, not all lenders accept Centrelink payments as income and those that do, have a stricter application process.
Most employer 401(k) plans will only allow one loan at a time, and you must repay that loan before you can take out another one.
You can get a fortnightly loan payment up to the full 150% of the maximum rate of your qualifying pension. If you are Age Pension age or older, your qualifying pension will be the Age Pension.
The risks of a lifetime mortgage
With a lifetime mortgage, you run the risk of owing far more than you borrowed when the time comes for the home to be sold – up to the total value of the property (but not more than that). This is because a lifetime mortgage (like a regular mortgage) charges compound interest.
Lifetime mortgages are a popular type of equity release plan, with lump sum loans up to 60% of home value and fixed interest rates. Top lifetime mortgage providers include Pure Retirement, More 2 Life, LV, One Family, Aviva, and Nationwide Bank.
Most banks and lenders are more often than not likely to decline a 60 year old for a home loan due to their age. Only in specific circumstances will lenders consider a mature borrower past the age of 60.