Home Loans

Five common reverse mortgage myths

Our Retirees Access Home Loan is a variable rate reverse mortgage, a type of loan that allows Australians in their retirement years access to the equity in their homes or investment properties for their living expenses and other worthwhile purposes. Despite the growing popularity of reverse mortgages, there are still many misconceptions around how the loan works. To help you better understand what a reverse mortgage is and isn’t, we’re debunking five of the most common reverse mortgage myths. Myth one: You no longer own your home No longer owning your home is the most common myth regarding reverse mortgages. With our Retirees Access Home Loan, you will retain ownership of your home or investment property. You simply grant us a mortgage over the property. Myth two: You are required to make regular repayments With our Retirees Access Home Loan, the money is paid as a lump sum and you are not required to make regular repayments. However, you are free to make voluntary repayments or repay the loan via lump sum at any time and at no extra cost or penalty. Or, the balance of the loan will be repaid by your estate or when the property is vacated or sold. Myth three: You could end up owing more than the home is worth Under the “no negative equity guarantee”, lenders must guarantee that when your reverse mortgage contract ends, you will not have to pay back more than the value of your home. Read more about the no negative equity guarantee on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) MoneySmart website. Myth four: You will leave debt to your children Your Retirees Access Home Loan will be paid by your estate, meaning there is no residual debt. You can still leave your property to your children in your estate. However, you will only be leaving the remaining equity in the home. We recommend that you discuss your intentions with your family and also investigate how the Retirees Access Home Loan may impact any Government support payments, entitlements or other benefits that you receive. Myth five: You can only use a reverse mortgage for certain expenses One of the benefits of our Retirees Access Home Loan is its flexibility. Funds are released as a lump sum and may be used for any suitable purpose, including everyday living expenses or things such as home renovations, an overseas holiday or a new car. You may also wish to use the loan to consolidate any existing debts. Our Retirees Access Home Loan cannot be used for business purposes or to fund the purchase of a property in a retirement village. We're ready to help you Over the years, Unity Bank has helped many members enjoy their retirement in their own homes with our Retirees Access Home Loan. Contact us to find out more. To find out more about reverse mortgages, including a reverse mortgage calculator to help you work out how much equity you may have in the future, visit the ASIC’s MoneySmart website.

Home Loans Tips and Guides

How a reverse mortgage could help you

Australian life expectancy is among the world’s highest at 83.5 years, according to United Nations projections*. However, will your retirement funds enable you to make the most of your golden years? According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, our population at retirement age has increased significantly since 2011, when the first of the baby boomer generation turned 65, while the percentage of our population at working age has begun to fall. The rapid rise in the old-age dependency ratio over the next decade is expected to place increasing demands on public finances, which is likely to affect future Age Pension spending. Most retirees will rely on a combination of superannuation savings, personal savings and the Age Pension. However, many are likely to have a ‘retirement savings shortfall’ where they just do not have enough assets to cover a comfortable standard of living, once they have stopped working. Homeowners have the advantage of freeing up equity Your home is likely to be your greatest asset, and if you are ‘asset rich’ but ‘cash poor’ you can borrow money using the equity in your home as security.  This is called a reverse mortgage and it can be a great way to boost your finances for retirement, depending on your circumstances. Our Retirees Access Home Loan is a variable rate reverse mortgage loan that has been designed especially for those who have reached, or are nearing, retirement. The balance of this loan will be paid by your estate or when your property is vacated or sold.    The benefits include: Being able to boost your retirement funds by utilising the equity in your home. Borrowing up to 40 percent of the value of your property, or $400,000 (whichever is lesser) depending on your age and the value of the property. Refer to FAQ for more information. Receiving the funds in one lump sum to use for any suitable purpose. Enjoying your retirement your way in your own home.   We’re ready to help you Unity Bank has over 50 years’ experience in helping Australians reach their financial goals, from saving and buying their first home to maximising funds for their retirement. We recommend that you obtain financial advice before applying for this product. Independent legal advice must be obtained before settlement of the loan will proceed. We also recommend that you discuss your interest in a reverse mortgage with your family as the loan may affect your estate planning, including inheritance for your loved ones.  You should also investigate whether the loan could impact any government support payments, entitlements or other benefits that you currently receive. You may need to discuss your situation with Centrelink or the Department of Veteran Affairs if applicable. Please note that the Retirees Access Home Loan cannot be used for business purposes or against a property in a retirement village.   *United Nations projections do not include any impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, source https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/AUS/australia/life-expectancy  

Important information

Important update: changes to our deposit service

From 30 September 2025, our deposit service, provided in partnership with ANZ, will be discontinued and ANZ will no longer accept cash or cheque deposits for Unity Bank and G&C Mutual Bank accounts. This change is due to ANZ no longer being able to offer this service to our members. We understand this may be inconvenient and want to make this transition as smooth as possible. Alternative ways to continue banking We want to support members through these changes, and this includes ensuring you are aware of the alternative options to cash and cheque deposits available to you, including: Mobile Banking Online Banking Bank@Post Staff assisted transactions Frequently asked questions   Q. What services will be discontinued? A. Services being discontinued are cash and cheque deposits at an ANZ branch. Members can continue to make deposits using their Visa Debit or Credit Card at a Bank@Post outlet or at one of our Service Centres. Q. What do I need to do? A. Please destroy any remaining ANZ deposit books by 30 September, as they will no longer be accepted. Q. How can I deposit cash into my account after 30 September? A. Members can make deposits into their account at one of our Service Centres or by using their Visa Debit or Credit Card at a Bank@Post outlet. Q. Is Online Banking and the Mobile App secure? A. Both Online Banking and our Mobile App are secure ways of managing your banking. We are committed to your security and privacy online and have employed a wide range of security measures to help you bank online in a safe and secure environment. For more information about these security measures visit our Online Banking Security page. Q. Why are ANZ deposit services being discontinued? A. ANZ has advised us that from 30 September 2025, they will no longer accept cash and cheque deposits at their branches from our members. This decision was not able to be changed, and regrettably there are no alternative arrangements available with any other major bank. Q. Why wasn’t a replacement service arranged with another major bank? A. Major banks have moved away from third-party cash and cheque deposit services for commercial reasons.

Security

Important Update to SMS Alerts

As part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening member security, we’re making an important change to how we send you alerts via SMS messages.What’s changing? Currently, SMS messages you receive from us come from an alphanumeric sender ID (alpha tag), displayed as Unity_GCMB. From 2 September, these messages will instead be sent from a dedicated mobile number, replacing the current alphanumeric sender ID. Members will receive a pop up in our Mobile App or an SMS with the new dedicated mobile number. We recommend saving this dedicated mobile number in your contacts list as Unity_GCMB in order to easily identify alerts from us related to your banking.Why the change? This update allows you to reply directly to SMS messages when needed, enhancing communication and improving your ability to respond quickly and securely.What you can expect All SMS messages you currently receive from Unity_GCMB will start to be sent from our new mobile number. Situations include: One-Time password (OTP) prompts Banking system notifications Alerts triggered by our fraud detection system What happens if suspicious activity is detected? If a transaction is flagged by our fraud monitoring system, you may receive a message asking you to confirm whether the transaction is authorised. Requesting a Yes or No response, accompanied by a provided verification code to confirm that the transaction is legitimate. E.g. ‘Yes 626076’. Things to remember We will never ask you for sensitive information like an access code, SMS One-Time Password or your Online Banking password We will never include links in our messages We will only ask you for yes or no responses or ask you to contact us. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Member Services team.For more information on other fraud monitoring practices and how we’re working to keep members safe, please visit our Security page.Unity Bank Date: 20/08/2025

Important information

Interest Rate Change – August 2025

On Tuesday 12 August 2025, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced a decrease of 0.25%p.a. to the official cash rate. Following this, we have reviewed the interest rates applicable to our variable rate home loans and advise that the rates for existing mortgage holders will decrease by 0.25%p.a., effective from 1 September 2025. Members will see their new interest rate and repayment details in their account transaction history in Online Banking and our Mobile App on 1 September 2025. The interest rates applicable to our savings products remain under review and will be confirmed in due course. Whilst changes to the RBA cash rate is one of the factors that informs our pricing decisions, there are other factors that we consider such as economic and market conditions, cost to lend and the competitor landscape. This helps us to assess and to continue to offer competitive rates to our members. If you would like further information on any of our products or services, please review the information on our website or contact us to see how we can help.

Community

Celebrating National Aged Care Employee Day

August 7 is National Aged Care Employee Day, a time to recognise and celebrate the dedication, compassion, and commitment of aged care workers across the country. We see this day as an important opportunity to show our appreciation for the individuals who play such a vital role in supporting our communities. Standing with our key workers Aged care employees are an important part of our communities, providing essential care and dignity to some of the most vulnerable Australians. We proudly support aged care workers through our membership, partner networks, and tailored financial services, recognising them as a vital part of our broader key worker community. As a mutual bank, our mission is driven not by profit, but by people. That means backing essential workers with products and services designed to ease financial stress and help them thrive, like our Essential Worker Home Loan, created specifically for those in caring and community service roles. Values-based banking that makes a difference Our support for aged care employees reflects our values-based approach to banking, one guided by integrity, fairness, and a commitment to social impact. We believe financial services should be a force for lasting positive change, benefiting not only individuals but the broader community. That’s why we continue to back initiatives that uplift essential workers and invest in those who give so much. Being named the 2024 Finder Innovation Award winner in the Social Impact Innovation category is a testament to our dedication to developing products and services that go beyond expectations, delivering real, meaningful support where it’s needed most. Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) in action Our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy reinforces our focus on social responsibility and community wellbeing. Supporting aged care workers sits firmly within our social impact pillar, acknowledging that sustainability includes caring for those who sustain our communities every day. We also engage with organisations aligned to this vision, amplifying the impact of those who advocate for aged care staff, enhance training, and promote wellbeing within the sector. To all aged care employees, thank you. Your care, dedication, and hard work make a real difference every day. You help bring comfort, dignity, and connection to so many in our communities. Find out more about how we’re backing essential workers and building stronger, fairer communities through banking with purpose.