When should you leave your loan on variable rates?
It is a bad idea to lock your rate during times of economic instability. The banks generally increase their rates to cash in on the market panic!
The best time to fix your loan is when the market is stable and you predict that there will soon be bad economic news. Although in practice, it is hard to know when the bad economic times are coming. The bottom line is, fix your loan when the market is stable in order to protect yourself when the market turns bad.
You can fix your rate in times of high market instability but this should only be considered as ‘damage control’.
Who shouldn’t fix their rate for 5 years?
A 5 year fixed rate is not perfect for everyone and it would be unsuitable for you if plan on making large extra repayments on your loan, you might sell your property during this time or you want a flexible loan with features such as 100% offset facility or a line of credit.