Frequently Asked Questions

A pension payment is an important source of income. Before you proceed with a reverse mortgage, you should talk to Centrelink directly as well as considering consultation with an independent financial professional for advice and understanding on this product and any impacts on existing or future pension entitlements. Centrelink is free to talk to and more information can be found online.

Settlement is only required when you permanently move from your home. This is only if you choose to sell your property, move into aged-care or if you pass away. You are free to make voluntary regular or one-off payments, although this is not a mandatory requirement.

We currently have a Variable Rate 9.50% p.a. (Comparison Rate 9.61% p.a. *) reverse mortgage interest rate.

Go to A.S.A.G. Reverse Mortgage Interest Rate for more info.

As reverse mortgages do not have any required regular repayments, over time, interest compounds as you pay interest on your interest, and any fees and charges that are added to the loan. The longer you have the loan, the higher the amount you’ll have to return. For more information, visit our Reverse Mortgage Calculator page.

Equity release is a broad term used to generally refer to a product that allows a home or property owner to release some of their equity. There are two primary types of products that allow customers to do this. One being a Reverse Mortgage, the other being a Home Reversion.

Home Reversions are designed to allow seniors access to debt-free funding for their retirement. It can also be an alternative to borrowing against your home’s value. You agree to sell a part of your house or a percentage of its future sale proceeds to trade for money, with no capitalising interest as one of its benefits. You remain as the homeowner and live in it with no obligation to sell until you choose to.

An A.S.A.G. Equity Release is a loan that is designed to assist older Australians access finance in their retirement. A.S.A.G. does this through a loan called a Reverse Mortgage.

Many of Australia’s elderly population have their home as the primary source of their wealth. An A.S.A.G. Equity Release is designed to give you access to this wealth and enable you to live the retirement you deserve without selling or moving on from your home.

Your A.S.A.G. Equity Release will be calculated based on your age, the location of your property, as well as the value of your home. It can be designed so that you only access what you need, when you need it. If you would like to receive an obligation-free estimate, you can use our Equity Calculator.

An A.S.A.G. Equity Release allows you access to part of the equity in your home. This can be used in a number of different ways. Many of which assist people achieve their financial dreams as well as have a much more comfortable, stress-free retirement. Many people will use the equity for home improvements, paying off debt, holidays, as well as paying for medical treatment.

As part of ASAG’s obligations under regulation, we are required to ensure that you obtain professional legal support to guarantee complete understanding of your obligations under the loan agreement. Notwithstanding this, A.S.A.G. firmly believes that a well-informed decision is the best decision for all of our clients.

Once you have completed an initial application, A.S.A.G. will arrange for an independent, Australian Property Institute (API) registered valuer to visit your home at a date and time that is suitable for you to assess its value.

With an A.S.A.G. Equity Release, Australian seniors have a valuable tool at their disposal that can be utilised in their retirement planning. Many of our features can assist seniors that are looking to supplement their retirement income and free up cash flow. Benefits include:

• A better quality of retirement lifestyle via access to funds from your home capital.
• You remain the owner of your home and any future increase in its value
• Living comfortably and confidently now and into the future
• A highly regulated facility that is government regulated
• Access to lifetime occupancy, no negative equity guarantee and no requirement to make loan repayments until the end of the loan.
• Avoiding the costs and disruption associated with property downsizing as an alternative to accessing your existing home capital.

The interest rate on an A.S.A.G. Reverse Mortgage is a Variable Rate 9.50% p.a. (Comparison Rate 9.61% p.a. * )

For other details, go to A.S.A.G. Reverse Mortgage Interest Rate.

A.S.A.G. Reverse Mortgage is offered with a variable interest rate. This is currently a Variable Rate 9.50% p.a. (Comparison Rate 9.61% p.a.*).

For more details, go to A.S.A.G. Reverse Mortgage Interest Rate.

Meet these specific requirements to access the Pension Loans Scheme:

• You or your partner is in Age Pension age or over.
• You’re eligible to get a qualifying pension.
• You or your partner owns a property in Australia that can be used as security for the loan.
• You have appropriate and adequate insurance covering the property.
• You are not subject to a personal insolvency agreement or bankruptcy.

You’ll have to agree to the PLS’s terms and conditions to get the loan. Your partner also has to agree about your application for PLS. They have to agree and sign within the application, stating they understand the terms and conditions. You can get a loan even if your assets and income wouldn’t normally allow you to get one of the qualifying pensions.

The loan payments you can get fortnightly under the Pension Loans Scheme will be based on how much pension you receive. Your combined pension and loan cannot be more than 150% of your maximum pension rate.

In the event your pension changes, your loan payments also adjust. This setting prevents the loan payments to go over 150% of your pension rate or the payment rate of your choice.

If you don’t receive a pension, you’re allowed to get a maximum amount of PLS as a loan payment. You can get loan payments until the total loan balance (including costs and interest) reaches the maximum loan amount.

You can also ask Centrelink to stop your loan payments at any time.

You can make repayments at any time, although you don’t have to. Instead, you can wait and pay it in full when the property is sold.

Partial costs of the loan are worked out based on the type and number of properties you used as security. For example, if one property is used as security for the loan, you’ll have 1 set of costs. If 2 properties are used as security, you’ll have 2 sets of costs.

Refinancing an existing home loan via a reverse mortgage frees up your cash flow and improves your long-term retirement funding. You have the option to make regular interest repayments or pay off the loan only when it’s time to sell or leave your home. A.S.A.G. makes sure that consumer protections, such as Lifetime Occupancy and No Negative Equity Guarantee, are part of your Senior Refinancing.

Your home holds many memories of raising your kids and establishing a family unit. It has also represented you in a community you’ve been part of for so long. It’s understandable that ownership of your home for as long as you live is something to aspire to in retirement.

Downsizing into a smaller place, like a retirement village, can result in radical change and interrupt your life. By using A.S.A.G. Reverse Mortgage, one of the more effective refinancing options for 60 and above, you can refinance an outstanding home loan instead of downsizing.

Consider these key points in refinancing an existing home loan with A.S.A.G. Reverse Mortgage:

1. Flexible repayments

With our reverse mortgage, you don’t have to make repayments regularly as you’re not required to. However, you may repay partially or all of it at any time without penalty.

2. Free up your retirement income

Because you are not required to make regular payments, your income can be redirected to other important purposes.

3. Lifetime Occupancy

An A.S.A.G. Reverse Mortgage can be a responsible and long-term retirement solution. It comes with consumer protections, including lifetime occupancy, which guarantees you age in place.

Reverse mortgages are government-regulated, comply with vulnerable client protections and safety nets, and are subject to stringent lending criteria under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act (NCCPA). All applicants will be properly assessed if they have sufficient equity in their home and that the loan is of benefit to the customer. Further assessments are in place to ensure that they are also able to maintain their property and keep it insured throughout the loan term.

Accessing some capital now will reduce the amount of your home equity. We at A.S.A.G. do recommend that before you take out a loan, you do discuss the decision with your family as it will affect your future estate. Furthermore, you should consider how much equity will be used over the term of your loan. More information about this can be read on our Reverse Mortgage Calculator page.

Drastic financial changes will be inevitable, so it’s important to consult your retirement plan with the experts, such as Centrelink or a financial adviser.