Despite the measures put in place to help borrowers during economic fallout from COVID-19, credit reporting agency Experian says mortgage holidays could still affect credit scores. 

Experian Australia & New Zealand's general manager of credit services Tristan Taylor said unless individuals have made special arrangements with their lender, the system acts "as per normal".

"Missing credit repayments will still negatively impact credit scores, which could affect future credit applications," he told Savings.com.au.

"If ever there has been a time to proactively manage your financial situation, it's now.

"Ensure you contact your financial service provider to discuss your options if you're concerned."

Similarly, mortgage holidays are also not true 'holidays', and interest still accrues on the loan in that time, and can add up to thousands extra owed on your home loan.

On 23 March, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) said mortgage holidays would not count as 'mortgage in arrears' - falling behind on debt repayments can stay on your record and affect your credit score for upwards of five years.

“Where a borrower who has been meeting their repayment obligations until recently chooses to take up the offer not to make repayments as part of a COVID-19 support package, the bank need not treat the period of the repayment holiday as a period of arrears," the authority said in a press release.

“Similarly, loans that have been granted a repayment deferral as part of a COVID-19 support package need not be regarded as restructured."

The mortgage deferral programs announced by many banks last week comes off the back of more than 30,000 job losses in the aviation, hospitality, and tourism sectors. 

Westpac also predicts an unemployment figure of 11% by June - for reference, in February that figure was 5.1%. 

Looking to fix your home loan? Below are some owner-occupier fixed loans with some of the lowest interest rates in the market.

Update resultsUpdate
LenderHome LoanInterest Rate Comparison Rate* Monthly Repayment Repayment type Rate Type Offset Redraw Ongoing Fees Upfront Fees LVR Lump Sum Repayment Additional Repayments Split Loan Option TagsFeaturesLinkCompare
6.34% p.a.
6.30% p.a.
$2,486
Principal & Interest
Fixed
$0
$0
90%
Free Redraw Facility
6.09% p.a.
6.19% p.a.
$2,421
Principal & Interest
Fixed
$0
$350
80%
6.69% p.a.
7.77% p.a.
$2,578
Principal & Interest
Fixed
$395
$0
80%
6.69% p.a.
7.19% p.a.
$2,578
Principal & Interest
Fixed
$0
$160
80%
Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning

Base criteria of: a $400,000 loan amount, variable, fixed, principal and interest (P&I) home loans with an LVR (loan-to-value) ratio of at least 80%. However, the ‘Compare Home Loans’ table allows for calculations to be made on variables as selected and input by the user. Some products will be marked as promoted, featured or sponsored and may appear prominently in the tables regardless of their attributes. All products will list the LVR with the product and rate which are clearly published on the product provider’s website. Monthly repayments, once the base criteria are altered by the user, will be based on the selected products’ advertised rates and determined by the loan amount, repayment type, loan term and LVR as input by the user/you. *The Comparison rate is based on a $150,000 loan over 25 years. Warning: this comparison rate is true only for this example and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Rates correct as of . View disclaimer.

What will mortgage holidays mean for mortgage bonds?

At the high-level, corporate debt rating agencies Fitch, S&P, and Moody's could downgrade mortgage bonds' credit ratings if there are significant amounts of deferred mortgages in them.

If a downgrade on a mortgage bond were to occur, due to there being less liquidity, it would theoretically make investing in that bond less attractive, which could tighten credit availability at the consumer level. 

This means that pools of mortgages on mortgage holidays - despite not technically being in arrears - could prevent ratings agencies from dishing out the top-flight AAA rating, according to Westpac's Head of Securitisation and Covered Bond Strategy Martin Jacques.

"As an example, S&P have said that if they expect missed interest payments for six months with full payment after that, the agency would limit the ratings on any affected note to a maximum of A-," he said in a report on 23 March.

In an FAQ released on 26 March, S&P said Australian prime mortgage bonds have cash reserves of an average of around nine months, and 11 months for riskier bonds, even if cash inflows on transactions in the bonds fell to zero.

This means that most prime RMBS could weather the storm of six-month mortgage holidays, without a credit downgrade, however more stress could be placed on riskier bonds.

S&P said the biggest default risk comes from self-employed borrowers, who are "most likely" to use mortgage deferral offers.

Self-employed borrowers make up 15% of mortgages in the prime RMBS sector, and 45% in the non-conforming sector. 

If cash flowing through an RMBS fell to zero, which S&P describes as "a scenario that remains unlikely", that bond would default, resulting in investors losing money, and potentially triggering a housing market crash.

This is where the Australian Office of Financial Management has stepped in, announcing last week a $15 billion package designed to make the Government an investor in corporate mortgage bonds, propping up cash flows to a potentially wounded industry.





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