Why Refinance? The Potential Benefits
Refinancing means replacing your current home loan with a new one – typically from another bank (or sometimes the same bank under a new package). The primary reason homeowners refinance is to save money. Over the course of a 25-30 year loan, interest rates can fluctuate and what was a great rate a few years ago might look expensive now. By refinancing to a new loan with a lower interest rate, you can reduce your monthly payments or shorten your loan tenure (keeping payments similar but finishing faster). Even a reduction of 0.5% in interest can save thousands of dollars over the remaining loan. Another benefit: you might refinance to switch from a floating rate to a fixed rate if you expect rates to rise and want stability (or vice versa). Some people also refinance to tap equity – in Singapore, this means if your property value has gone up and your outstanding loan is much lower than current value, you might refinance to a bigger loan and cash out the difference (limited by 75% LTV cap for refinancing and certain rules). This is more common for private property owners looking to get cash for investments or big expenses. Additionally, refinancing can allow you to change loan features: for example, your current loan might have a remaining lock-in or less flexibility, and switching could give you more freedom (say, no lock-in, or interest offset accounts etc.). In short, the goal is either a cheaper interest rate, cashing out some equity, or getting more favorable terms.
When is a Good Time to Refinance?
Timing matters for refinancing. Here are common scenarios when it makes sense to consider it:
- End of Lock-In Period: Most Singaporeans wait until their loan’s lock-in period (usually 2-3 years) is over. Once you’re free of penalties, it’s an ideal time to shop around. Banks know this, so they often have attractive refinancing offers ready for “free agents”. It’s wise to start checking about 3-4 months before your lock-in expires, because you can secure a refinancing package ahead of time (many offers are valid for a few months) and be ready to switch the moment you’re penalty-free.
- When Interest Rates Have Dropped: If you notice that new home loan rates are significantly lower than what you’re paying, that’s a red flag (in a good way) that you might save by refinancing. For example, perhaps you bought when rates were high at 3%, and now rates for new loans are 1.8%. As a rule of thumb, a difference of about 0.5% or more might justify refinancing, but even 0.3% could be worth it if your loan amount is large and costs are low. Use a refinance calculator or ask Cashew’s Refinance Tool to compute your savings.
- After a Fixed Rate Period Ends: If you had, say, a 2-year fixed rate and now it’s reverting to a higher floating rate, it’s a prime time to hunt for a better deal. Often the revert rate can be higher than market if you don’t negotiate or reprice.
- Improved Personal Financial Position: Maybe when you first took the loan, your credit or income situation didn’t allow the best rates. Now if your income is higher or other debts paid off, you might qualify for a more competitive package via refinance. Or maybe you initially took an HDB loan at 2.6% and a couple years later you feel comfortable switching to a bank loan at, say, 2% to save money – that’s essentially refinancing (from HDB to a bank).
- Need to Restructure Loan Tenure or Monthly Payment: If you need to reduce your monthly payment, refinancing to a new 25-30 year loan (essentially resetting the tenure) can help. Perhaps you’re facing cash flow issues; stretching the loan can provide relief (though you pay more interest in total). Or the opposite: you want to accelerate paying off, and you found a refinance package that lets you make partial repayments freely, etc., aiding your goal to be debt-free sooner.
In summary, a good time is whenever there’s a clear benefit – lower rate available, or your needs changed – and ideally when you can avoid penalties (unless the savings are so great they outweigh the penalty).
Consider the Costs of Refinancing
Refinancing isn’t free, so you must weigh the costs vs savings. Typical costs include:
- Legal fees: Refinancing involves discharging your old mortgage and taking a new one. This requires a lawyer. Legal fees are roughly $2,000 to $3,000 for a straightforward case. The good news is many banks offer subsidies for these fees (often around $2,000) to entice you to refinance with them, especially if your loan amount is above a certain threshold (e.g., >$300k). Check if the package you’re eyeing has a legal subsidy.
- Valuation fee: The new bank will do a valuation of your property to confirm its value. This usually costs a few hundred dollars (maybe $300). Some banks reimburse this in some promo.
- Penalty if still in lock-in: If you are refinancing before your lock-in ends, you’ll likely pay that 1.5% penalty to your old bank. This can be hefty, so usually not worth it unless rates have drastically fallen or you have urgent reasons. Also, if you got a freebie (say, the old bank gave you a $2k legal subsidy), you might have to repay it if you leave early (that’s a clawback clause).
- Time and effort: Minor, but you do have to apply for a new loan, sign papers, etc. Working with a broker can lighten this load as they’ll coordinate much of it. Cashew, for example, will handle a lot of the paperwork and liaise with lawyers for you to make it smoother.
Before refinancing, do a quick calculation: what will you pay in costs and what will you save? For instance, if you’ll save $200 a month in interest, that’s $2,400 a year. If your one-time cost is $2,000 (legal minus subsidy, etc.), you break even in less than a year, and every year after that is pure savings. That’s usually worth it. Ideally, aim to recover costs within 1-2 years with the savings. If it’s longer than that, maybe the benefit is too marginal.
Repricing vs. Refinancing
Refinancing means switching to a different bank. But there’s also repricing, where you stay with your current bank and just switch to a new package they offer (like internal refinancing). Repricing can sometimes be easier (less paperwork, usually no legal costs, just a small admin fee $500 or so). It’s worth calling your bank to ask if they can offer you a better rate as your lock-in ends – sometimes they have retention offers. However, those may not be as attractive as what competitor banks offer to new customers. It’s a good practice to compare both: see what your bank can do (repricing) versus refinancing with others. If your bank’s offer is close, repricing might be the simpler route. If it’s not competitive, then refinancing is the way. Cashew’s advisors often help clients evaluate this: we don’t mind advising you to stay with your bank if their offer is really good; our goal is that you get the best deal, earning trust long-term.
Keep an Eye on the Market
Even if you’re not due for refinancing yet, it’s wise to keep an eye on interest rate trends. In Singapore, interest rates (especially floating) have been quite low in the past, then rose in recent years. If you are on a package that’s pegged to something like SORA, you’re already feeling changes automatically. But if you’re on a fixed rate ending soon, pay attention to what current packages are so you can plan. Some homeowners set reminders or use services (Cashew does this) to alert them when rates drop to a certain level or when their lock-in is close to expiring.
In conclusion, refinancing makes sense when it saves you money or fits a change in your needs – and especially once you’re free to move without penalty. Many Singaporean homeowners refinance every 2-3 years as a habit, to keep their mortgage costs optimized. You don’t have to constantly chase every 0.1%, but being proactive can shave years off your loan or save tens of thousands in interest. If you think it might be time to refinance, you can check quickly by using our Refinance Savings Calculator or speaking to Cashew’s mortgage broker team. We’ll help crunch the numbers and handle the details, so you can reap the benefits with minimal hassle.
Michael Tan
