Commonwealth Bank home loan rates and products in 2026

Where CBA fits in the home loan market

Commonwealth Bank is the largest residential mortgage lender in Australia by book size, with roughly a quarter of all owner-occupier home loans on its balance sheet as at the latest APRA monthly statistics. The combination of nationwide branch coverage, the NetBank and CommBank app digital experience, and the Wealth Package bundling discount across linked products is the core of the offer.

For most borrowers the headline question is whether the package discount and feature set offsets the fact that CBA's sticker rate is rarely the sharpest on the market. The honest answer in 2026 is: it depends on the discount tier you can negotiate, your loan size, and whether you actually use the linked products (offset, credit card, transaction account).

CBA settles the bulk of its volume through three channels: branch, mobile lenders, and accredited brokers. The broker channel writes a meaningful share of new originations. A broker on an accredited CBA panel can often surface a discount tier that the same borrower would not see by walking into a branch cold.

Wealth Package: what is actually included

The Wealth Package is CBA's flagship home loan bundle. It bundles the Standard Variable home loan with a transaction account, a credit card and an offset, in exchange for an annual fee in the $395 to $400 range and a stepped discount off the headline variable rate based on loan size.

The discount tiers as published broadly run: smaller discount on loans under $250,000, a middle tier from $250,000 to $750,000, and the deepest tier above $750,000. Above $1 million, CBA frequently negotiates discretionary pricing on a case-by-case basis.

Practical test: if your loan is under $250,000, the Wealth Package annual fee will often outweigh the discount. The Extra Home Loan, which has no annual fee, is the more honest pick for smaller loans even though the headline rate is published higher.

Fixed rate options 1 to 5 years

CBA offers fixed terms from 1 to 5 years, with the most volume historically at the 2-year and 3-year tenors. Fixed rates at CBA, like every Australian bank, are not directly tied to the cash rate; they are priced off the wholesale bank-bill swap curve, which prices the market's expectation of future cash-rate moves.

A common mistake is to read a fixed rate that is lower than the variable as a signal that "the bank thinks rates are falling". It is not. It is the market's collective expectation, priced in by the time the rate card hits the front page. Fixing makes sense if the certainty matters more than the optionality, not as a bet on direction.

During the fixed term, CBA caps extra repayments at $10,000 per year for most fixed products. Break costs can be material if rates fall meaningfully after you fix and you want out early.

Investor lending and interest-only

CBA writes both owner-occupier and investor loans. Investor pricing has been roughly 25 to 40 basis points above owner-occupier P&I at most published rate cards in 2026, with interest-only adding a further premium of 20 to 30 basis points.

APRA's 30 per cent of new lending cap on interest-only, the 10 per cent year-on-year investor lending growth limit, and the 3 per cent serviceability buffer all bite on CBA investor applications. The serviceability buffer is currently under review (we covered the timeline in our news piece on the APRA review).

Construction and renovation

CBA writes construction loans with progress payment drawdowns at the standard slab, frame, lock-up, fixing and completion milestones. The bank pays interest-only during the construction period and converts to P&I on handover. The completion rate that applies post-handover is the figure to lock down before signing the build contract.

For renovation funding, CBA offers a home loan top-up against existing equity, subject to a fresh valuation. The decision turns on the LVR position after the top-up, which has tightened as Sydney and Melbourne values have softened in 2026.

What is the current CBA home loan rate?

CBA publishes its current variable and fixed home loan rates on the CBA home loan rates page. The figure that matters for a specific borrower is the rate after package discount, which depends on loan size, LVR, and product tier. A broker on the CBA panel can quote the discount tier that would apply to your file.

Is CBA the cheapest home loan?

Almost never on sticker rate. CBA competes on the bundled package, digital experience and branch presence rather than headline pricing. Sharper rates can be available from non-bank lenders and the digital majors, particularly at low LVR and for vanilla owner-occupier P&I.

Does CBA offer an offset account?

Yes. Most CBA variable home loan products include a full 100 per cent offset account. Fixed rate products at CBA do not include an offset; if you want offset functionality, you need the variable or a split.

How much can I borrow with CBA?

CBA applies the APRA 3 per cent serviceability buffer on top of an internal floor rate when assessing borrowing capacity. The actual buffered assessment rate sits around 8.99 per cent in mid-2026. Your borrowing capacity will be lower than your gross income would suggest because of HEM living-cost assumptions, existing debt commitments, and dependants. Our borrowing power calculator gives an indicative number; a broker quote is the realistic figure.

Can I refinance to CBA from another lender?

Yes. CBA accepts external refinance applications and frequently offers cashback or refinance rebates when balance-sheet building is a priority for the bank. The application is treated as a fresh credit assessment, which means the 3 per cent serviceability buffer applies in full unless the loan qualifies for the like-for-like streamlined refinance carve-out under APG 223.