澳大利亚证券投资委员会（ASIC）发布报告揭示，包括澳新银行、联邦银行、西太平洋银行等8家银行在抵销账户管理上存在缺陷。[1]这8家银行掌控澳大利亚约2.5万亿澳元房贷市场的70%以上份额。[1]报告指出，部分客户因银行未清晰说明再融资后需要重新关联抵销账户，结果遭受额外利息损失，其中两个案例显示客户各自额外支付超过17000澳元。[1]
ASIC主席Sarah Court表示，"当抵销账户无法正常运作时，伤害是隐藏的"。[1]除重大损失案例外，报告还记录了一例客户因账户被错误取消关联，仅一个月内就支付了超过3500澳元额外利息。[1]从2023年9月至2025年8月期间，受审查的银行已向客户支付超过5500万澳元的赔偿。[1]
对此，澳大利亚银行协会首席执行官Simon Birmingham为行业辩护，称"99%以上情况下银行管理正确"。[1]
Australia's financial regulator has identified significant shortcomings in how major banks manage offset accounts, revealing a systemic problem that has left customers substantially out of pocket. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) found that eight banks failed to adequately communicate to customers that offset accounts needed to be relinked following a refinance, resulting in some borrowers paying over $17,000 in additional interest [1]. The eight institutions under review control more than 70 percent of Australia's approximately $2.5 trillion home loan market [1].
The regulatory probe uncovered instances of substantial financial harm stemming from these administrative failures. In one case, a customer's offset account was incorrectly delinked, leading to more than $3,500 in excess interest charges within a single month [1]. Between September 2023 and August 2025, the banks have compensated customers with more than $5.5 million in response to identified breaches [1]. ASIC Chair Sarah Court emphasized the scope of the problem, stating that "when offset accounts are not working properly, the harm is hidden" [1]. However, the Australian Bankers Association CEO Simon Birmingham countered that "in more than 99 percent of cases, banks manage these correctly" [1].