澳大利亚金融监管机构ASIC发现，多家银行在处理抵押贷款偏移账户时存在操作不当，导致借款人支付了超出应缴的利息[1]。目前，消费者已获得5500万澳元的赔偿，但预期后续赔偿金额还会增加[1]。
偏移账户在澳洲抵押贷款市场中应用广泛[1]。数据显示，55%的澳洲抵押贷款产品附带偏移账户功能[1]，且在所有贷款机构的最低利率产品中，45%也配备了该功能[1]。借款人在偏移账户中存放的资金已达历史新高，约为3490亿澳元[1]，每天因此抵消的利息约为6100万澳元[1]。
Australia's financial regulator has identified widespread failures by banks in managing mortgage offset accounts, resulting in consumers paying excess interest. A total of $55 million in compensation has already been paid to affected borrowers, with further payouts expected to follow [1]. The issue affects a substantial portion of Australia's mortgage market, as approximately 55% of Australian home loans include offset account features [1].
Offset accounts allow borrowers to reduce their mortgage interest by holding funds in linked savings accounts, and the total balance held in these accounts has reached a historic high of approximately $349 billion [1]. The financial impact is considerable, with approximately $61 million in interest being offset daily [1]. Among lenders offering their lowest-rate loan products, 45% include offset account functionality [1], making proper operation of these accounts critical to consumers' financial outcomes.