Name: Mortgage Broker Brisbane - Hunter Galloway
Price range: $$$

9, February, 2026

ING (formerly ING Direct) is Australia’s most popular online bank, famous for high-interest savings and the Barefoot Investor stamp of approval. But does a great savings account translate to a great mortgage? In this review, we use our insights as a mortgage broker in Brisbane to go beyond the advertised rates and reveal the hidden policies—like their unique LVR tiers and generous parental leave rules—that determine if ING is actually the right fit for your home buying journey.

Note that this review, and product information are correct as of February 2026, and all of this information is subject to change without further notification. Any credit applications are subject to meeting the specific bank’s criteria, and the decision is at their final discretion.

What Are ING Home Loans Like?

The top 5 things ING is good at are:

Excellent Interest Rate Discounts… if you are a new customer. ING offers some very sharp rates for new customers, but sometimes it forgets about its existing ones. But, to be fair, it does have a much more relaxed approach to what documents you need to provide compared to the big banks. So, ING could be a good option if you aren’t great with paperwork.
Fairly strong apartment policy. While some other banks have postcode restrictions and will only lend on larger apartments, ING has a minimum apartment size of 40 square metres, with no postcode restrictions.
Market-leading cash-out policy (if you already own a place). If you have an existing property with lots of equity, you can get cash out up to 80% LVR with minimal explanation.
Very good and straightforward suite of commercial property loans. It has cheap and cheerful commercial property loan products with lower fees than most big banks.
Interest only-repayments. ING has a maximum interest-only term of 5 years for owner-occupiers and 10 years for investors.

The top 5 things ING isn’t so good at:

Pre-approval. ING does not fully assess pre-approvals unless you have found a property you will buy—i.e. going to auction. In other cases, it is just doing a credit check and punching out a letter that isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. So be careful of this!
ING cannot do construction loans. If you are thinking about doing a renovation in a few years or an extension on your home, ING will not help. It stopped doing construction loans in 2018, so you will have to look elsewhere if you’re looking to build.
Will not renegotiate for existing customers. In most cases, if you have had a home loan for over 3 years, you can renegotiate your rates without needing to refinance. ING will not offer better interest rates for existing customers who are often on higher rates. We regularly review our customers’ rates and have found that if you have a loan with ING, you may need to refinance to another lender after 3-4 years.
Much slower turnaround time for home loan approvals. Because ING offers special interest rate discounts and deals throughout the years, ING can get inundated with new applications, which can slow down the time it takes to get your loan approved. If you put in your application, the bank can generally get back to you within a couple of business days. In busy times, it might take a week or two. Keep this in mind if you have a finance clause pending. For example, if you have 5 days to get your finance approved, ING might not be a good bank for you. We keep track of the turnaround times of all lenders on our panel, so if you are applying for a home loan with Hunter Galloway, we’ll let you know if ING will be a suitable lender for you.
Stricter credit criteria. ING can be a very conservative bank compared to others. If you have been in your job for under 6 months, ING might not be a fit for you.

Who Is ING Actually Best For? (Broker Verdict)

As mortgage brokers, we see thousands of applications, and we know that a bank’s “advertised” policy is often very different from reality. In our experience, ING is a “power player” for three specific types of borrowers that other banks often ignore:

1. New Parents & Growing Families

If you are on maternity leave or planning to start a family, ING can be a strong option to consider. Many lenders assess borrowing capacity based primarily on your current income while you are on parental leave, which can reduce the amount you are eligible to borrow.

Depending on your circumstances, ING may assess your application using your return-to-work income, subject to its current parental leave policy and supporting evidence. This can help some borrowers qualify for a higher loan amount when purchasing a family home.

2. Couples with Joint Debt (The "Common Debt Reducer")

This is a hidden policy that saves many applications. If you are applying for a home loan but have a personal loan or credit card jointly with a partner, most big banks will hit your application with 100% of that debt repayment—crippling your borrowing power.

ING uses a “Common Debt Reducer” policy. Provided you can show the debt is being serviced jointly, they may only assess 50% of the repayment against your name. This simple calculation change can often unlock tens of thousands in extra borrowing power.

3. The "Set and Forget" Crowd

If you want your home loan to work harder for you without constantly chasing rate discounts, ING is a great fit. Because their Pocket Perks (which we detail below) and Utility Cashbacks are tied to the Orange Everyday account, the entire ecosystem works on autopilot. If you are the type of person who sets up their direct debits and wants to be rewarded for loyalty automatically, this structure is hard to beat.

What Are The Different Home Loan Products ING Offers?

ING Direct has a limited range of home loan products, and the most popular include:

1. Orange Advantage

ING’s Orange Advantage Home Loan product is pretty similar to most other banks’ professional packages. This is where you pay one annual fee and, in return, get additional discounts, offset accounts and special discounts on insurances and related services.

The features include:

A 100% offset account available when paired with an Orange Everyday transaction account.
Unlimited additional repayments.
Access to fee-free ATMs in Australia, with ATM fee rebates available on eligible Orange Everyday accounts.
A redraw facility that allows you to access extra repayments if needed.
The ability to split your loan between fixed and variable rates, with potential pricing benefits available on eligible split loans.
Broker Tip (LVR Rate Tiers): ING may offer more competitive interest rates to borrowers with larger deposits and lower loan-to-value ratios (LVRs). Check the latest pricing or speak with a broker to see whether you qualify for a lower rate.
Package benefits that can reduce or waive certain loan-related fees, depending on the product selected. Terms and conditions apply, and break costs may apply to fixed-rate loans.
No monthly maintenance fees on the associated Orange Advantage transaction account.
Annual package fees that may be lower than those charged by some major banks, with no ongoing monthly account-keeping fees on eligible products.
Interest-only and investment loan options are available, although pricing may be less competitive than owner-occupier principal-and-interest loans.
Construction loans are not available through ING.

2. Mortgage Simplifier

ING Mortgage Simplifier is the equivalent of a basic home loan. This loan has limited features and no ongoing monthly or annual fees, which means you can save significant amounts of money over the life of the loan.

If you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a Professional Package like the Orange Advantage, the Mortgage Simplifier could be good for you.

The features include:

Free extra repayments
Option to split your home loan
Available on owner-occupied and investment housing.
Redraw is available and unlimited.
No ongoing monthly or annual fees.
Fairly good interest rates for eligible borrowers.
No offset account available.
No Construction Options available.

3. Fixed Rate Loan

ING’s Fixed Rate home loan products can help protect you from any unexpected interest rate rises. With a fixed-rate term of between 1 and 5 years, you can look at having some certainty on your home loan repayments.

The features include:

Maximum loan term of 30 years.
Get an additional discount on the Orange Advantage Package.
Principal & Interest home loan repayments can be fortnightly or monthly. Interest-only home loan repayments must be made monthly.
Additional repayments during the fixed term are capped each year, but you can make them anytime within the applicable limit.
Fixed-Rate Application fee is applicable if you don’t go on the annual package.

Fixed Break costs could apply if you repay the loan early

4. Green Upgrade Loan

ING’s green upgrade loan offers you the opportunity to make your home more energy efficient by adding solar panels and batteries, induction cooktops, hot water heat pumps and air conditioners.

The loan offers the following features:

Competitive loan amounts available for eligible energy-efficient upgrades.
No upfront fees
Fixed rate for up to 5 years

5. Commercial Property Loan

Interestingly, ING also has a fairly strong and relatively unknown commercial loan offering available for owner-occupiers or investors.

This product is for secured commercial loans (i.e. if you’re buying a property and not doing a shop fit-out) but has pretty good terms:

ING Commercial Property Loans have variable and fixed-rate options.
Fixed-rate terms are available.
Longer loan terms than many commercial lenders.
Loan redraw for fixed-rate loans is available at the end of the fixed term only.
Additional repayments may be permitted during the fixed-rate period, subject to ING’s current limits and conditions.
Application fees may apply.
No ongoing monthly fees.
Maximum loan amounts are subject to ING’s current lending policy and approval criteria.
Minimal scope for property development finance.

ING Home Loan Fees at a Glance

Fee Type	Cost	Broker Note
Application Fee	May apply	Often waived during promotional periods. Check with us for current offers and fee waivers.
Annual Package Fee	Applies to package loans	Applies to the Orange Advantage loan and covers package benefits such as the offset account and related features.
Monthly Service Fee	Generally not charged	ING does not typically charge monthly account-keeping fees on its main home loan products.
Settlement Fee	May apply	A one-off fee that may be charged when your loan settles.
Valuation Fee	Usually waived for standard applications	ING will often cover the cost of a standard property valuation, although conditions may apply.
Discharge Fee	Applies when closing the loan	Payable when you pay out your loan or refinance to another lender, in addition to any applicable government charges.

Eligibility Checklist: Can You Actually Apply?

ING is a fantastic bank, but they are also known for being “conservative.” They don’t have the flexibility of some non-bank lenders. Before you start gathering documents, run through this quick checklist to see if you qualify.

✅ Residency

You generally need to be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident living in Australia.

Broker Note: If you are an Expat or on a Temporary Visa (like a 482 visa), ING’s policy is very strict. You are usually better off speaking to us about lenders who specialise in visa-holders.

✅ Employment Stability

ING likes stability. You generally need to meet these minimums:

PAYG (Full Time/Part Time): Minimum 3 to 6 months in your current role. You ideally want to be off probation.
Casual: Minimum 6 months with your current employer (12 months is even safer).
Self-Employed: You need at least 2 years of tax returns. If you only have 1 year of financials, ING is likely a “No.”

✅ Deposit Size

Minimum 5%: You can purchase with as little as a 5% deposit, but you will need to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).
Genuine Savings: If your deposit is less than 20%, ING requires you to show 5% Genuine Savings. This means you must show that you saved that 5% yourself over a 3-month period (gifts don’t count for this specific 5% portion).
The “Sweet Spot”: A 20% deposit allows you to avoid LMI and often unlocks better interest rate tiers.

✅ Clean Credit History

This is non-negotiable. ING’s automated credit scoring is tough.

No Defaults or Judgments: If you have a default on your credit file (even a small paid one from a phone bill 3 years ago), ING will likely decline your application automatically.
Broker Tip: If you have “bad credit,” don’t apply with ING—it will just add another enquiry to your file. Chat with us about specialist lenders who can help fix your credit first.

What Documents Does ING Direct Need For A Home Loan?

The documents needed for ING are slightly more relaxed than most banks in Australia. Let’s assume you receive a salary and are purchasing your first home. ING would ask for the following:

Signed Application Form, and Privacy Act form completed by all borrowers.
Identification documents: Current Medicare + driver’s licence or Australian passport.
2 Most Recent Payslips less than 60 days old.
If you receive overtime/bonus/commission, ING also requires the most recent PAYG summary.
Evidence of your Genuine Savings if you have less than a 10% deposit; otherwise, you just need to show deposit funds.
Signed Contract of Sale.

So the major difference here is that most other lenders like Suncorp, BOQ or ANZ need 3 months of statements showing your salary credits and any existing credit cards or personal loans that might be open. ING does not need this; it just wants to see where your deposit is coming from and confirm your payslips.

ING ideally wants you to have completed probation and needs you to have been in your role for a minimum of 3 months if you have a 20% deposit or 6 months if you have less than a 20% deposit and need lenders mortgage insurance.

There are some exceptions where you have previously been in a similar role or the same industry for up to 2 years. They review this on a case-by-case basis, so there are no guarantees your loan will get approved.

How Much Can I Borrow From ING?

Rather than focusing on a single borrowing figure, it’s more important to understand the factors that can affect how much you may be able to borrow with ING. These include:

Your income and employment type (PAYG, casual or self-employed).
How long you have been in your current role and whether you have completed probation.
Your living expenses and overall household spending.
Existing debts such as credit cards, personal loans, car loans and Buy Now Pay Later facilities.
The size of your deposit and whether genuine savings requirements apply.
The type of property you are purchasing and its suitability under ING’s lending policy.
Your credit history and overall credit profile.

ING also has some unique lending policies that may benefit certain borrowers. For example, it may assess some parental leave applicants using their return-to-work income, and it may apply its Common Debt Reducer policy when eligible joint debts are being serviced by more than one borrower.

Because every application is assessed individually, the amount you can borrow will depend on your personal circumstances and ING’s current lending criteria at the time you apply.

If you’d like to find out how much you may be able to borrow with ING, our mortgage brokers can assess your situation, explain how ING’s policies apply to you, and compare your options across more than 30 lenders on our panel. Contact us on 1300 088 065 for a free assessment and personalised borrowing capacity review.

What Else Does ING Direct Offer?

ING Direct offers standard banking products, credit cards, transaction accounts and personal loans. Its features and incentives are a bit different from those of the other banks.

Because ING doesn’t have branches, it has lower overheads than Suncorp or BOQ, so it can offer a few different perks like the ING Everyday Round Up and generous cashbacks.

The ING Everyday Round Up

If you have an Orange Everyday account, ING will round up to the nearest $1 or $5 and transfer the extra amount into your home loan, helping you pay it off a little faster without even realising it.

In other words, if you have selected to round up to the nearest $5, ING will debit your purchase of $4 and then transfer $1 from your Orange Everyday Transaction Account to your selected Home Loan Account. It’s just a neat way of helping chip away at your home loan a little faster.

The Hidden Value: ING Pocket Perks & Cashbacks

While the “Round Up” feature is great for saving, ING’s real hidden value comes from its Pocket Perks. This is where ING shines compared to the “Big 4” banks—instead of relying heavily on rewards points that can be difficult to track and redeem, ING focuses on straightforward cashback-style benefits.

Utility Bill Cashback (Inflation Buster):
This can be a valuable benefit for homeowners. Eligible customers who pay qualifying utility bills through their Orange Everyday account may receive cashback on those payments, subject to ING’s current terms and conditions. While the savings on any individual bill may seem modest, they can add up over time.
Cash Rebates vs. Complex Points:
Many banks promote rewards programs built around points systems. ING takes a simpler approach by offering cashback-style benefits that are credited directly to eligible accounts. This means you can receive value without needing to redeem points through a rewards catalogue.
International Transaction Benefits:
If you travel regularly or shop from overseas retailers, ING’s transaction account benefits can be particularly useful. Eligible customers may avoid certain international transaction charges that are commonly applied by other banks, helping reduce the cost of spending overseas or making purchases in foreign currencies.

As always, eligibility requirements, account conditions and available benefits can change over time, so it’s worth checking ING’s current terms before relying on any specific perk.

The Digital Experience: App & Online Banking

Because ING is a branchless bank, its app is the branch. For many clients (especially those used to walking into a Commonwealth Bank or Westpac branch), this can be daunting. But the reality is, the ING app is widely considered one of the best in the market.

App Ratings & Usability

The ING Australia app consistently ranks highly, boasting a 4.7-star rating on the Apple App Store. The interface is clean, simple, and designed for people who aren’t “tech wizards.” It handles the heavy lifting so you don’t have to call the call centre.

Security Features

If you are worried about security, ING has some “peace of mind” features that give you more control than most big banks:

On-Demand Card Locking: Lost your wallet? You can instantly put a “Temporary Hold” on your card via the app with one tap. If you find it 10 minutes later, you just unlock it. No need to cancel cards and wait 2 weeks for a new one.
Real-Time Notifications: You can set up alerts to ping your phone the second money leaves your account or your salary hits. This is a massive security win—if someone hacks your card, you’ll know instantly.

The "Orange Everyday" Integration

This is where the magic happens for home loan customers. When you log in, you see your Orange Advantage Home Loan and Orange Everyday transaction account side-by-side.

The “Offset” View: You can instantly see your offset balance working. The app clearly shows you how much interest you are saving, which is a great psychological boost to keep you on track with your mortgage goals.

"But I Need a Branch!"

In our experience, 99% of the reasons people visit a branch can be done on the ING app in seconds. You can:

Change your daily transaction limits (up to $20k instantly).
Activate new cards or change your PIN.
Download proof of balance or interest statements for your accountant.
Notify the bank of overseas travel.

If you do need to talk to a human, their call centre is Australian-based (operating 24/7), which is a huge plus compared to some competitors who offshore their support.

What Are Some ING Customer Reviews?

Industry Awards vs. Customer Reality

From an industry perspective, ING is a trophy-cabinet winner. They have consistently held the title of Canstar’s “Bank of the Year” (across multiple years) and regularly receive Finder’s “Highly Commended” status for Value. These awards highlight that, on paper, their products and fees are among the best in the market.

What Customers Say

However, individual customer reviews are fairly mixed. While satisfaction is high when the loan is first set up, the honeymoon period doesn’t always last. Additionally, while ING passed on rate cuts in 2025, they have moved quickly to pass on the February 2026 RBA rate hike to their variable home loan customers.

In our experience, ING is pretty good to deal with—and as we mentioned above, for any of our clients that experience rate creep (i.e. ING baits you in with a cheap rate then puts it up)—we look at renegotiating or refinancing.

Have You Been Declined By ING?

Don’t worry too much—it is more common than you think to get declined by a bank.

ING is a particularly conservative bank when it comes to assessing loan applications, and while it might offer some cheap interest rates, it can make it challenging to get your loan approved.

ING has very strict lending policies, and if you do not meet their lending policy, they are likely to decline your loan.

When applying for a home loan through ING, our best tip is for your broker to confirm you meet its income policy and the property you are looking at buying meets its requirements BEFORE you apply for a home loan.

Bonus: Some reasons why your home loan may be declined.

Changing jobs frequently. Most lenders want to see you in your current job for at least 6 months. However, your mortgage broker should be able to help you with this, especially if you are earning more in your new job.
Type of job. Since the pandemic, banks now view other types of jobs as risky, e.g. shift workers in the travel and hospitality industry.
Getting a new credit card. If you get another credit card after your preapproval, the bank may decline your loan because you no longer fit inside their calculators.
Missing bills. Missing something as small as a phone bill can badly affect your credit, resulting in your loan being declined. The solution is to automate your bill payments whenever possible so that you don’t miss any payments.
Spending habits. Banks also look at your expenses to see how much you are spending vs how much you are earning. So keep track of your expenses and maybe hold back on those expensive lunches.
Buying a house that needs renovations. Lenders are hesitant to lend money to properties that need renovations even after pre approval, and houses with no kitchens or bathrooms are a complete no.

ING Pre Approval

As mentioned above, ING Bank used to do a full credit assessment on home loan pre-approval.

In other words, if you were applying for a pre-approval with ING, a credit manager would go through your payslips, bank accounts and additional information to ensure you meet their credit criteria. The bank would then approve your loan, subject to you finding a property.

BUT this has now changed, so don’t get caught out.

ING is now just doing a credit check if you haven’t found a property, so the pre-approval isn’t worth the paper it’s written on!

Read More: What is Pre-Approval?

How Does ING Compare To Other Banks?

The reality is each bank has its positives and negatives, and the best option for you is highly unique. However, as brokers, we see how ING stacks up against the competition every single day.

Here is the “Real World” verdict on how ING compares to the Big 4 and other online powerhouses.

ING vs. The Big 4 (CBA, Westpac, NAB, ANZ)

The Verdict: ING wins on price; the Big 4 win on policy.
The Detail: If you are a standard PAYG employee with a solid deposit and straightforward financial position, ING is often cheaper than the Big 4. You may pay lower fees and secure a more competitive interest rate.
However: If you need a Construction Loan, the Big 4 are superior—ING simply does not offer them. Similarly, while ING does offer Family Guarantees, their policy is much stricter than the Big 4, who are generally far more flexible with guarantor structures and complex self-employed income.

ING vs. Other Online Lenders (UBank, Tiimely)

The Verdict: ING feels like a “Real Bank”; others feel like “Fintechs.”
The Detail: Lenders like UBank and Tiimely often advertise slightly lower rates than ING. However, their service can be disjointed and is often heavily reliant on chat-bots.
Why ING stands out: Even though ING is online, they have a 24/7 Australian-based call centre. If something goes wrong, you can talk to a human in Australia. With many smaller online lenders, you are often stuck in an email queue.

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	ING	Big 4 Banks
Interest Rates	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Competitive)	⭐⭐⭐ (Generally Higher)
Fees	Generally Low	Generally Higher
Approval Speed	Moderate	Typically Faster
Offset Account	✅ Available	✅ Available
Construction Loans	❌ Not Available	✅ Available
Family Guarantor	⚠️ Available (More Restrictive)	✅ Available (More Flexible)
Best For…	Everyday Value	Complex Borrowing Scenarios

Frequently Asked Questions About ING Home Loans

Does ING do Family Guarantee / Guarantor loans?

Yes, ING offers a “Family Guarantee” where a family member can use their property equity to help you secure a loan. This is great for first-home buyers trying to avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

How long does ING settlement take?

ING is generally reliable with settlements, usually requiring 10-15 business days from formal approval to settlement. However, during peak promo periods, this can stretch, so always allow a buffer.

Does ING offer construction loans?

No, ING stopped offering construction loans in 2018. If you plan to build or do major structural renovations, you will need to look at other lenders.

Does ING lend on small apartments?

Yes, ING is excellent for apartments. They generally accept units with a minimum living area of 40sqm (excluding balcony/car space), whereas many big banks require 50sqm.

Can I get an ING home loan if I’m self-employed?

Yes, but you typically need 2 years of tax returns. However, ING is generally stricter with self-employed income verification compared to specialist non-bank lenders.

What is the maximum LVR for ING investment loans?

ING typically lends up to 90% LVR for investment properties, but you will need to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) if your deposit is under 20%.

Does ING have a 'rate lock' fee?

Yes, if you want to lock in a fixed rate before settlement, ING charges a Rate Lock fee (typically around $395 or 0.15% of the loan amount), valid for 90 days.

Can I split my ING loan?

Yes, on the Orange Advantage and Mortgage Simplifier products, you can split your loan into fixed and variable portions to get the certainty of fixed repayments with the flexibility of an offset account.

Ready To Take The Next Step Toward Buying?

Our team at Hunter Galloway is here to help you determine whether or not ING is the best bank for you.

Unlike other mortgage brokers who are just one-person operations, we have an entire team of experts dedicated to helping make your home loan journey as simple as possible.

If you want to get started, please call us on 1300 088 065 or book a free assessment online to see how we can help.

ING Home Loan Review 2026: The Good, Bad & Pocket Perks

Check to see if you are eligible for a home loan

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