WE HELP YOU TO FIND A BETTER DEAL

BANKING HAS NEVER been easier. You can do it completely online if you want, at a branch if you need face-to-face help, or a banking expert will come to you, thanks to the rise of at-home mortgage services.

With ease of access also comes increased customisation. There are hundreds of lending products and a couple of them are probably closer to your personal needs than others.

If anything, the challenge we face is the prospect of feeling overwhelmed by the choices. That’s where the Consumer Finance Awards come in. Each year, we present a shortlist of the leading financial institutions based on their lending rates, fees or a combination of features. With Covid-19 hitting bank balances hard, your choice of finance provider could make the difference between shaving years of your loan or wearing those mortgage boots for longer.

You will see familiar names, particularly among the top three. That’s a good thing. It means that those who are at the top of the league tables are consistent. But there are new names, too. In keeping with the times, we have introduced new categories and sub-segments (which is why these winners have n/a for last year’s ranking). We understand it is a personal preference. You might want to go with a major bank, a non-bank or a customer-owned bank (which, broadly speaking, is a bit of both).

How to use this list to your advantage? Compare your current loans or cards with the offerings of our winners. For example, we have an awardee offering a $5000 cashback, a credit card provider offering 0% interest on balance transfers for 28 months and another bank offering interest-free credit for up to six months.

Congratulations to all our winners and finalists.

Last year was tough and our readers could do with instant savings, plus more in the long run. I also would like to thank our data partner InfoChoice, the Rainmaker research team (Alex Dunnin and Pooja

Antil) and the Money team for all their hard work.