Standard Chartered launches innovative home loan solution in UAE
Standard Chartered has announced the launch of MortgageOne, a unique home loan solution for conventional and Islamic banking clients in the UAE. The product has been successful and widely accepted in other big markets where Standard Chartered operates, such as Singapore, Hong Kong and India.
Being a first for an international bank in the country, the MortgageOne account allows customers to combine their home loan borrowings and personal savings and transactions into one account.
The way it works is that clients pay interest only on the difference between the loan balance and the money held in the account. So if a client has higher amounts of cash in his/her account, the interest paid by the client on a mortgage will be lower than usual.
What that means is that, every time clients pay their home loan instalment, they will be paying more toward the principal amount of the loan and less interest. This helps them pay off their loan balance much faster than a regular mortgage and at a lower interest cost.
Linking the current account with home loan does not just save clients on interest — they will also have the flexibility to withdraw the interest saved, plus the money in their account (similar to a normal account) at any point in time.
Shehzad Hameed, head of retail clients, Standard Chartered UAE, said: “We have shifted from a product-based approach to being more client-focused. We have been developing propositions and services based on our clients’ needs rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. This has led to the introduction of MortgageOne in UAE.”
In terms of eligibility, a client will need to be between 21 and 65 years of age, and earn at least AED 10,000 ($2,720) per month to avail a MortgageOne from Standard Chartered. The bank lends up to AED 18 million.