ING Home Loan Lending Policy 2026

An ING home loan can accommodate gifted funds and interest-only repayments, but the deposit evidence and repayment structure need separate checks. A gift must be genuinely non-repayable. Interest-only eligibility depends on the product, loan purpose, loan-to-value ratio (LVR) and the repayments due when principal repayment starts.

For brokers, the useful starting point is the Australian ING product and forms library. Match its requirements to the borrower and security before treating a product feature as a credit approval.

Interest-Only Home Loans

ING permits interest-only repayments on its main residential products, subject to credit assessment. Its product sheets effective March 2026 require monthly interest-only payments and allow an overall loan term of up to 30 years. The requested interest-only period is part of that term.

For owner-occupied lending, the product sheets cap interest-only borrowing at 80% LVR. For investment lending, their credit tables show 90%, including lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). However, the Orange Advantage and Mortgage Simplifier repayment notes also state an 80% interest-only limit.

That discrepancy matters for an investment request above 80%. Obtain ING’s written decision on the exact product and capitalised LVR before submitting that structure. An investor table row alone doesn’t settle the product’s repayment restriction.

ING’s Orange Advantage target market determination, dated 3 October 2025, allows requests up to five years for owner-occupiers and ten years for investors. ING’s pre-settlement brochure dated 9 October 2024 describes a five-year maximum, while the Fixed Rate product sheet expressly caps interest-only at five years. For a longer variable investor request, establish the approved period in writing and use the loan offer’s actual end date.

Serviceability is the assessment of whether income can cover the loan and other commitments. Include the repayment after interest-only ends, because the principal then needs repayment over a shorter remaining term. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s residential lending guidance, dated 19 June 2025, describes assessment over that remaining principal-and-interest period.

Fictional Investment Request

Suppose Alex seeks a $560,000 Orange Advantage investment loan against a property valued at $700,000. Alex requests five years of interest-only payments within a 30-year term. The starting LVR is 80%, before any fees added to the loan.

Record the investment purpose, five-year request and reason for the repayment choice. Verify Alex’s employment income, rental evidence, living expenses and all existing debts. Run the assessment using the remaining 25-year principal-and-interest period, then retain the resulting servicing calculation.

At reversion, the loan still owes $560,000 if Alex has made no principal payments. Its repayments must now cover that balance over 25 years. A separate fixed-rate expiry can also change the interest rate, so record both dates where the loan is fixed.

This example fits the published 80% limit and five-year period. It doesn’t establish Alex’s approval or borrowing power. Those depend on ING’s assessment and the final valuation.

Gifted Deposits and Statutory Declarations

ING’s current forms library requires its Gift Policy Statutory Declaration when evidencing a gift, as at October 2026. The linked form is marked March 2021. The donor declares a non-repayable gift of a specified amount to a named recipient to assist a property purchase.

The donor supplies their name, address and occupation, then signs before an authorised witness. The witness signs and records their full name, qualification and address. Use the witness requirements accompanying the ING gift declaration.

Trace the money as well as the declaration. Keep evidence of the donor’s funds, the transfer and receipt in the borrower’s account. Reconcile the amount with the deposit already paid and the remaining settlement contribution.

For example, a parent gives $60,000 towards a purchase. The donor’s outgoing transfer and the borrower’s incoming receipt must match the declaration. If part goes directly to the conveyancer, keep that receipt and account for it in the settlement funds calculation.

A repayable family contribution is a loan. Declare its balance and repayment arrangements, including any agreement to repay after the property sells. Calling it a gift doesn’t remove that liability from the assessment.

A gift also doesn’t automatically satisfy a genuine-savings requirement. ING’s September 2025 broker summary says demonstrated genuine savings may not be required below 90% LVR. Where the scenario requires genuine savings, resolve that requirement separately from acceptance of the gift.

The deposit source guide explains how gifts sit alongside savings and other contributions. For ING, retain the declaration and the complete funds trail together.

Borrower, Income and Property Eligibility

ING eligibility depends on the borrower, income evidence, loan purpose and residential security together. ING’s Orange Advantage determination dated 3 October 2025 sets a target market of individuals aged 18 or older who work and reside in Australia. It identifies Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents, subject to identification and credit requirements.

The current Orange Advantage product sheet permits personal borrowers only, with a maximum of two borrowers. Mortgage Simplifier also specifies personal borrowers. A company or trust form in the broader ING library doesn’t make that entity eligible for either product.

ING’s September 2025 broker summary describes a joint-applicant residency pathway where one applicant is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Both must reside in Australia and be married or in a de facto relationship. Treat that pathway as a specific credit-policy question when an applicant falls outside the product’s stated target market.

Income and Employment

For employed borrowers, record the employment type, start date, probation status and income components separately. Match current payslips and employment evidence to the income used in servicing. Casual hours, overtime, commission and foreign income each need the applicable ING treatment before they count in full.

ING’s August 2026 self-employed flyer provides three income verification routes. The one-year company-income route counts 90% of income, caps the LVR at 80% and excludes debt consolidation.

It requires at least two years in the current business, at least 50% company ownership and a notice of assessment.

The two-year company-income route counts 100% of income and allows debt consolidation. Its maximum LVR is 95% for owner-occupiers and 90% for investors. Multi-layer companies and trusts are ineligible for that route.

The personal tax-return route excludes retained profits and add-backs. Company or trust tax returns must show profitable trading. When one year’s personal income is used, ING applies 90% income treatment.

These income routes don’t override a lower product, purpose or repayment limit. A borrower qualifying for a 95% income route still can’t use that figure as an owner-occupied interest-only limit.

Purpose and Security

The residential product sheets cover purchases and refinances for owner-occupiers and investors, secured by a registered first mortgage over residential property. ING’s September 2025 broker summary caps acceptable-purpose cash-out and debt consolidation at 80% LVR. Identify exactly how additional funds will be used.

That summary lists a minimum internal apartment area of 40 square metres and company title up to 80% LVR. It also describes two dwellings on one title as acceptable. The valuation and exact property characteristics still determine whether the security fits the proposed loan.

Consider a fictional borrower with two years of profitable business trading who wants 85% LVR using the one-year income route. The business history fits, but the route’s 80% limit rules out that request. If the borrower also lives overseas or proposes a 35-square-metre apartment as security, residency and security create further problems.

One acceptable feature can’t compensate for a failed requirement elsewhere. Change the structure or consider a different lender’s policy, such as the Macquarie policy guide, before preparing a full submission.

Current ING Credit Policy and Exceptions

Use ING Bank (Australia) Limited’s Australian residential underwriting guidelines for the credit decision. As at October 2026, ING’s broker portal describes access to those policies and its public product sheets direct brokers to them. A target market determination describes product fit, while the underwriting guidelines decide the detailed credit treatment.

Retain the guideline version and date used, along with relevant broker updates and the product sheet. The lender policy hub provides the wider lender context.

An old ING Direct label or an overseas ING document doesn’t establish today’s Australian residential policy. The date in a file note must identify the source, not merely when someone saved it.

Before submission, resolve any scenario-specific uncertainty that affects the decision. Common examples are these.

• An investor interest-only request above 80% where the repayment note and credit table differ.
• A variable investor interest-only period beyond five years.
• Gifted funds with a repayment agreement or an incomplete funds trail.
• Residency outside the standard product profile.
• Income needing special treatment or a property outside the stated security parameters.

ING’s contact page directs scenario, policy and decline-appeal enquiries to the ING representative. Use the Sales Support Unit for approval conditions, application status and escalation. Broker support is 1300 656 226.

A concise fictional clarification request could read as follows.

Please assess an Orange Advantage investment purchase of $700,000 with proposed borrowing of $595,000, before capitalised costs. The requested LVR is 85%, with five years of interest-only within 30 years. Both borrowers reside in Australia and are citizens. The product sheet effective March 2026 shows a 90% investor credit limit but an 80% interest-only repayment note. Which limit applies to this product and request, and what evidence or exception approval is required?

Keep ING’s response with the exact facts sent. A response about a different product or LVR doesn’t resolve this request. Written exception consideration also doesn’t guarantee final approval.

Bulma’s Policy Advisor quotes the lender’s wording behind its answers. You can keep that wording in file notes when checking gift or repayment requirements. Retain ING’s written decision separately where the scenario needs an exception.

ING and a Purchase Before Sale

A purchase-before-sale enquiry needs a decision on how both properties and debts will be funded during the overlap. As at October 2026, ING’s public broker product library lists Mortgage Simplifier, Orange Advantage, Fixed Rate and Green Upgrade Loan. It doesn’t list a dedicated bridging product.

That product list doesn’t establish a bridging approval for the client. Send the proposed transaction to the ING representative through the official contact route. Ask whether ING can fund it under an available residential structure and what sale or discharge conditions apply.

Include the new purchase price and settlement date, current property value, existing debt and expected net sale proceeds. State whether the sale contract is signed and when it settles. Also provide the maximum debt during the overlap and the debt expected after sale.

For a fictional $900,000 purchase before selling a home with $300,000 owing, identify how the purchase deposit and existing loan will be funded. A projected sale price alone doesn’t settle the debt or make cash available at purchase settlement.

If the proposed structure requires progressive construction drawdowns, identify that requirement separately. A standard purchase product or an eligible energy upgrade doesn’t establish a construction facility. Base the next step on ING’s written transaction decision before making an unconditional purchase-before-sale commitment.

Current ING Products and Features

Mortgage Simplifier is ING’s variable loan with redraw and no monthly or annual account-keeping fee. Orange Advantage adds a 100% offset through Orange Everyday and charges an annual fee. Both product sheets are effective March 2026.

The Fixed Rate sheet is also effective March 2026, with document code May 2026. It fixes the interest rate for one to five years and converts to Mortgage Simplifier at expiry. Its fixed portion has neither offset nor redraw during the fixed period.

Product	Offset and access	Fees and repayment implications
Mortgage Simplifier	No offset. Redraw from eligible additional repayments, subject to terms	$0 application fee, $350 settlement fee and no monthly or annual account-keeping fee
Orange Advantage	100% offset through one linked Orange Everyday in the same names. Redraw subject to terms	$0 application fee, $350 settlement fee and $299 non-refundable annual fee, paid in advance
Fixed Rate	No offset or redraw during the fixed period	$0 application fee, $350 settlement fee and no monthly or annual account-keeping fee. Early payout or specified changes can trigger break costs

These are ING lending fees in Australian dollars. Discharge is $250 per security plus legal and third-party costs in the product sheets. A fixed-rate additional payment of $10,000 or more in a loan anniversary year can trigger break costs under the terms.

Link the Correct Offset Portion

ING’s Home Loans Terms and Conditions, dated 15 December 2025, permit one Orange Everyday account per Orange Advantage loan account for offset. The linked account must be in the same names. The benefit applies to the variable Orange Advantage portion, including when the overall borrowing also contains a fixed split.

The offset is full, not partial. Daily interest is reduced using the positive closing balance in Orange Everyday, capped at the amount outstanding on the linked loan. Money above that loan balance adds no further offset benefit.

For example, $40,000 in the linked Orange Everyday offsets a $200,000 Orange Advantage balance. It doesn’t offset a separate $400,000 fixed portion. The resulting interest calculation uses the Orange Advantage balance reduced by $40,000.

At setup, nominate the Orange Everyday account for the specific Orange Advantage loan. Existing customers can request a change through ING’s digital variation forms for nominated accounts, including offset. Supply the loan account, transaction account details and required signatures.

After ING processes the link, retain the loan offer, account names and linkage confirmation. Reconcile daily balances with the monthly interest charge. A transaction account appearing in online banking doesn’t itself prove the intended loan portion receives offset.

Green Upgrades and Older Product Names

As at October 2026, ING’s Green Upgrade Loan is a separate fixed-rate split for eligible energy-efficient upgrades. It uses principal-and-interest repayments for a five-year fixed period, then converts to Mortgage Simplifier. It is available to existing ING home loan customers subject to its specific conditions.

Those conditions include an existing home loan balance of at least $150,000, security valued at no more than $2.5 million and an LVR no higher than 80% after settlement. The customer also needs an active Orange Everyday in the same name. The linked account requirement doesn’t give this fixed split an offset facility.

The terms and fee schedules also mention older products such as Smart Home Loan and Home Equity Loan. Their presence in those documents doesn’t establish a current new-loan offer. A cashback promotion likewise needs its own current eligibility terms and doesn’t change the standard credit requirements.

ING Home Loan Review: Fit and Constraints

ING fits a borrower whose residential security, income and requested structure meet the relevant product and underwriting conditions. As at October 2026, its documented choices allow a distinction between a basic variable loan, an offset loan and a fixed portion. Customer reviews express individual experiences and can’t establish the client’s eligibility.

Orange Advantage fits a client who wants funds in a transaction account to reduce variable-loan interest. The client must weigh the annual fee against the offset benefit. Mortgage Simplifier fits a client who wants a variable loan with redraw and no annual account-keeping fee, without an offset account.

A client choosing Fixed Rate gets certainty for the fixed period and accepts restricted access to extra repayments. Discuss anticipated sale, refinance and lump-sum payment plans because those can create break costs. A fixed/variable split preserves offset only on the Orange Advantage portion.

The scenario facts that change the fit include borrower type, residency, assessable income and property characteristics. Gift repayment status can increase commitments. Loan purpose and interest-only duration can reduce the available structure even where the deposit is adequate.

For a lender comparison using the same scenario, use the ING and Macquarie home loan comparison. Make the ING recommendation on the client’s documented needs and confirmed conditions, including applicable fees and the route through which they apply.

ING Refinance and Application Route

ING’s residential product sheets effective March 2026 include refinance purposes for owner-occupiers and investors. Their credit tables cap owner-occupied refinances at 90% LVR including LMI, with an 80% owner-occupied interest-only limit. The investment refinance table shows 90%, subject to the product-specific repayment restriction discussed earlier.

Start the file with current loan balances, limits, repayments and payout amounts. Separate an existing mortgage refinance from additional funds for debt consolidation or another purpose. Record the security value, desired splits and requested repayment type before choosing a product.

Collect current income evidence, identification and liabilities. For a gifted contribution that reduces the refinance balance, describe its source and repayment status accurately. The purchase-specific gift declaration needs an ING instruction if it is being used for a different transaction.

As at October 2026, ING’s broker portal provides credit-policy access and describes application submission through Apply Online. Its public home loan forms library includes the Loan Application Form and identification forms. ING-accredited brokers use the appropriate broker lodgement route, with the ING representative handling accreditation questions.

Send residential supporting documents through the listed assessment route, mortgage.assessment.au@ing.com, with the ING deal number in the subject. The Sales Support Unit handles application-to-settlement enquiries and approval conditions. Keep the document submission receipt and any outstanding conditions with the file.

Pre-approval doesn’t complete the refinance or guarantee the final loan. Reconcile the final valuation, payout and remaining settlement funds against ING’s approved amount.

Match the executed loan offer to the approved product and repayment period. Confirm the correct offset linkage before settlement.