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Rates · Wellington, Wellington Region

Major Banks Cut Rates Further

Last updated: July 2026

21 April 2026 Sarah Jenkins 6 min read

This Week at a Glance

"Following last week's dovish signals from the Reserve Bank, major lenders including Westpac and BNZ have aggressively moved to capture market share, dropping their 1-year and 2-year special fixed rates by a further 15 basis points. The 1-year special rate has now touched 5.64% at select institutions, while the widely favored 2-year fixed term is settling around 5.49%. This competitive positioning by the banks reflects their internal forecasts that the Best 1-yr Fixed will be cut to 3.00% or lower in the coming quarter. For borrowers, this sudden wave of out-of-cycle rate cuts presents immediate refinancing opportunities and significantly larger borrowing capacities for buyers currently in the pre-approval phase."

Key Metric · Week 16
Best 1-yr Fixed
5.64%

What This Means for Your Mortgage

A shift like Best 1-yr Fixed moving to 5.64% rarely shows up identically at every lender — some reprice within days, others hold their existing book for weeks longer. If you're Wellington-based and due to refix soon, it's worth checking where each lender actually sits today rather than assuming they've all moved together.

Book a free 15-minute call and we'll check current pricing across our panel against your specific loan, or run your numbers first through the mortgage calculator.

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