Having all your credit cards, loans, and savings accounts with one bank makes life easier, right? You only need one app on your phone, you can get everything in order with a visit to your local branch, and you can build a relationship with the people who are lending you money. 

But, you might be surprised that there are some unexpected risks that come with having all your loans with one bank. 

Today, we’re partnering with Helen Collier-Kogtevs, one of Australia’s leading property educators and co-founder of Real Wealth Australia, to help property investors (like you!) understand why sticking with the one bank might not be the best financing strategy for your investments. 

So without further ado, here’s what Helen has to share from her decades of experience in the property scene.

Many investors think that having their home loan, investment loans, credit cards and savings accounts with one bank is a good thing. 

I’ve had people tell me what a great benefit it is, as they get fee waivers and special discounts for having all their accounts with one bank. They may even have their very own ‘personal relationship manager’. Don’t they feel special! 

What the unsuspecting investor doesn’t realise is what is really going on here – which is the fact that everything is geared in favour of the bank.

Let me lay it on the line and explain some of the risks of this situation:

The bank can see if you pay your loans on time and whether you pay extra or just the minimum repayment. That’s fairly stock standard. 

But, then there are your credit cards; the bank can see whether you pay the balance off in full each month, or just make the minimum repayment. It can also see all of your spending habits. It can see where you like to shop – Kmart or upmarket boutiques? – where you like to dine out or where you shop for groceries. 

Data-crunching software is incredibly sophisticated these days, to the point where some banks are using the information you post on social media to help them ascertain your ‘risk’. Do you really want your bank to have that much information and power at its disposal?

Next, there is the savings account that most people generally have their pay deposited into. Now your bank knows how much you earn (down to the last cent) and how much you have left at the end of each pay period. It also knows when you receive a pay rise, as your regular pay income into your savings account will increase. 

With all of this information at their disposal, the bank knows if you are a saver or a spender. In fact, it has a complete picture of your financial spending habits, including where you shop, how much you spend, how much you save and how much you pay on your loans.

What happens if something goes wrong? Let’s say you lose your job. You decide not to pay off your credit card balance in full this month like you usually do. Instead, you pay the bare minimum so you can save your pennies until you find another job. 

Unfortunately, you have difficulty finding another job, so for a period of several months, there is no regular income going into your savings account as expected. 

The bank can see that your savings account is drying up and that you’re making lower payments on your bills. The clauses in your mortgage contract protect the bank in this regard, so that if it feels a little nervous about your financial position and you miss or default on a payment, no matter how small, it may decide to call you in on one or all of your loans.

I know of a builder who wanted to subdivide his home and build two units in his backyard. He obtained approval for a development application (DA) for the units and decided to construct them himself as an owner-builder. He had ample existing equity and cash, as he had other good investments. 

As an owner-builder, he needed to stop working to focus on this new project. All of his accounts were with one bank. He explained to the bank what his intentions were, but unfortunately for him, the bank became nervous and decided to issue him with a 30-day notice to pay up all his loans. It resulted in the project falling over, and he and his family being kicked out of their home. 

With a personal financial risk mitigation strategy, you can take some power back from the banks, as it makes it a little more difficult for any one bank to have a complete financial history of how you manage your financial affairs.