Once you've chosen a bank loan over an HDB loan, the next decision is the rate structure: lock in a fixed rate for 2 – 5 years, or float at SORA + spread that resets every 1 – 3 months. The right answer depends on your view of rates and your risk tolerance. The backdrop matters too — rates fell sharply through 2025 and 3-month compounded SORA was hovering around 1.1% in mid-2026, so fixed and floating packages have converged into a narrow ~1.3% – 1.5% band, much closer than during the 2022 – 2023 spike. Always confirm the live SORA value and each bank's spread before committing, as these move week to week.
| Fixed Rate | Floating Rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Rate predictability | High — fixed for 2 / 3 / 5 years | Low — resets every 1 / 3 months |
| Typical rate level (mid-2026) | ~1.3% – 1.5% (2-year fixed) | ~1.3% – 1.6% (3-month SORA ~1.1% + spread of ~0.25% – 0.50%) |
| Benchmark | Bank's own fixed-rate board, not a public index | 3-month (or 1-month) compounded SORA, published by MAS daily |
| Lock-in period | 2 – 5 years | Often 2 years |
| Refinance freedom after lock-in | High | High |
| Risk if rates rise | Protected during lock-in | Monthly payment increases |
| Benefit if rates fall | Stuck at higher rate until end of lock-in | Monthly payment decreases |
| Prepayment penalty during lock-in | ~1.5% of outstanding principal | ~1.5% of outstanding principal |
For most homeowners, a 2-year fixed rate gives the right balance — short-term predictability with the flexibility to re-shop at end of lock-in. Don't lock-in 5 years unless rates are clearly at a cyclical peak. If you have strong cash reserves and tolerance for variable payments, floating SORA captures any rate cuts immediately. In the mid-2026 environment, with SORA low and fixed and floating packages only fractions of a percent apart, the decision hinges more on whether you value certainty or want to ride further cuts than on a big headline-rate saving. Always compare the spread (not just the headline rate) when shopping floating-rate options, and check the lock-in length and any legal-subsidy clawback before signing.
The compounded average of the daily Singapore Overnight Rate Average (SORA) over the past 3 months. Banks use it as the benchmark for floating-rate mortgages — your loan resets every 3 months to this compounded rate plus a bank spread.
Technically yes, but you'd pay the 1.5% prepayment penalty on outstanding principal. The math rarely works unless rates have fallen dramatically (typically more than 1.5% – 2%).
Most Singapore borrowers refinance every 2 – 3 years, timed with the end of their lock-in period. Banks compete aggressively for new customers, so existing borrowers often pay materially above market unless they shop. Build refinancing into your calendar.
No. SIBOR has been retired. The 1-month and 3-month SIBOR (the rates most home loans used) were discontinued after 31 December 2024, completing the industry's move to SORA. Any remaining SIBOR-pegged loans were converted to SORA-based packages. Today a floating home loan in Singapore is effectively a SORA loan; SORA is administered by MAS and is based on actual transaction data rather than bank estimates, which makes it less prone to manipulation.
1-month SORA reprices more often, so it tracks the latest rate moves faster — better when rates are falling, more exposed when they are rising. 3-month compounded SORA smooths the rate over a longer window, so your payment moves more gradually and predictably. In a falling-rate stretch like late 2025 a 1-month peg captures cuts sooner; if you prefer steadier instalments, the 3-month peg is the calmer choice. The spread the bank adds usually matters more than the 1M-vs-3M choice.
Not automatically — refinancing to another bank is a fresh loan, so you must pass the current TDSR (and MSR for an HDB flat) checks again at the time. If your income has dropped or your other debts have grown, you may not qualify for the cheapest package, or any external refinance at all. In that case repricing with your existing bank, which usually does not require a full TDSR re-assessment, can be the fallback.
Many packages cover part of your legal and valuation fees as an incentive. If you redeem or refinance the loan within a specified window — often around three years, which can be longer than the interest lock-in — you have to repay (claw back) that subsidy. Always check the clawback period separately from the lock-in period, because leaving early can erase the savings from a cheaper rate elsewhere.