In a sign that perhaps interest rates may be on hold for a little while, some of the major banks are offering fixed rates for 3 years from 6.99%. It as only 3 months ago that the 3 year fixed rate was up around the 8% mark so 6.99% is a very sharp rate. Temporary Residents and Australian Expats should consider carefully whether to fix in or not. If your budget is tight and perhaps another few rate rises would see you start to struggle with repayments, then fixing the rate in may be a good idea. If however you have plenty of surplus income and like paying more off your home loan, then variable is probably the better option. The main advantage of fixed is the certainty of payment – the main disadvantage is as, many discover recently, you could end up stuck on a higher rate if the variable rate reduces.