Our Story

Belong to a bank that cares

For more than 180 years, Australian Unity has been motivated by good, driven by a singular goal: to enhance the wellbeing of Australians.

Whether that’s health, retirement or financial wellbeing, we’ve given millions of Australians access to the care, advice and support they need to set themselves up for a richer life through services like healthcare, insurance, financial management and retirement living.

It makes good sense to support Australians achieve financial wellbeing by also offering a great range of banking products and services.

Banking for good - a genuine alternative to the big banks

A good bank benefits everyone, and at Australian Unity, we’re motivated by our purpose to positively impact the wellbeing of millions. We reinvest profits to deliver products and services sustainably that matter most to our members, customers and the community. This means we can offer competitive interest rates and personalised service.

Doing good for customers and the community

We keep jobs in Australia with our local service centre and support charities with 1% of our profits going to the Australian Unity Foundation.

Being a bank for good means we are focused on listening to our customers’ needs and providing a personalised service. It also means understanding that life sometimes throws things at you and your bank should understand that. We offer things like the ability to apply for a home loan repayment pause when you’re on parental leave or have an unexpected illness because we know you’ve got to take the good with the bad.

Importantly, we understand how making the right financial decisions can impact positively on your life. When you bank with us, we’ll work with you, so you can feel confident in the choices you make for you and your family. Whether that’s getting a home loan that helps you afford private health insurance or improving your wellbeing by helping build your financial security.

Our commitment to Indigenous Australians

We’re committed to supporting the economic empowerment of Indigenous Australians by promoting ongoing education about discrimination and inequality.

We are proud to recently partner with Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) to support Indigenous Australians with their financial wellbeing and economic independence. This partnership, to make banking products and home ownership more accessible to Indigenous Australians, aligns two of our key visions— to support Real Wellbeing, which includes our standard of living and financial wellbeing, and our commitment to Reconciliation.

"We know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remain over-represented among financially vulnerable Australians, and that home ownership can lead to significantly improved socio-economic outcomes.” - Christine Yates, CEO Retail .

Australian Unity’s partnership with IBA is the result of two years’ work by our Australian Unity Bank and Indigenous Services teams and is an example of how we are making a strong contribution to the Indigenous community as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan and Financial Inclusion Action Plan.

A rich history built on solid foundations

Established in 1840 to meet the wellbeing needs of everyday people from all walks of life, Australian Unity is one of Australia’s original social enterprises.

Today, we offer a range of products and services that deliver real wellbeing to members, customers and broader society.

Ten years ago, our ability to deliver financial wellbeing was increased when our banking business joined the Australian Unity family.

Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice

Australian Unity is a proud member of the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) and subscriber to the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice (Code).

The Code is the code of practice for Australia’s mutual banks, credit unions and building societies. COBA has worked and continues to work closely with its members, consumer groups and other stakeholders in developing and maintaining their code of practice.

The seven key promises under the Code are:

• 1. We will deliver banking services in the interests of our customers.
• 2. We will obey the law.
• 3. We will not mislead or deceive.
• 4. We will act honestly and fairly.
• 5. We will offer products and services that are fit for general purpose.
• 6. We will deliver services with reasonable care and skill.
• 7. We will contribute to our community.

For more information on the Code, please see the 2022 Code of Practice.

To learn more about COBA, please visit the COBA website.

The proof is in the pudding

A good bank thinks actions speak louder than words, we’ve won a suite of awards for our home loans, credit card and savings accounts – a testament to how much a good bank cares and our value for money.