The Board of the Reserve Bank meets tomorrow. In July last year Westpac forecast that the next easing cycle would total 100bps beginning near year’s end. Subsequently, the Board decided to ease the overnight cash rate by 25bps in both November and December. Based on current information, we continue to expect a further 50bps [...]

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The clouds of economic gloom gathering over the US and Europe could have a silver lining for Australian borrowers – a double rate cut is now predicted for next month.After global shares sustained $2.5 trillion losses last week and US government had its credit rating cut by Standard & Poor’s late on Friday (US time), [...]

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Property prices won’t experience huge losses over the next three years but interest rates will rise to almost 9.5 per cent by 2014 to force buyers back onto the sidelines, a new study says.The report by BIS Shrapnel, released today, dismisses forecasts of sharp falls in prices over the short to medium term and predicts [...]

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In the minutes of the monthly monetary policy meeting on April 5, the RBA said its board had noted that loan rates facing businesses and households were “a little above average levels”, thanks to earlier official rate increases.The RBA said that was appropriate, given the need to keep inflation consistent with the two to three [...]

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Mortgage holders were given a boost today when the Reserve Bank decided to keep interest rates on hold.While the move is hardly a surprise, it will still be welcome news for people paying off a mortgage. Each 0.25 per cent interest rate rise adds another $60 to the monthly cost of an average Australian mortgage. [...]

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  Low rental vacancy rates, rising rents, healthy immigration and robust competition between tenants are excellent market conditions for the one in seven Australian tax payers who own an investment property. On the flipside, it is a highly undesirable situation for tenants. Many have gone through or are in the process of inspecting rental property [...]

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It was a case of steadying the ship as expected when the Reserve Bank met today and decided to keep interest rates on hold at 4.75 per cent.The move comes on the back of comments by the Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens last month that rates would stay on hold in the near future. Each [...]

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January and February are usually the biggest months for banks to raise funds on global markets, but pricing for debt has skyrocketed since the end of last year. This does not bode well for home owners. Banks are likely to come under further pressure to continue raising interest rates — even if the Reserve Bank [...]

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First-time property buyers in Australia are being put off investing by the threat of rising interest rates, it has been claimed.David Airey, president of the Real Estate Institute of Australia, said the prospect of higher rates is ‘frightening’ prospective buyers,” ABC News reported.The comments could encourage a number of Australians to compare home loans online [...]

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After a surprise interest rate rise on Melbourne Cup day, the Reserve Bank has delivered mortgage holders some relief today by deciding to keep rates on hold until at least February.The decision comes on the back of economic data out last week showing that the growth in the Australian economy has fallen behind many of [...]

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