What's the RBA got cooking up for the cash rate in February?
The Reserve Bank is all but certain to hold the cash rate at February's monetary policy board meeting, according to a near-unanimous view of economists and e...
Two-thirds of Aussies under dire levels of rental stress
Seven out of 10 Australian renters are paying more than 30% of their gross income on rent, with over two-thirds mod...
Average home loan size rockets to $624k, renters' hands forced
New ABS data showed the value of new home loans fell 4.1% to $26.27 billion in December but the average loan size for owner occupiers hit a new record of $62...
Banks adjust term deposit rates, largely to the disappointment of savers
During what has been a pretty busy week for depositors, a major Australian bank led other notable players in adjust...
Lenders slash home loan rates ahead of RBA meeting
As the masses eye the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) ahead of its board’s February meeting, lenders appear more confident of a future cash rate ...
Building pipeline shrinks at the end of 2023
New ABS data revealed dwellings approved for construction fell by a seasonally adjusted 9.5% in December, mounting ...
Home values accelerate, marking 12 consecutive months of gains
Australia’s housing market opened the year with another monthly price increase across property types. ...
Westpac fined $1.8m for 'unconscionable conduct' on record transaction
The Federal Court found Westpac engaged in unconscionable conduct ahead of executing the largest interest rate swap...
Inflation falls faster than expected, RBA rate hike all but ruled out
Quarterly inflation fell faster than expected as prices increased at a slower pace in December, reinforcing market forecasts the RBA will the hold interest r...
Retail sales tumble in December as Aussies cut back on spending after Black Friday
Retail trade plunged 2.7% in December as spending slowed after a series of Black Friday sales events.
Quest for growth: Macquarie Bank reprices variable-rate home loans
Following moves on fixed rates last week, Macquarie Bank has slashed rates on a wide variety of variable-rate home loans. Is this a signal of things to come?...
December saw first quarterly increase to mortgage applications since 2021
Credit figures for the December quarter show encouraging trends, with demand for new home and car loans growing, but Aussies' financial resilience will likel...
No reprieve for renters: Rental supply plummets to historic low as demand grows
The number of available properties for rent plunged to a historic low in December, with worsening supply and demand...
Lenders drop fixed home loan rates
Major mortgage lenders Macquarie Bank, AMP, and Bank of Queensland (BOQ) slashed the fixed interest rates they offer in anticipation of a lower interest rate...
Albanese administration amends stage 3 tax cuts package
An Australian resident earning $45,000 a year will realise an additional $804 in tax savings after Prime Minister A...
The term deposit downhill slide continues
This week, customer-owned banks such as Bank Australia and Move varied term deposit rates, while other leaders such as Judo and Macquarie Bank continued wiel...
How much does an owner spend on their pets?
They say you can’t put a price tag on love, but for millennial Aussies, the amount for loving a pet sets them back nearly $400 a month.
Why the negligible difference in interest rates between deposit sizes?
Over the past few months, the interest rate margins have narrowed on those borrowing more than 80% of their property's value and less than 80%, with fewer in...
Australia’s property prices rebound to record levels
The property price slump in 2022 has been fully reversed after combined house and unit prices bounced back to peak levels, according to a new report.
How government tax breaks could make housing less affordable for Aussies
Instead of making homes affordable for Aussies, the government’s tax concessions could cost the budget a quarter of a trillion and consequently make ho...
ME Bank fined $820,000 by ASIC over home loan issues
Corporate regulator ASIC has ordered ME Bank pay a fine of $820,000 after it misled customers on home loan notices and failed to provide notice on interest r...
Banks slash term deposit rates as market anticipates RBA hold
With major bank economists predicting a rates hold come RBA’s February meeting, the peak in term deposit rates may now be past us.
Mixed messaging on RBA rate front clouds mortgage movements
As all four major bank economics teams have pencilled in a hold at February's RBA cash rate meeting, this week was a relatively quiet one on the home loan ra...
Construction costs accelerate amid slow home building and approvals
Prices of materials for building new dwellings inched up in the three months to December, a reversal of the easing ...
