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Rates & Credit

Rate hikes and inflation push household strain to a post-pandemic high

A new Misery Index shows borrowing costs and prices now do the damage, not jobs. The question is who carries it.
Rates & Credit

Non-bank lending gets a $1.7bn boost from Macquarie and Citi

A bridging fintech now has more than $1.7bn in debt funding from two big institutions. The harder question is what that means for borrowers and risk.
Rates & Credit

Best interest duty review: cheaper loans aren’t always best

ASIC is reviewing how brokers meet their best interest duty, and the industry says the lowest rate is not always the right loan. The trade-off matters more as rates bite.
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Trans-Tasman stress test: banks pass, but the gaps matter

Regulators say lenders would keep lending through a deep recession. The test is only as good as what it leaves out.
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Broker operational costs drive 54% offshore hiring jump: what it signals

An aggregator's Philippines staff count climbed from 193 to 298 in twelve months. The move points to margin pressure most brokers won't name publicly.
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Mortgage stress Australia: do deficits drive rates, or is it RBA?

Federal borrowing hit $52bn this year, but the transmission path from deficit to your mortgage is less direct than headlines suggest.
Rates & Credit

Developer rescue deal collapse shows lenders’ new governance line

A near-$1bn refinancing for a distressed developer walked away over founder involvement, signalling private credit's tightening stance on workout control.
Rates & Credit

RBA rate hike odds flip to 54% as services inflation sticks

Markets now pricing September move more likely than not after trimmed mean stayed at 3.6%, but the real question is whether one more hike breaks demand or just extends the pain.
Rates & Credit

Non-bank lender funding just got cheaper, what it means for rates

A $400m securitisation marks the first time one broker-backed non-bank has tapped institutional debt at scale. The question: can the savings reach borrowers?
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High LVR lending without LMI: fee structures change, but total cost needs scrutiny

A broker network launches a 98% LVR product charging upfront fees instead of traditional lender's mortgage insurance, claiming lower costs and more purchasing power.
Rates & Credit

Interest rate rises 2026: Big Four consensus cuts borrowing power

All four major banks now forecast November rate hikes, the shift signals tighter credit and immediate serviceability hits for buyers and refinancers.
Rates & Credit

Investor loan terms stretch to 40 years as lenders chase volume

Banks are rolling out longer loan terms and lower serviceability buffers to win back investor business, but is this flexibility or late-cycle risk creep?
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ASIC complaints credit category jumps as scam reports surge

Credit complaints hit 1,054 in six months while scam shutdowns average 230 sites weekly, but what type of credit issue is rising fastest, and does it predict defaults?
Rates & Credit

Private credit property loans face audit crisis: what investors need to know

A major fund manager's delayed accounts have exposed how private credit values illiquid property debt, and whether that model can survive investor scrutiny.
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Mutual banks home loans: can purpose-led lending shift access?

Customer-owned lenders claim they fill gaps left by major bank risk aversion, but scale and capacity tell a different story.
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Mortgage serviceability rules under fire as younger borrowers cut essentials

Senate inquiry heard competing claims over who's responsible for locking younger Australians out of home ownership, but neither lenders nor brokers addressed the construction finance gap their own lending pullback created.
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GDP growth 0.4% masks household caution and rate dilemma

Economy expanded through June, but per-capita growth stayed flat and households kept the wallet shut, leaving the RBA stuck between another hike that could tip demand over, or a pause that lets inflation stick.
Rates & Credit

Mortgage broker market share hits 82%: why banks can’t win direct

Major banks cut rates and hire hundreds of proprietary lenders, yet brokers captured 82% of new loans in Q2 2026, up from 78% a year earlier.

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