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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.
Rates & Credit

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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Rates & Credit

Interest rate hike threat escalates as GDP surprise exposes inflation gap

Growth running ahead of the RBA's forecast while wages accelerate, but the board's next move depends on whether this quarter was a blip or a signal.
Rates & Credit

Mortgage applications collapse 20% as rate war breaks out

Lender desperation is driving advertised rates below 6%, but approvals tell a different story.
Rates & Credit

SMSF lending ban reshapes $28.9bn refinance battle

Residential SMSF loans are off the table. The $28.9 billion existing book is now the only game in town, and lenders are fighting over rate reductions that can save borrowers $18,000 a year.
Rates & Credit

Interest rate hike still coming as house prices fall 10%

The RBA's fourth rate rise looks certain by November even as the property correction deepens across 90% of suburbs, here's why inflation wins every time.
Rates & Credit

Mortgage rate cuts reverse as three lenders lift pricing

Two weeks of cuts give way to five rate rises, banks are pricing in a higher floor.
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Mortgage lending falls Australia: why buyers stayed away after rate pause

New loan approvals dropped 8.6% in a quarter when the RBA held rates steady, pointing to something deeper than the cash rate alone.
Rates & Credit

Rental history home loan rules: the serviceability gap lenders won’t bridge

Renters pay $620 a week but can't prove they'll cover a $340 mortgage, because banks treat rent as spending, not evidence.
Rates & Credit

Westpac RBA forecast holds as big banks flip to November hike

Three majors now see a rate rise by year-end. One bank says the data doesn't clear the bar yet.
Rates & Credit

Rate hike impact: $183/month hit if RBA moves twice

Two major banks now expect rate rises in September and November. A $600k mortgage could face $456 in cumulative monthly increases this year.
Rates & Credit

RBA rate hike now priced at 97% by November as three banks flip forecast

Three of four major banks reversed their rate-cut calls after July inflation came in sticky, but one lender still sees cuts by mid-2027.
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Bad debts equipment finance climb as broker earnings stall

Australia's largest equipment finance aggregator posted profit growth driven by novated leasing, but bad debt provisions jumped to 8.2% in its lending book.
Rates & Credit

Non-bank lenders now hold 30-45% of broker books as perception shifts

Once a last resort, non-banks are now first-choice for investors and complex income earners. What changed?
Rates & Credit

RBA interest rates on hold as board flags inflation risk

August minutes confirm no rate cut was considered. Another rise is still possible.
Rates & Credit

Non-bank lenders lift LVR caps as broker channel reshapes credit access

One non-bank just raised its lending ceiling to 80% LVR on loans up to $5 million, doubled its serviceability reach in regional postcodes, and ditched physical valuations for metro properties under $2 million.

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