The Reserve Bank of Australia decided to once again leave the official cash rate unchanged at 1.5% with it now being two years since the last cash rate move. I’d like to share today’s rate announcement and the thoughts on why the Reserve Bank of Australia has made this decision.
With a combination of factors including very low wages growth, high underemployment, flattening property prices and home lending and modest inflation, many experts are predicting it may be some time before we see the next rate movement and it may actually be downwards.
Another emerging factor is lenders making ‘out of cycle’ rate increases. The term ‘out of cycle’ refers to lenders increasing rates independently of the Reserve Bank. Gone are the days when lenders relied almost entirely on customer deposits and domestic short-term borrowing, pegged against official RBA rates to fund loans. Most lenders now have much more complicated funding structures including accessing offshore wholesale and securitisation markets. Regulatory changes designed to strengthen the banking system have also seen the amount of capital lenders are required to hold increase, which means they have had to look to more expensive sources than their own balance sheets to fund loans.Even when rates are unchanged, the role of your broker remains the same. There may be different rates available from our lenders, so your broker is always on hand to ensure you have the right financial solution for your current circumstances.
We have seen around 20 lenders increase rates out of cycle recently so it is important to review your lending options regularly to ensure they remain the most suitable for your situation. There may be different rates available from our wide panel of lenders and your AFG broker is always available to ensure you have the right financial solution for your current and future circumstances.
If you’d like to have a chat about what today’s news means for you and your finances, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with an AFG broker.
