Interest Rate Bulletin November 2009

RBA Raises Official Cash Rate At its meeting today, the Board decided to raise the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.5 per cent, effective 4 November 2009. Statement by Glenn Stevens, Governor Monetary Policy RBA The global economy has resumed growth. With economic policy settings likely to remain expansionary for some time, the recovery is likely to continue during 2010 and forecasts have been revised higher. The expansion is generally expected to be modest in the major countries, due to the continuing legacy of the financial crisis. Prospects for Australia's Asian trading partners appear to be noticeably better. Growth in China has been very strong, which is having a significant impact on other economies in the region and on commodity markets. For Australia's trading partner group, growth in 2010 is likely to be close to trend. Read More >>

The Finance Group - Interest Rate Bulletin October 2009

RBA Raises Official Cash Rate At its meeting today, the Board decided to raise the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.25 per cent, effective 7 October 2009. Statement by Glenn Stevens, Governor Monetary Policy RBA The global economy is resuming growth. With economic policy settings likely to remain expansionary for some time, the recovery will likely continue during 2010 and forecasts are being revised higher. The expansion is generally expected to be modest in the major countries, due to the continuing legacy of the financial crisis. Prospects for Australia's Asian trading partners appear to be noticeably better. Growth in China has been very strong, which is having a significant impact on other economies in the region and on commodity markets. For Australia's trading partner group, growth in 2010 is likely to be close to trend. Read More >>

First Home Buyers Deadline

No one likes to miss a bargain so be quick to take advantage of the First Home Buyers Boost before time runs out. The first of next month (1 October 2009) will see a significant reduction in the boost, down from $21,000 to $14,000 for the purchase of a new home and down from $14,000 to $10,500 for the purchase of an existing home. Read More >>

Rainy Day Savings

Under your bed, in a bank account or on your home loan, it's always handy to have a stash of cash for that rainy day. A cash buffer gives you the security of having money on hand if your personal finances take a turn for the worse. A hike in interest rates, job change, car troubles or even health issues can leave you strapped for funds if you don't have savings to fall back on. Read More >>

Confidence is Back

Australia's economic health has been given the all-clear with news that we've missed a recession, housing prices are on the up, the Aussie dollar is gaining strength and consumer confidence is edging upward. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has upgraded its economic forecast and now expects stronger growth this year and next, making Australia the only OECD country to grow in 2009. All this spells good news for the housing market, where prices across all capital cities have been steadily rising. Read More >>

Service Counts

Service and reliability are never words you are likely to find associated with a bank, but to a mortgage broker these are the attributes that make us tick and are an essential part of the way we do business. We're not just talking here about 'service with a smile', but the kind of good old-fashioned service that you might have forgotten even existed - the kind that makes you feel like a valued customer, not just a number at the end of a queue. Read More >>

Interest Rate Bulletin September 2009

RBA Leaves Official Cash Rate Unchanged At its meeting today, the Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 3.0 per cent. Statement by Glenn Stevens, Governor Monetary Policy RBA With considerable economic policy stimulus in train around the world, the global economy is resuming growth. Growth in China has been very strong, which is having a significant impact on other economies in the region and on commodity markets. The major economies appear to be approaching a turning point. Most observers still expect only modest growth in the world economy in 2010, due to the continuing legacy of the financial crisis, though forecasts have been revised up recently. Read More >>