RBA presses ahead with plans to scale back stimulus

The Reserve Bank of Australia will be going forward with its plans to scale back its bond purchasing program in September, despite the economic fallout caused by the delta outbreak.
Though faced with a fresh batch of problems in the form of a prolonged NSW lockdown, RBA governor Philip Lowe struck an optimistic tone in his post-meeting statement, saying fiscal support and the vaccination rollout will help the economy to recover.
“Prior to the current virus outbreaks, the Australian economy had considerable momentum and it is still expected to grow strongly again next year,” he said.
In the Bank's central scenario, GDP is expected to grow by just over 4 per cent in 2022 and by around 2½ per cent in 2023.
With stay-at-home orders in Sydney expected to hit the economy hard, it’s unlikely the RBA will move to normalise policy settings before 2024, as many private sector analysts had predicted.
Lowe reiterated the point today, saying wage growth has not yet hit its stride and, despite the recent spike in demand for some products, inflation is unlikely to settle within the RBA’s target band for some time yet.
Lowe will appear before the House of Representatives economics committee on Friday, the same day the RBA’s quarterly statement on monetary policy is due for release.
How is the property market currently faring?
Property prices continue to rise, with CoreLogic’s home value index recording a 1.6 per cent increase for capital cities and 1.7 per cent increase across regional areas in July.
But the pace of growth has slowed in recent months as affordability constraints begin to set in. This was most pronounced in Sydney, where dwelling price appreciation fell from 3.7 per cent in March to 2 per cent last month.
Economists at Westpac believe the latest string of lockdowns will deprive the market of further momentum in the near term, but expect activity to rebound once restrictions are lifted and property prices to end the year up 18 per cent.
As for mortgage rates, lenders continue to cut both variable and short-term fixed options while lifting rates on longer terms — a trend which Mozo’s banking expert Peter Marshall expects to continue.
“The current disruptions to the Australian economy mean that the cash rate is more likely to stay where it is for a longer period, and that will give lenders room to trim variable and short-term rates,” he said.
For more information about mortgage and lending trends, head over to our home loan statistics page. And if you’re in the market for a home loan, visit our home loan comparison page, or browse the selection below.
Read last month's Reserve Bank interest rates update.
Home loan comparisons on Mozo - last updated 29 November 2023
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Featured Product
Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Low Cost Home Loan - 2023
Unloan Variable
Owner Occupier, Refinance Only, LVR <80%
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment5.74% p.a. variable5.65% p.a.For refinancers only. Built by CommBank, the Unloan is the first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply) for borrowers. No application or banking fees. No monthly account keeping or early exit fees. Apply in as little as 10 minutes.
CompareCompareUnloan Variable
For refinancers only. Built by CommBank, the Unloan is the first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply) for borrowers. No application or banking fees. No monthly account keeping or early exit fees. Apply in as little as 10 minutes.
- interest rate
- 5.74% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 5.65% p.a.
- interest rate
- 5.74% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 5.65% p.a.
- Upfront fees
- $0
- Ongoing fees
- $0.00
- Discharge Fee
- $0.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - free
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- no
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $10,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $10,000,000
- type of mortgage
- Variable
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Unloan Variable
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Home Variable Rate
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, Refinance Only
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment5.90% p.a. variable5.90% p.a.Enjoy a competitive variable interest rate from Up. No application, monthly, annual, redraw, or discharge fees to pay. Up to 50 free offset accounts available. Up home loans are only available to owner-occupiers buying or refinancing in major Australian cities. Up is 100% owned by Bendigo Bank. New joiners get $10 by signing up to the app using code UPHOMEMOZO. (T&Cs apply) Mozo Experts Choice award winner.
CompareCompareHome Variable Rate
Enjoy a competitive variable interest rate from Up. No application, monthly, annual, redraw, or discharge fees to pay. Up to 50 free offset accounts available. Up home loans are only available to owner-occupiers buying or refinancing in major Australian cities. Up is 100% owned by Bendigo Bank. New joiners get $10 by signing up to the app using code UPHOMEMOZO. (T&Cs apply) Mozo Experts Choice award winner.
- interest rate
- 5.90% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 5.90% p.a.
- interest rate
- 5.90% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 5.90% p.a.
- Upfront fees
- $0
- Ongoing fees
- $0.00
- Discharge Fee
- $0.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - up to $30,000
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- yes
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 90.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $50,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $10,000,000
- type of mortgage
- Variable
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Home Variable Rate
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Offset Home Loan
Package, Owner Occupier, LVR<60%, Principal & Interest
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment6.14% p.a. variable6.39% p.a.Ability to open up to 10 offset accounts per loan account. Fast online application. Linked Debit Mastercard® with fee-free access at ATMs across Australia. Package a credit card with your home loan and the annual card fee will be waived (T&Cs apply). 40% deposit required.
CompareCompareOffset Home Loan
Ability to open up to 10 offset accounts per loan account. Fast online application. Linked Debit Mastercard® with fee-free access at ATMs across Australia. Package a credit card with your home loan and the annual card fee will be waived (T&Cs apply). 40% deposit required.
- interest rate
- 6.14% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.39% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.14% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.39% p.a.
- Upfront fees
- $350
- Ongoing fees
- $248.00 yearly
- Discharge Fee
- $400.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - free
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- yes
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 60.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $150,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $10,000,000
- type of mortgage
- Variable
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Offset Home Loan
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Flex Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <80%
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment6.19% p.a. variable6.43% p.a.Competitive variable rate. Multiple offset accounts available. Borrowers can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process.
CompareCompareFlex Home Loan
Competitive variable rate. Multiple offset accounts available. Borrowers can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process.
- interest rate
- 6.19% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.43% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.19% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.43% p.a.
- Upfront fees
- $250
- Ongoing fees
- $250.00 yearly
- Discharge Fee
- $300.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - free
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- yes
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- -
- maximum borrowing amount
- -
- type of mortgage
- Variable
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Flex Home Loan
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Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Packaged Home Loan - 2023
Variable Rate Home Loan Special Offer
Package, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR<80%
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment6.14% p.a. variable6.51% p.a.Package benefits across Home Loans, Visa Credit Card, Personal Loans and Term Deposits. No package fee for the first year. No application, settlement or redraw fees to pay. Quick and easy application. Free CoreLogic RP Data property reports. *Terms, conditions and lending criteria apply.
CompareCompareVariable Rate Home Loan Special Offer
Package benefits across Home Loans, Visa Credit Card, Personal Loans and Term Deposits. No package fee for the first year. No application, settlement or redraw fees to pay. Quick and easy application. Free CoreLogic RP Data property reports. *Terms, conditions and lending criteria apply.
- interest rate
- 6.14% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.51% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.14% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.51% p.a.
- Upfront fees
- $0
- Ongoing fees
- $395.00 yearly
- Discharge Fee
- $350.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - free
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- yes
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $150,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- -
- type of mortgage
- Variable
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Special Offers
- $0 package fee for the first year.
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Variable Rate Home Loan Special Offer
* WARNING: This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. The comparison rate displayed is for a secured loan with monthly principal and interest repayments for $150,000 over 25 years.
** Initial monthly repayment figures are estimates only, based on the advertised rate. You can change the loan amount and term in the input boxes at the top of this table. Rates, fees and charges and therefore the total cost of the loan may vary depending on your loan amount, loan term, and credit history. Actual repayments will depend on your individual circumstances and interest rate changes.
^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Home Loan Awards
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