The Reserve Bank of Australia board surprised no one with the announcement today that it was keeping the official cash rate at 2.50% for the eighth consecutive month.

Governor Glenn Stevens in his statement said that monetary policy "is appropriately configured to foster sustainable growth in demand and inflation outcomes consistent with the target" and that the most prudent course is "likely to be a period of stability in interest rates."

Borrower bargains

With housing prices continuing to soar nationwide, it's good news that interest rates remain at record lows. Banks are competing aggressively for new business so borrowers are in the hot seat when it comes to choice of lenders.

The market's best home loan rates are still with the non-majors. Loans.com.au has the lowest variable rate at 4.49% (4.51% comparison). The best fixed rates are with IMB (1 year at 3.99%) and eMoney (2 years at 4.65%).

Finding out how much you could save by switching loans doesn't have to be difficult. Try Mozo's Switch & Save Calculator. We've done all the hard work so that all you need to do is type in a few simple details like loan size and we'll show you how much you could save by switching.

If you want to talk to a home loan expert directly, try our free home loan negotiator service by calling 13 MOZO (13 6696).

Savers Saviours

Savings rates in general remain in the doldrums but there are still some providers who are offering special rates above 4.00% if you meet set criteria.

UBank USaver with Ultra will pay 4.62% as long as you deposit $2000 a month into the account and if you deposit at least $200 and make no withdrawals you'll get 4.11% interest with the RAMS saver. Other top offers include ME Bank's Online Savings Account which will pay 4.60% bonus interest for 5 months (must be linked to ME everyday transaction account) and ING Direct's 4.35% bonus welcome rate for 4 months.

To compare all savings rates head over to our savings account comparisons here