RBA leaves cash rate at 0.1%, moves ahead with QE taper
The Reserve Bank of Australia will be moving forward with its plans to reduce its weekly bond purchases this month, though it intends to extend the program until at least February 2022.
RBA governor Philip Lowe remains confident the economy will bounce back as more arms are jabbed and restrictions are eventually eased, though there is still some uncertainty around the timing of the recovery.
Back in July, the RBA announced it will be paring back its bond purchase program from $5 billion a week to $4 billion starting September. It surprised many last month by committing to that timeline despite the cloudy economic outlook.
The minutes from its August meeting revealed the Board would only renege on plans to taper the QE program if a worsening health situation further dented the country’s recovery efforts.
Since then, the number of daily cases in NSW has climbed to 1,281 and Victoria and the ACT have been plunged into lockdowns of their own.
Today’s decision to persist with the taper was defended on the grounds that the economy had built up considerable momentum and the Delta outbreak would likely “delay, but not derail, the recovery.”
While GDP is expected to contract over the September quarter, Australia managed to narrowly avoid a double-dip recession with economic growth of 0.7 per cent in the June quarter. Over the year, GDP has also gone up by nearly 10 per cent.
“While the outbreak is affecting most parts of the economy, the impact is uneven, with some areas facing very difficult conditions while others are continuing to grow strongly,” Lowe said.
“Business investment was picking up and the labour market had strengthened. The unemployment rate had fallen below 5 per cent and job vacancies were at a high level.”
RELATED: Home values have soared at a rate of $1,990 per week over the past year
While the RBA mulls over the economic impact of the lockdowns, ultra-low mortgage rates continue to support the property market, though there are signs that affordability constraints are beginning to set in.
Over the past 12 months, property research firm CoreLogic has recorded an 18.4 per cent increase in Australian home values, equating to gains of around $103,400, or $1,990 per week.
In fact, CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless says growth in the housing market has outpaced wages growth by nearly 11 times, creating a “significant barrier to entry for those who don’t yet own a home.”
Those who have been lucky enough to get a foot on the property ladder will benefit from low rates for some time yet, with Lowe reiterating the first increase to the cash rate will most likely come in 2024.
In the meantime, out-of-cycle cuts to variable rates will continue to flow through as lenders look to retain their competitive edge. Right now, the average owner occupier variable rate in our database sits at 3.14% p.a. — the lowest since we began tracking in 2015.
Fixed rates have also been trending downwards, with the exception of 4 and 5-year options which have been on a steady incline since March 2021.
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 19 March 2024
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Featured Product
Ultra Low Rate <95% LVR
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment6.30% p.a. variable6.58% p.a.Only 5% deposit required to apply. Low upfront costs to pay. No LMI Required. Unlimited Redraw and additional repayments. No Application or ongoing fees. No guarantors or equity sharing required.
CompareCompareUltra Low Rate <95% LVR
Only 5% deposit required to apply. Low upfront costs to pay. No LMI Required. Unlimited Redraw and additional repayments. No Application or ongoing fees. No guarantors or equity sharing required.
- interest rate
- 6.30% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.58% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.30% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.58% p.a.
- Upfront fees
- $790
- Ongoing fees
- $0.00
- Discharge Fee
- $795.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - free
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- no
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 95.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $350,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $2,000,000
- 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 Ultra Low Rate <95% LVR
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Featured Product
Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Low Cost Home Loan - 2024
Unloan Variable
Owner Occupier, Refinance Only, LVR <80%
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment5.99% p.a. variable5.90% 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
- 5.99% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 5.90% p.a.
- interest rate
- 5.99% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 5.90% 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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Straight Up
Obliterate, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, <50% LVR
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment6.24% p.a. variable6.24% p.a.Get a low variable rate depending on your deposit with Athena’s Straight Up Variable Home Loan. AcceleRATES feature helps you to reduce your home loan even faster (T&Cs apply). Zero fees to pay. Free redraw facility. Handy mobile app to manage your home loan.
CompareCompareStraight Up
Get a low variable rate depending on your deposit with Athena’s Straight Up Variable Home Loan. AcceleRATES feature helps you to reduce your home loan even faster (T&Cs apply). Zero fees to pay. Free redraw facility. Handy mobile app to manage your home loan.
- interest rate
- 6.24% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.24% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.24% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.24% 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
- 50.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $100,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $2,500,000
- 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 Straight Up
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Neat Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <60%
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment6.14% p.a. variable6.16% p.a.Competitively-priced variable rate loan. Ideal for owner occupiers and investors. No service fees to pay. Make free extra repayments and redraws. Flexible repayment schedule available.
CompareCompareNeat Home Loan
Competitively-priced variable rate loan. Ideal for owner occupiers and investors. No service fees to pay. Make free extra repayments and redraws. Flexible repayment schedule available.
- interest rate
- 6.14% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.16% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.14% p.a. variable
- comparison rate
- 6.16% p.a.
- Upfront fees
- $250
- Ongoing fees
- $0.00
- Discharge Fee
- $300.00
- Extra repayments
- yes - free
- Redraw facility
- yes - free
- Offset account
- no
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 60.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $80,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $5,000,000
- 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 Neat Home Loan
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Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Fixed Rate Home Loan - 2024
- Investor Fixed Home Loan - 2024
Fixed Rate Home Loan
Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest
interest rate
comparison rate
Initial monthly repayment5.99% p.a.
fixed 2 years6.24% p.a.Secure a low rate and enjoy the certainty of repayments, with the BCU Fixed Rate Home Loan. Save with no ongoing annual fees. Pay up to $25,000 extra during a fixed period (T&Cs apply). Lock in for up to 5 years.
CompareCompareFixed Rate Home Loan
Secure a low rate and enjoy the certainty of repayments, with the BCU Fixed Rate Home Loan. Save with no ongoing annual fees. Pay up to $25,000 extra during a fixed period (T&Cs apply). Lock in for up to 5 years.
- interest rate
- 6.29% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.30% p.a.
- interest rate
- 6.29% p.a.
fixed 3 years
- comparison rate
- 6.30% p.a.
- Upfront fees
- $0
- Ongoing fees
- $0.00
- Discharge Fee
- $395.00
- Extra repayments
- yes, up to $25,000 during fixed period - fee applies
- Redraw facility
- no
- Offset account
- no
- Maximum loan to value ratio
- 95.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
- $20,000
- maximum borrowing amount
- $2,500,000
- type of mortgage
- Fixed
- Repayment types
- Principal & Interest
- Availability
- Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
- Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Special Offers
- -
Read our Mozo Review to learn more about the Fixed Rate Home Loan
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* 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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