Empower Blog Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)

RBA Rates Decision – September 2010

The cash rate remains on hold for another month as the RBA sits on its hands awaiting the latest inflation data for the September quarter due out 27th October. There are growing concerns that the global recovery is stalling and we are heading for a ‘W’ shaped recovery rather than the ‘V’ shaped one the global economic stimulus tried to a...

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RBA Rates Decision – August 2010

The cash rate remains on hold this month after good news on lower than expected 2nd quarter CPI (Inflation) data last week.  The RBA believe the current cash rate setting is adequate for the time being. There is still upward pressure on rates as our economy is in very good shape compared to the rest of the world.  The upward pressure remains d...

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RBA Rates Decision – July 2010

Today the RBA announced to hold the cash rate for the month of July at 4.5 per cent.  It’s welcome news to all mortgage holders across the country, who have seen their mortgage interest costs on a variable home loan increase dramatically from the historic lows of 3 per cent in early 2009. Let’s take a look at a $300,000 variable, interest-o...

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RBA Rates Decision – June 2010

Today the RBA announced to hold the cash rate for the month of June. That’s after several recent increases that have, in the view of the RBA moved the cost of money back to historically midpoint levels. The next move on rates will be an interesting debate given the recent events of the Euro zone and the ripple effects this is having on the glo...

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RBA Rates Decision – May 2010

Today the RBA announced it would increase interest rates a further 25 basis points to move the cash rate to 4.5%. This is the 6th rate rise in the last 7 meetings of the RBA and the cash rate has now risen back to similar levels as December 2008. The focus will again be on the Banks to see if they follow the RBA’s lead or move rates of their own ...

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RBA Rates Decision – April 2010

Today the RBA announced it would increase interest rates a further 25 basis point to move the cash rate to 4.25%.  They are trying to take the heat out of the booming housing market, as a threat of a bubble is forming due to the historical low rates implemented during the GFC.   Yet our quick recovery out of the GFC to avoid recession has seen t...

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RBA Rates Decision – March 2010

Today the RBA announced an increase in the cash rate of 0.25% to bring the cash rate to 4%.  This is the first increase in 2010 and follows three consecutive increases in late 2009.  The RBA decided to increase the rate based on positive economic news within the Australian economy, led mainly by the improvement in the level of unemployment. Th...

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RBA Rates Decision – February 2010

The RBA announced an increase in the cash rate from 3.75% to 4.00% today.  This is the fourth consecutive increase in rates (given the RBA doesn’t meet in January).  The cash rate has now moved up 1.00% from a low of 3.00% back in April last year. Most forecasters are expecting the cash rate to increase by another 0.75% by the end of the yea...

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2010 Economic Outlook

Australia has defied the rest of the developed world and is looking at its 19th consecutive year of positive economic growth. Most economists are predicting that the economy will continue to grow this year and will fare much better than other economies. Gross Domestic Production (GDP) will be boosted by the planned Government infrastructure spen...

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RBA Rates Decision – December 2009

The RBA chose to increase interest rates by another 0.25% to continue its program of moving rates up from their emergency levers.  This is the first time the cash rate has moved up in three consecutive months, since the RBA starting announcing cash rate movements back in 1990. Brief Interest Rate Outlook for 1st Quarter of 2010 So will inter...

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RBA Rates Decision – November 2009

The Reserve Bank has lifted interest rates by another 0.25% in November as they move to more sustainable cash rate levels, believing we are past the worst of the Global Financial Crisis.  The RBA believes the Australian economy has weathered the global storm well, and will be one of only a few countries that will to lead the rest of the developed ...

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RBA Rates Decision – October 2009

The Reserve Bank has lifted interest rates by 0.25% from their historical 40 year lows, due to rebounding economic outlook and change in sentiment.  The RBA believes we are past the worst of the economic downturn, yet the historically low rates were originally implemented with the view that the economy and unemployment were going to get worse than...

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RBA Rates Decision – August 2009

The Reserve Bank has once again decided to keep the cash rate on hold this month.  The cash rate remains at 3%.  The overall consensus of the market is now at the cross roads with many commentators now calling the bottom of the rate cycle. The RBA minutes of July’s meeting made mention of their belief the worst of the GFC is behind us, and mone...

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