Empower Blog Unemployment

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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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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To Fix or Not To Fix?

With Australia missing out on a ‘technical’ recession, given the positive March quarter of GDP, most mortgage holders are now focusing their attention on interest rates.  Have we reached the bottom of this cash cycle and if so, should we be looking at locking in a low fixed rate, before rates start moving up? The possible answer to this deb...

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