Savings .com.au

Current RBA cash rate: 4.35%

The cash rate is Australia's official interest rate which is currently held at a target of 4.35% by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).

The cash rate is determined by the Reserve Bank of Australia in a board meeting every month (excluding January). This rate is the rate charged on loans between financial institutions (like banks), and it has a significant impact on the price of financial products.

In Australia, a high RBA cash rate has historically resulted in high interest rates on home loans, car loans, personal loans, savings accountsterm deposits and so on. Likewise, a low cash rate results in low interest rates on these products, which is good for borrowers but not for savers.

As things stand, Australia's current cash rate is 4.35%. The infographic below displays the recent history of Australia's cash rate.

Current home loan interest rates

Home loan rates are closely tied to the cash rate - the lower the cash rate, the lower home loan rates will go as lenders fight and scrape to offer the most competitive rates on the market.

Getting a low home loan interest rate is extremely important. Homes cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is likely to be the biggest expense of your life by far. Even a cheap home loan will still rack up interest costs of over a hundred thousand dollars over the life of the loan, so it's imperative you don't just pick the first home loan you see.

Other home loan products:

The infographic above displays how average home loan interest rates have changed since July 2019.

Compare Home Loans


Home Loan Interest Rates

If you don't want to get stuck with a high-rate home loan, check out a collection of some of the lowest-rate home loans on the market in our table below.

Update resultsUpdate
LenderHome LoanInterest Rate Comparison Rate* Monthly Repayment Repayment type Rate Type Offset Redraw Ongoing Fees Upfront Fees LVR Lump Sum Repayment Additional Repayments Split Loan Option TagsFeaturesLinkCompare
6.04% p.a.
6.06% p.a.
$2,408
Principal & Interest
Variable
$0
$530
70%
Featured Online ExclusiveUp To $4K Cashback
  • Immediate cashback upon settlement
  • $2,000 for loans up to $700,000
  • $4,000 for loans over $700,000
5.99% p.a.
5.90% p.a.
$2,396
Principal & Interest
Variable
$0
$0
80%
Featured Refinance OnlyApply In Minutes
  • No application or ongoing fees. Annual rate discount
  • Unlimited redraws & additional repayments. LVR <80%
  • A low-rate variable home loan from a 100% online lender. Backed by the Commonwealth Bank.
6.14% p.a.
6.16% p.a.
$2,434
Principal & Interest
Variable
$0
$250
60%
Featured Unlimited Redraws
  • No annual fees - None!
  • Get fast pre-approval
  • Unlimited additional repayments free of charge
  • Redraw freely - Access your additional payments when you need them
  • Home loan specialists available today
Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning

Base criteria of: a $400,000 loan amount, variable, fixed, principal and interest (P&I) home loans with an LVR (loan-to-value) ratio of at least 80%. However, the ‘Compare Home Loans’ table allows for calculations to be made on variables as selected and input by the user. Some products will be marked as promoted, featured or sponsored and may appear prominently in the tables regardless of their attributes. All products will list the LVR with the product and rate which are clearly published on the product provider’s website. Monthly repayments, once the base criteria are altered by the user, will be based on the selected products’ advertised rates and determined by the loan amount, repayment type, loan term and LVR as input by the user/you. *The Comparison rate is based on a $150,000 loan over 25 years. Warning: this comparison rate is true only for this example and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Rates correct as of . View disclaimer.


Current savings account interest rates

Savings accounts are typically separate to your everyday bank account, aka a transaction account. When you open a bank account you should have both - the transaction account to make payments with, and the savings account to earn interest.

The interest rate on your savings account can help you earn a little bit extra on the money you've earned. Say you deposit $10,000 worth of savings in an account that pays 2.00% p.a: after one year you'd have earned a little bit more than $200 (thanks to the magic of compound interest).

Types of savings accounts:

Compare Savings Accounts


Savings Account Interest Rates

To find a good savings account interest rate, check out our table below that shows some of the highest interest rates available.

Update resultsUpdate
LenderSavings AccountBase Interest Rate Max Interest Rate Total Interest Earned Introductory Term Minimum Amount Maximum Amount Minimum Monthly Deposit Minimum Opening Deposit ATM Access Joint Application TagsFeaturesLinkCompare
4.40% p.a.
5.75% p.a.
Intro rate for 4 months
then 4.40% p.a.
$980
4 months
$0
$250,000
$0
$0
Featured
  • Bonus rate for the first 4 months from account opening
  • No account keeping fees
  • No minimum balance
0.55% p.a.
Bonus rate of 4.95%
Conditions apply.
5.50% p.a.
$1,128
$0
$100,000
$1,000
$0
1.20% p.a.
Bonus rate of 4.20%
Conditions apply.
5.40% p.a.
$1,107
$0
$250,000
$1,000
$0
Featured
  • Earn up to 5.40% pa by depositing $1,000 in the previous month
  • No account fees
  • Easy access to your money
4.75% p.a.
5.35% p.a.
Intro rate for 4 months
then 4.75% p.a.
$1,001
4 months
$0
$249,999
$0
$0
  • A high-interest online savings account with no monthly fees, easy withdrawals and award-winning digital banking
0.50% p.a.
Bonus rate of 4.85%
Conditions apply.
5.35% p.a.
$1,097
$1
$50,000
$500
$1
  • Maximum Age - 24
0.10% p.a.
Bonus rate of 5.00%
Conditions apply.
5.10% p.a.
$1,044
$0
$250,000
$200
$0
No monthly fees
  • Download the App to open your account
  • Get better visibility of your spending within App!
  • Deposit $200 per month to activate bonus interest
0.05% p.a.
Bonus rate of 4.95%
Conditions apply.
5.00% p.a.
$1,023
$1
$250,000
$20
$0
  • No fees or penalties for withdrawing money
  • Savings guaranteed up to $250,000
  • Maximise your savings and reach your goals faster with Auto-Savings
0.05% p.a.
Bonus rate of 5.35%
Conditions apply.
5.40% p.a.
$1,107
$0
$50,000
$1,000
$0
For customers aged 14-35 years
0.05% p.a.
Bonus rate of 5.30%
Conditions apply.
5.35% p.a.
$1,097
$0
$250,000
$1,000
$0
Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning

All products with a link to a product provider’s website have a commercial marketing relationship between us and these providers. These products may appear prominently and first within the search tables regardless of their attributes and may include products marked as promoted, featured or sponsored. The link to a product provider’s website will allow you to get more information or apply for the product. By de-selecting “Show online partners only” additional non-commercialised products may be displayed and re-sorted at the top of the table. For more information on how we’ve selected these “Sponsored”, “Featured” and “Promoted” products, the products we compare, how we make money, and other important information about our service, please click here. Rates correct as of . View disclaimer.


Current term deposit interest rates

Term deposits are a similar beast to savings accounts except the money is typically locked away for the duration of the term, whereas funds in a savings account should be able to be withdrawn at any time. Also, the interest rate on a term deposit is fixed for the whole term (like a fixed-rate home loan), while a savings account's interest rate could be raised or cut several times a year (like a variable-rate home loan).

Term deposits are offering similar interest rates to savings accounts at the moment as they too are closely linked to the cash rate.

The average rates for different term deposit terms can be seen in the infographic below, with longer terms generally attracting higher interest rates.

Different deposit terms:

Compare Term Deposits


Term Deposit Interest Rates

There are term deposit rates on the market higher than these averages though, and you should endeavor to find one. The table below displays some of the highest term deposit rates available for a six-month term.

LenderTagsFeaturesLinkCompare
Featured
  • Easy online application
  • Interest can be paid to other institutions
  • Maturity alert by email and phone
More term deposits
Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning

All products with a link to a product provider’s website have a commercial marketing relationship between us and these providers. These products may appear prominently and first within the search tables regardless of their attributes and may include products marked as promoted, featured or sponsored. The link to a product provider’s website will allow you to get more information or apply for the product. By de-selecting “Show online partners only” additional non-commercialised products may be displayed and re-sorted at the top of the table. For more information on how we’ve selected these “Sponsored”, “Featured” and “Promoted” products, the products we compare, how we make money, and other important information about our service, please click here. Rates correct as of . View disclaimer.


Why do interest rates change?

Banks and lenders adjust interest rates on loans and savings accounts for a variety of factors, but a lot of it comes down to the institution's costs of funding loans.

There are wider markets from which banks and lenders source the funds that allow them to provide a loan, including bond markets and overnight loans between banks, which are influenced by various economic and market forces. When the costs of sourcing these funds goes up (e.g. bond rates rise), the lenders often pass these costs on to customers by raising the interest rates on the loans they provide.

Central banks - such as Australia’s RBA - have a big influence on this cost of funding by setting a cash rate, which is essentially the rate on the overnight loans between banks. The RBA sets this cash rate based on whether it thinks the economy needs stimulating (e.g. cuts interest rates to encourage spending and boost economic growth and employment) or needs slowing down (e.g. hikes interest rates to curb high inflation).

RBA & Cash Rate Frequently Asked Questions

The cash rate is an interest rate set by a central bank, determining the rate of interest paid on overnight loans between banks. Generally, banks borrow and process transfers between each other overnight which are the funds lended to meet their daily cash needs.

The cash rate also serves as a benchmark rate for everything from mortgages and savings accounts to the exchange rate, making it an important tool for managing national monetary policy.

On the first Tuesday of every month aside from January, the RBA meets and announces its decision on whether to alter the cash rate or keep it steady. To determine the cash rate, the RBA considers a number of key economic factors including inflation, employment, the economic growth rate of the Australian economy and global financial conditions.

Inflation

Based on quarterly readings of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), inflation refers to the percentage increase in the price of household goods from one point in time to another. The RBA has a flexible annual inflation goal of 2-3%, meaning that while inflation is allowed to fall outside this range, it should remain within 2% and 3% on average.

Employment

Employment and unemployment levels provide an indication as to how well an economy is performing. If the unemployment rate is rising, the RBA might choose to lower interest rates to stimulate spending and investment, which may then lead to the creation of new jobs.

Economic growth

Economic growth in Australia is typically measured as a percentage change in the nation’s total value of goods and services or Gross Domestic Product (GDP). If economic growth has slowed or is on the way down, the RBA may lower the cash rate to bring demand for goods and services back up. This works by reducing the incentive to save and increasing the incentive to borrow and spend.

Global financial conditions

Global financial conditions also feature in determining the cash rate. Strong economic growth overseas can mean increased demand for Australian products. On the other hand, if overseas conditions are weak or if tensions exist among major trade partners, the flow-on effect could hit Australia’s economy. 

In Australia, the RBA controls the cash rate. Financial institutions are free to set their own interest rates, but they generally follow the cash rate’s movements.

If the RBA lowers the cash rate, banks are also likely to follow suit, reducing their loan rates and rates for savings accounts and term deposits. This means it may be easier to obtain a loan, with mortgage rates becoming more favourable for buyers. However, lower cash rates may also mean that you receive significantly lower returns on your savings, as interest payments decline in value.

If the RBA increases the cash rate, borrowing generally becomes more expensive, but savers may be able to earn more interest on their savings accounts and term deposits.

Where the cash rate flows through to other interest rates is often referred to as ‘interest rate pass-through’. While the RBA’s monthly cash rate announcements are important and do partly influence how banks and lenders set their interest rates, they are not the only factor that goes into the decision. Other factors such as conditions in financial markets, changes in competition, and risks associated with different types of loans also influence interest rates. As a result, the degree of interest rate pass-through can vary over time.

The cash rate can have a big influence over home loan interest rates, although banks and lenders are under no obligation to follow the decisions of the RBA. However, for most lending institutions, the cash rate forms a central part in determining their own interest rates. When the cash rate is low, lenders may be expected to offer lower interest rates to new and first home-buyers and refinancers in the housing market. A rise in the cash rate, however, could likewise mean home loan rates going up, as banks and lenders pass on the cost of the rise.

Generally, savings accounts and term deposits can move in line with the cash rate. This means that if the cash rate goes up, banks may raise the interest rates on deposits, which encourages people to deposit their money in savings to earn interest.

If the cash rate falls, interest rates on deposits tend to go down with it. This is all too familiar for Australian savings accounts, with interest rates continuing to remain at record lows.