Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor, Dr Philip Lowe, said the economy is benefiting from significant additional policy support, and that it is still expected to grow strongly next year.

"The economic outlook for the coming months is uncertain and depends upon the evolution of the health situation and the containment measures," Dr Lowe said.

Dr Lowe has maintained the Bank's 2024 horizon regarding when the cash rate will rise, stating that the Board will not increase the cash rate until actual inflation is "sustainably within the 2 to 3% target range".

Buying a home or looking to refinance? The table below features home loans with some of the lowest interest rates on the market for owner occupiers.

Advertisement

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.

Economists were unsurprised by the RBA's decision to maintain the current cash rate.

Chief Executive Officer, Broker at REA Group, Susan Mitchell, said the economic data prior to the lockdowns was very strong and that the economy has bounced back from lockdowns quickly in the past.

"The Delta-strain induced lockdowns have reinforced the need for agile fiscal and monetary responses," Ms Mitchell said.

Indeed Asia-Pacific economist Callam Pickering said the economic recovery had "stopped in its tracks" due to the latest lockdowns across many states and cities.

"It is a timely reminder that normalising monetary policy will be impossible until the threat of COVID-19 is neutralised," Mr Pickering said.

"A key question is whether the economic impact of Sydney’s lockdown proves temporary or more persistent. If the former, then we’d expect the recovery to recommence quickly as Sydney opens up.

"If the latter then there is a risk that Sydney’s recovery is sluggish with spillover effects on other regions."

CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless also echoed these sentiments, though did say economic sluggishness was a "temporary phenomenon". 

"The experience to date has been that economic conditions bounce back quickly once the outbreaks are contained and restrictions are lifted," Mr Lawless said.

"Clearly the RBA believes the Australian economy had enough momentum heading into the most recent outbreaks that growth conditions will return once lockdowns are lifted."

Unemployment rate to improve

The unemployment rate is currently 4.9%, and the RBA Board has previously forecasted the unemployment rate to remain at 5% by year's end, but many economists predicted it will drop to 4.5%.

Many of these forecasts occurred before the latest spate of lockdowns across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

However, the RBA has now updated its stance on the unemployment rate, expecting it to rise and then drop in the coming years.

"In the central scenario, the unemployment rate continues to trend lower next year, to be around 4.25% at the end of 2022 and 4% at the end of 2023," Dr Lowe said.

RBA maintains tapering of bond purchases amid economic uncertainty

The RBA also announced that it will continue to purchase government bonds (also called quantitative easing) at the rate of $5 billion a week until early September, and then $4 billion a week until at least mid November.

This is down by a billion dollars a week, initially announced in July's Board meeting.

"The program will continue to be reviewed in light of economic conditions and the health situation, and their implications for the expected progress towards full employment and the inflation target," Dr Lowe said.

Image by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash





Ready, Set, Buy!


Learn everything you need to know about buying property – from choosing the right property and home loan, to the purchasing process, tips to save money and more!

With bonus Q&A sheet and Crossword!

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy