Rates & Economic Outlook - Centra Money - Loan Brokers and Finance Advisers

What could another rate rise do to the Australian housing market?

Following last week’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) data revealing a 4.4% inflation rate for May, CoreLogic’s head of research Eliza Owen examined whether this could trigger another RBA cash rate increase and affect the housing market. The monthly CPI indicator showed inflation increasing in the year to May, with the ‘trimmed mean’, annual inflation measure […]

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Consumer confidence sinks to lowest level in over a year

Business Finance, Rates & Economic Outlook

The ongoing surge of Omicron continues to impact consumer confidence. Consumer confidence dropped 7.6 per cent in the second week of January, according to the latest survey from ANZ and Roy Morgan, reaching its lowest level since October 2020. Following a smaller decline in the first week of the year, confidence has now dropped below

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Interest rates to rise next year?

Rates & Economic Outlook

Commonwealth Bank has seconded Westpac’s predictions, forecasting that interest rates will rise well ahead of the RBA’s 2024 timeline. Following Westpac’s detailed rate hike predictions, Commonwealth Bank has laid out its own forecast, which foresees a rate lift as soon as November 2022. Strong labour market conditions and wage growth are expected to push the

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Bitcoin is crashing again and here’s why

Rates & Economic Outlook, General, Property & Investment

Bitcoin has had a particularly volatile few months, with the cryptocurrency falling from an all-time high of US$64,804.72 in mid-April to US$42,600.15 by mid-May. Here’s a quick summary of what influences the price of bitcoin. What changes the price of bitcoin? The technology surrounding bitcoin is unprecedented and unpredictable in many ways, but the basic tenets

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Is it time to lock in your interest rate?

Rates & Economic Outlook, Home Loans

Record-low interest rates could be a thing of the past as Australia’s largest bank begins to lift rates, despite the RBA’s ongoing “lower for longer” narrative. In a leading indicator for the market, Commonwealth Bank has confirmed it has lifted the rate of its three and four-year owner-occupier loans by 5 basis points and 10

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RIP bank branches: Nearly 90% of Aussies say they won’t return

General, Property & Investment, Rates & Economic Outlook

During the pandemic, Australians were forced to use online banking over branches and, as a result, there has been a continuous string of banks shutting up their physical branches. Now, a new report suggests that 88 per cent of Aussies won’t care, as they’ve well and truly embraced the digital banking age. So is this

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How much risk are you really taking on shares? You might be surprised

General, Commercial & Business Loans, Property & Investment, Rates & Economic Outlook

One thing 2020 proved is how unpredictable life can be. Sudden market changes highlighted the importance of assessing how your retirement funds are invested – and seeking financial advice if you’re not comfortable making such investment decisions alone. This is because, for people closer to retirement, sudden market moves can have a significant impact on

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1 in 4 Aussies is now looking to change their job

General, Commercial & Business Loans, Lifestyle, Property & Investment, Rates & Economic Outlook

With the economy beginning its recovery from the COVID-19 downturn, Australian workers are now actively seeking new employment, a survey has revealed. Stats released by Gartner Inc showed that 24 per cent of Australians are now actively looking for a new role, with workers intent to stay in their current jobs falling by 2.6 per

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Budget must focus on imbalances, says ACTU

General, Rates & Economic Outlook

Unions are warning the Morrison government ahead of the budget, noting that Australia will judge them based on several key factors, including how they protect the working people and build greater resilience in the economy. In a speech made to the National Press Club on Tuesday, ACTU president Michele O’Neil pointed to the growing inequality between the

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Calls for gender lens on budget and ‘real jobs’ for young people ahead of 11 May

General, Commercial & Business Loans, Rates & Economic Outlook

A lot of hope is resting on the upcoming budget after the Treasurer reaffirmed that fiscal strategy will take a backseat as economic recovery becomes the focal point for this year. This budget is expected to embody a number of things, from being the first genuine care economy budget, to one focused on lifting the number

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Big 4 bank announces billion-dollar profit boost

General, Commercial & Business Loans, Rates & Economic Outlook

Another day, another bank announcing a resounding rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. National Australia Bank (NAB) has announced that its first half-year profits have more than doubled as the economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 downturn. NAB is the third of the big four banks to announce half yearly results, with the bank’s statutory

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Australian housing now worth over $8 trillion

Rates & Economic Outlook, Property & Investment

Residential real estate in Australia is now worth more than $8 trillion, four times the size of the country’s GDP, following a surge in values. According to property data and analytics company CoreLogic, the total value of home dwellings now totals $8.1 trillion, marking the first time the value has surpassed the $8-trillion mark. The

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