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The Reserve Bank of Australia decides the cash rate almost every month of the year, but what is it and how does it play a part in your everyday financial wellbeing?
If you have a mortgage, or are saving to buy a property, chances are you have heard about the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) official cash rate.
That's because the cash rate can affect the interest rate on your mortgage, it can affect how much interest your savings might earn and on a broader scale, it's tied up with inflation, jobs and the general health of the economy.
Every month except January, the RBA board meets to decide on the most appropriate monetary policy for Australia’s economic environment. The policy involves setting the cash rate, which is the interest rate banks charge each other on overnight loans.
Banks lend money to other banks each day to manage daily cash needs. Given that these are loans for the shortest term, they are known as “overnight” funds and the interest rate charged is an overnight rate.
The cash rate is generally the lowest interest rate at which banks borrow from each other and it serves as a benchmark rate in the country.
The cash rate influences other interest rates in the economy, affecting the behaviour of borrowers and lenders, economic activity and ultimately the rate of inflation, the RBA explains on its website.
From an individual’s point of view, it is important to keep up to date on the movement of interest rates to get a clearer picture of how this might affect your finances.
Interest rate movements can be a catalyst to review your savings, investments, mortgages and other debts to potentially change your financial position.
Loans and mortgages
In deciding the interest rates charged to borrowers, banks take into account many factors, including the cash rate, the risk that the loan might not be paid back, the necessary margins to generate return for shareholders, and competition from rivals.
A higher cash rate can have a flow-on effect that lifts interest rates on credit card, loan and mortgage repayments, leaving consumers with less available income to save or spend.
Knowing that if the cash rates rises, those debt repayments can go up, too, might discourage people who don't already have a loan or a mortgage from doing so.
“When the RBA raises the cash rate, generally it is because they want to put the brakes on demand growth and the rate of inflation. Higher interest rates tend to act as a restraint on lending growth, which has a negative impact on demand and inflation,” says Gareth Aird, senior economist at Commonwealth Bank.
“If the cash rate falls, the RBA is trying to boost economic activity and inflation by encouraging consumer spending and business investment – lower interest rates encourage businesses and households to borrow rather than save which lifts economic activity,” he says.
For property owners with a mortgage, lower interest rates could reduce their repayments and result in more disposable income. The lower cost of borrowing money might also encourage people to take out loans to purchase properties. |
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