Mortgage

When interest rates were eighteen percent

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Talking to some older folk over the last week about times when interest rates were around eighteen percent and I am reliably told that there are many watching with almost amusement at the goings on in relation to the continued will they/won’t they pass that rate cut onto borrowers guessing game.

Because it was back in their day that a bank not passing on a rate cut was almost the rule, rather than the exception.

And with interest rates getting up to eighteen percent around that time, that was a whole lot of sweat going on!

So that generation can certainly add some perspective to what’s happening in the current times.

But there is one difference now. Thanks to competitors such as non-bank lenders, credit unions and building societies continuing to be a force in the mortgage marketplace, rate cuts are now more routinely passed on in full to borrowers.

And the reality is, this pattern now is largely due to the continuing existence of alternative lenders, combined with people exercising their right to choose.

After the 1990’s, benchmark rates came down by almost two percent after non-bank lenders such as Resi entered the market and have remained lower largely because our sector of the market continues to be around.

Sure – the big banks will continued to be pressured, whether it’s by government, borrowers or through the existence of other alternative lenders to more carefully consider their decision on rates, so that won’t change.

But at the end of the day, borrowers are now in a position where if they don’t like what’s happening, they can take their bat and ball and… move.

What else does the unemployment figure say?

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

With the latest seasonally adjusted unemployment figure released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing 5.2%, there is now (well – for this week at least) speculation that an official rate cut by the Reserve Bank is less likely.

But apart from the potential impact a jobs figure has on inflation figures and their subsequent interpretation by the Reserve Bank, what else does that figure actually tell us about what’s happening here in Australia?

What it does tell us is that if we look at what is actually trending in the job market, the situation is actually quite static.

And for those with mortgages, a static job market may also provide additional evidence that people are exercising more conservative financial behavior so they can knuckle down and try to better manage their situation with what they have.

After all – we’re no longer in the same job market that we were even five years ago before the GFC when many people felt comfortable changing jobs just to chase a bit more money.

Times have since changed – and it’s still very much a moving feast for committed consumers, most of who are keeping their cards very close to their chest indeed.

Rate Watch – it’s a 24 hour job

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Thanks to a 24 hour news cycle, we now have rolling updates on everything from around the world, if we choose to keep glued to our TV and computer screens.

And for some it’s quite addictive. Because just as reality TV has capitalised on people’s fixation to watch the good, the bad and the ugly of people’s everyday lives - so too has society’s appetite grown for watching global events unfold before our very eyes.

If we need a recent example, who can ever forget the Japanese tsunami?

But this has had more serious implications on matters of economic importance such as what might happen to official interest rates, because expert’s predictions can now change from da- to- day.

Just take the events of the last few weeks…

In early August analysts were tipping rates to rise because of higher than expected inflation figures for the June quarter.  And then… as global sharemarkets all took a huge tumble thanks a still tenuous US economy and the economic situation in Europe, a rate cut was then being more widely predicted.

And most recently, RBA Governor Glenn Stevens last week told a parliamentary committee, that Australia is well positioned to tackle any further weakening of international conditions and that inflation data is “still concerning,” easing speculation they will cut interest rates.

It’s a bit like watching a tennis match, with volleys going back and forth. When really, all consumers want is some semblance of stability - which is difficult to attain in an information rich world where everyone can so easily promote their opinion.

So for borrowers, this abundance of information can be overwhelming and needs to be balanced out by starting to think about their goals again so that no matter what happens, you have a clear path to follow.

Keep your eyes on the prize, but remember that too much information can sometimes be a dangerous thing.  And perspective is a wonderful bedfellow.

The rate wobbles

Friday, November 26th, 2010

With yet another official rate announcement expected in just over a week to cap off the year, there are some sectors of the market with an obvious case of the rate wobbles.
This condition is characterised by the following symptoms: (more…)

Moving house? Move your budget into action

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

“We need to move – this house is too small / needs too much work / doesn’t suit our lifestyle anymore/ isn’t in the right location.”  

Whatever the reason you decide you want to up sticks and move houses, you would do well to remind yourself that the cost to move homes doesn’t simply start and finish with the difference it may have cost you to upgrade to new digs. (more…)

What women want!

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Julia, Julie, Kristina, Anna, Quentin – and no doubt there’s more to come.

In case you haven’t noticed – there’s a pattern emerging in the world of business and politics where women are slowly, but surely, starting to take centre stage.

And that pattern has also transcended into the world of finance in terms of women empowering themselves in the ways of the property market. (more…)

How can you put the squeeze on your mortgage

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

If you’re like most Australian households, you’ll be looking for ways to stay one step ahead in a rising rate cycle. So if you’re happy to stick with your current loan, there are some simple ways to squeeze more from your home loan – and make it go the extra mile. (more…)

Could you still pay your mortgage if you weren’t working?

Friday, August 13th, 2010

When PM Julia Gillard asked the audience in this week’s public forum how many could afford to pay their mortgage if they weren’t working, only a handful of the 200 strong crowd raised their hand….which based on experience, isn’t that surprising.

Because although purchasing a home and taking out a mortgage is often the single biggest financial outlay of a person’s life, not many people stop to consider how they would service a mortgage if they become sick or injured or out of a job.

(more…)