Education

The September Board minutes recorded that members considered downside risks to employment as part of the deliberations. A case was made that these risks warranted holding the cash rate rather than increasing it. The argument reflected concern that the economy was already absorbing four …

The minutes of the 29 September 2026 Board meeting list nine members present: Michele Bullock (Governor and Chair), Andrew Hauser (Deputy Governor and Deputy Chair), Marnie Baker AM, Melinda Cilento, Renee Fry-McKibbin, Carolyn Hewson AO, Bruce Preston, Iain Ross AO, and Jenny Wilkinson PSM. …

Between the September and November Board meetings, Australian equities fell around 5%. This decline occurred during a period in which the RBA's tightening cycle was continuing and global risk sentiment was being shaped by oil price rises, geopolitical developments, and concerns about AI-sector valuations.

The minutes of the RBA Board's 29 September 2026 meeting recorded that scheduled mortgage payments were about 10% of household disposable income in aggregate. This figure includes all households, not just those with mortgages, which means the burden on mortgage-holding households is higher when …

The September decision statement recorded that "The Board will increase interest rates again if that's what's needed to get inflation down." The minutes captured this as the Board remaining prepared to respond, "including increasing the cash rate target further if required." These are statements …

The following figures are a hypothetical illustration by this publication only. They assume a loan of $550,000, a 30-year term, principal and interest repayments, and full pass-through of each 25 basis point rate change. They are not actual lender rates, not RBA projections, and …

Three increases before the August pause took the cash rate from 3.60% at the start of 2026 to 4.35%. Each was a 25 basis point step, reflecting the Board's practice of moving in measured increments rather than larger adjustments. By mid-2026, the cumulative tightening …