Banking

Macbank is winning the savings war
The latest APRA data shows dramatic shifts in where household deposits are flowing from and where they are flowing to

Lots of fraud, failures and misconduct to be dealt with
ASIC secures record $350 million in civil penalties and $583 million back to Australians in second half of 2025

Stablecoins and Australia's financial architecture: A policy choice, not a technology question
The countdown is on for regulatory clarity on stablecoins, and it's time for banks, regulators and policymakers to prepare for what could be a fundamental reshaping of Australia's financial system. Here's what you need to know

When the new higher variable mortgage rates will change
All the big five banks have said they will pass on the RBA's rate hike in full to borrowers with variable home loans. But here are differences from when that will apply

Bullock pushes through a rate rise
The Australian central bank has bit the bullet and raised the cash rate target to 3.85% on inflation worries, with the protection of strong labour markets

ANZ is failing in the home loan market
Home loan market share is being grabbed by Macquarie, Commbank, Westpac and ING is a brutal reordering of the ranking in the giant mortgage market

The Macbank juggernaut rolls on
Macquarie continues to make market share gains, attracting an outsized share of household deposits. Few can keep up with them, some are leaking rather badly

RBA set to partly reverse 2025 cuts with a hike next week on persistent inflation
We look ahead to the February 2026 RBA rate review in the light of the strong labour market result for December, and the high CPI inflation readings

Macquarie monsters up the household deposit growth
The latest APRA data shows Macquarie winning the battle for household deposits bigly, grabbing share faster even as the overall sector growth slows

Regulators act on risk management deficiencies at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank
APRA says is is worried about significant gaps in the risk management at Bendigo Bank that need to be addressed urgently. It has imposed additional risk capital until they are resolved

The RBA holds its cash rate target at 3.6%
The Australian central bank struggles with the inflation outlook but sees risks tilting to the upside, even though they still think the inflation pressure is transitory

Creative destruction should not spare commercial banks
Katharina Pistor worries that policymakers are foregoing innovation for fear of disrupting a centuries-old business model

Teaching their rivals a lesson, some of them an increasingly painful one
Macquarie Bank has gained an extra $19 bln in household deposits over and above the market growth of +10.5%. And no rival seems to be able to do anything about their momentum

APRA to limit high debt-to-income home loans to constrain riskier lending
New rules arrive to try and limit the impending damage the Home Guarantee Scheme is expected to induce, after Canberra pulled taxpayers into backing up risky first home buyer lending in an already frothy housing market

Rapid recovery
Roy Morgan says trust in banking and finance industries – including all ‘big four’ banks – increased significantly over the last 12 months

Five megatrends shaping the rise of non-bank finance
The IMF points out half of all financial assets worldwide are now held and intermediated by companies that are not classified and regulated as banks

Protecting SMSFs from below-standard private credit operators
Following warning signs from a new review, ASIC is moving to raise standards in the private credit sector, and has issued a series of stop orders against some current operators

Big mover - Macbank's home loan lending surges in July
APRA's July monthly statistics reveals an unusual and sharp shift by one major into home loan lending, winning more new business than any other major bar Commbank

Westpac stumbles as Macquarie and CommBank push ahead
Over the past year, CommBank won the most home loan business, but Macquarie's growth outstripped them. Most of these gains were at the expense of Westpac

Narrow path-dependence
Westpac's Lucy Ellis digs into the RBA's minutes and commentary and finds a central bank not inclined to rush monetary policy easing

The home loan market
If you have or need a mortgage, we have the insights and data you will need to make an assessment of who to apply to

Cheapening the definition of 'well capitalised'
A changing of the guard at a key US Federal Reserve function has opened the door for a US$200+ bln relief from their "tight" bank capital rules for the largest, globally important banks who are US based

The home loan market is shifting away from mortgage brokers
Banks are moving to upgrade proprietary channels for mortgage generation at the expense of brokers. Expect more direct digital campaigns. Rate transparency is key to this shift

ASIC says RAMS has allowed a systemic organisational governance failure by not adequately supervising its franchise network
ASIC sues Westpac-owned RAMS for systemic misconduct in arranging home loans
