Banking

The fluid struggles to win mortgage business
In the home loan market, Macbank wins again in May, Commbank holds its position, ANZ wins back some lost positions, but NAB and Westpac shed some share

$35 million penalty sought as HSBC admits to scam protection failures, and implements compensation plan
HSBC has admitted to serious failures in protecting customers from scams that cost some tens of thousands of dollars, including their life savings

RBA holds fire in latest review
As widely expected, the RBA has made no change to its 4.35% cash rate target after the three previous rate hikes. Uncertainty on inflation direction is high as fuel costs are expected to retreat soon

April mortgage market analysis
Some banks are failing in the mortgage wars, some are just holding on, while one is going toe-to-toe with the upstart leader, Macquarie

Bolting ahead
The main banks' muscle-up to the Macquarie challenge starts to show results for most of them. The rise of Bank Australia moves it out of the shadows too

'Grossly negligent' Westpac cops $26 mln penalty
After paying $1.7 mln in remediation to customers who did not get proper responses for their financial hardship claims, judge adds $26 mln civil penalty for the failures

Tackling high inflation with a third straight rate hike
For a third consecutive time, the Australian central bank has added another 25 bps cash rate target hike to 4.35%, reversing all of of its cuts since February 2025

Out in front and pulling away
February deposit flow analysis of APRA data shows one bank still hoovering up market share, and at an increasing rate. They raised their offer rates further today too

Macbank is killing it
Macquarie is gobbling up market share in both the mortgage market, and the household deposit market, forcing most others into a defensive shoring up of their offers. It's competition at its best, with consumers winning

Households can handle global shocks, and interest rate pain: RBA
The Reserve Bank says the financial system is still "resilient" and that the vast majority of households will be able to weather the interest rate hikes. But it warns on over-reliance of our China trade links

RBA’s hawkish language on inflation signals more tightening ahead
If you really want to understand the latest RBA rate hike, Sophia Rodrigues offers a savvy independent analysis of the drivers behind it, and looks ahead

When the new higher variable mortgage rates will change
Most of the big five banks have said they will pass on the RBA's rate hike in full to borrowers with variable home loans. But there are differences from when that will apply - and they will take a touch longer to pass it on this time

Rates up again
The Australian central bank has doubled up with another 25 bps cash rate target hike to 4.1%, reversing most of of its cuts over the past year

A fifteen year high
While everyone else is fixated on the sharp falls in equity prices, we look at bond yields, and they have their own sharp responses

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
