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Inflation Easing but Not Defeated

Inflation Easing, but Rate Certainty Still Shaky
Inflation is easing, but not defeated – which keeps borrowing conditions in play for 2026. ABS data shows headline inflation fell from 3.8% in October to 3.4% in November. That’s progress – but it’s not the clean victory many hoped for mid-2025. Back in June, when inflation dipped to 1.9%, it felt like the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) had done its job. Since then, price pressures have...
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Prime Commercial Spaces Set to Outperform in 2026

Commercial demand reshapes as quality assets lead
Commercial property isn’t moving in a straight line, and Knight Frank’s 2026 outlook highlights the spaces set to outperform in 2026 as the next phase of the cycle looks very different from the past decade. After years of ‘beds and sheds’ outperformance, the gap between sectors is narrowing. Office and retail assets are now positioned to deliver stronger income returns in 2026. Driven by gr...
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New Lending Caps: Impact on Borrowers

How new lending caps could change your budget
An impending change could reduce how much some borrowers can borrow – but the impact will vary widely between authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) that issue home loans. From 1 February 2026, ADIs must ensure no more than 20% of their new home loans go to borrowers whose loan size is six times their income or more. For context, that would mean a loan of more than $600,000 for someo...
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RBA’s 2026 Update on Refinancing

2026 RBA Update on Refinancing Conditions
If your loan is due for refinancing this 2026, it’s important to be aware of the RBA’s latest update. While borrowing could be easier in some areas, persistent inflation means lenders are likely to remain cautious. What the RBA sees: Borrowing costs are lower because of recent interest rate cuts. Loans are still widely available, and extra charges for risk are low. But in...
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Prices Rise as Listings Tighten Again

Prices Rise as Listings Tighten Again
As prices rise and listings tighten again, the market became tough for buyers but unexpected opportunities for homeowners. Australia’s median property price rose 1.0% in November and 3.1% over the quarter, according to Cotality. At the same time, SQM Research reports total listings fell 5.4% month-on-month and new listings dropped 11.3%. With fewer homes hitting the market, buyers are compe...
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Businesses Urged to Boost Productivity

Businesses Urged to Boost Productivity as Wages Rise
As wages rise faster than prices, giving households more spending power, businesses are urged to boost productivity. Average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults hit $2010 in May 2025, which was 4.5% higher than the year before, and significantly more than the 2.1% annual inflation rate recorded in the June quarter. However, Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox st...
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Home Loan Refinance Has Surged

Home Loan Refinance Has Surged
Hom Loan refinance has surged as an enormous number of Australians have been refinancing their home loans this year. In the June 2025 quarter, the number of mortgages that were refinanced with external lenders was 0.8% higher than the March 2025 quarter and a striking 20.9% higher than June 2024, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.   This surge in refinancing coinc...
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Labour Market Showing Signs of Strain

Labour Market Showing Signs of Strain
Australia’s labour market is showing signs of strain as it delivered a mixed result in June, with unemployment rising but more people entering the workforce, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The unemployment rate increased to 4.3%, up from 4.1% in May and 4.0% in June 2024 – marking the highest level since November 2021. The underemployment rate also ticked up...
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Inflation Rate Continues to Ease

Positive Inflation Streak Continues
Australia’s inflation rate continues to ease, with both headline and core measures now sitting comfortably within the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) 2-3% target range. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, annualised inflation in May was 2.1% – down from 2.4% in April and 4.0% a year earlier. This was the tenth consecutive month that headline inflation had remained inside the...
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RBA Believes Local Economy is Softening

RBA Believes Local Economy is Softening
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) believes the local economy is softening, although domestic conditions have generally evolved in line with expectations. The RBA noted during its latest monetary policy meeting, on 19-20 May, that GDP growth had picked up in late 2024. However, early 2025 data showed household consumption was weaker than expected. “Earlier declines in real household dispos...
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