Banks To Listen To RBA

The big banks have pledged undertakings that should prevent those raising rates beyond official increases.

It has been predicted that the Reserve Bank will lift its benchmark cash rate before Christmas.

In the past the banks have raised rates even without moves in the central bank's position, but banks have pledged this week not to do so in the near future.

ANZ, NAB, Westpac, St. George and Commonwealth Bank have all pledged not to raise rates without moves from the Reserve Bank.

The ANZ stated that though funding costs were still high they had no pressing need to review their variable rate. The NAB and ANZ both stated that they would do what the Reserve Bank does. Westpac which also owns BankSA stated that they would also follow the Reserve Bank.

Dissatisfaction with banks grows

Recent research has shown that home loan customers are even more dissatisfied with the Big Four Banks now than they were four years ago.

In 2005, 79 per cent of St. George customers were satisfied with their home loan. Now it's only 66 per cent - a drop of 13 percentage points.

ANZ has shed 6 percentage points; NAB lost 3 percentage points while CBA only lost 1 percentage point.

RBA will raise interest rates in November?

There is almost a 100 per cent certainty that interest rates will rise by 0.25 percentage points next month.

The market also indicates that the same could be repeated in December, February, and March.

Investors are anticipating that there will be a full 2 percentage points of increases by November next year, adding nearly $400 a month to repayments on a $300,000 home loan and more than $660 a month for a $500,00 mortgage.