If politicians threaten banks that raise mortgage rates, then banks will have to draw blood elsewhere, e.g. small business. The truth is, there is an upward pressure on interest rates due to supply/demand factors. Governments are trying to suppress the free market by forcing rates down. Join discussion...

The banks are going to be unpopular again. Join discussion...

First shot of rising domestic lending rates, regardless of RBA overnight-cash-rate. Monetary transmission mechanism is not working well. Join discussion...

INTEREST rate pain could persist even if the Reserve Bank reverses a long cycle of official rate increases, with Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ralph Norris yesterday failing to guarantee that the nation's biggest home lender would match any rate relief from the RBA. Join discussion...