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Rate Watch
Rate Watch keeps you up to date with the economy and where interest rates are heading, as well as the effect of any rate changes on home loan repayments.
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How repayments vary with changes in interest rates. The table below shows repayment changes over recent years on a $100,000, 25-year variable rate loan resulting from the various official interest rate moves. Work out exactly how any future interest rate changes would affect your loan, use our Loan Repayment Calculator
| Date | Loan Amount | Term | Old Standard Variable Rate | Monthly Repay | Change in Interest Rate | New Standard Variable Rate | Change in Monthly Repay | New Monthly Repay |
| Nov 2009 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.03 | $646.14 | 0.25 | 6.28 | $15.39 | $661.53 |
| Oct 2009 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 5.78 | $630.92 | 0.25 | 6.03 | $15.22 | $646.14 |
| Apr 2009 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 5.84 | $634.56 | -0.06 | 5.78 | -$3.64 | $630.92 |
| Feb 2009 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.84 | $696.61 | -1.00 | 5.84 | -$62.05 | $634.56 |
| Dec 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.73 | $754.02 | -0.91 | 6.84 | -$57.41 | $696.61 |
| Nov 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 8.34 | $794.47 | -0.61 | 7.73 | -$40.45 | $754.02 |
| Oct 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 9.36 | $863.98 | -1.02 | 8.34 | -$69.51 | $794.47 |
| Sep 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 9.62 | $882.05 | -0.26 | 9.36 | -$18.07 | $863.98 |
| Jul 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 9.46 | $870.92 | 0.16 | 9.62 | $11.13 | $882.05 |
| Apr 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 9.32 | $861.22 | 0.14 | 9.46 | $9.70 | $870.92 |
| Mar 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 8.99 | $838.51 | 0.33 | 9.32 | $22.71 | $861.22 |
| Feb 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 8.72 | $820.11 | 0.27 | 8.99 | $18.40 | $838.51 |
| Jan 2008 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 8.57 | $809.95 | 0.15 | 8.72 | $10.16 | $820.11 |
| Nov 2007 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 8.32 | $793.13 | 0.25 | 8.57 | $16.82 | $809.95 |
| Aug 2007 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 8.07 | $776.46 | 0.25 | 8.32 | $16.67 | $793.13 |
| Nov 2006 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.82 | $759.93 | 0.25 | 8.07 | $16.53 | $776.46 |
| Aug 2006 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.57 | $743.55 | 0.25 | 7.82 | $16.38 | $759.93 |
| May 2006 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.32 | $727.32 | 0.25 | 7.57 | $16.23 | $743.55 |
| Mar 2005 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.07 | $711.25 | 0.25 | 7.32 | $16.07 | $727.32 |
| Dec 2003 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.82 | $695.34 | 0.25 | 7.07 | $15.91 | $711.25 |
| Nov 2003 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.57 | $679.59 | 0.25 | 6.82 | $15.74 | $695.34 |
| Jun 2002 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.32 | $664.00 | 0.25 | 6.57 | $15.59 | $679.59 |
| Apr 2002 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.07 | $648.59 | 0.25 | 6.32 | $15.41 | $664.00 |
| Dec 2001 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.32 | $644.00 | -0.25 | 6.07 | -$15.41 | $648.59 |
| Oct 2001 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.57 | $679.60 | -0.25 | 6.32 | -$15.60 | $664.00 |
| Sept 2001 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.82 | $695.34 | -0.25 | 6.57 | -$15.74 | $679.60 |
| Apr 2001 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.30 | $726.03 | -0.50 | 6.80 | -$31.96 | $694.07 |
| Mar 2001 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.55 | $742.25 | -0.25 | 7.30 | -$16.22 | $726.03 |
| Feb 2001 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 8.05 | $775.13 | -0.50 | 7.55 | -$32.88 | $742.25 |
| Aug 2000 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.80 | $758.61 | 0.25 | 8.05 | $16.52 | $775.13 |
| May 2000 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.55 | $742.25 | 0.25 | 7.80 | $16.36 | $758.61 |
| Apr 2000 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 7.30 | $726.03 | 0.25 | 7.55 | $16.22 | $742.25 |
| Feb 2000 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.80 | $694.07 | 0.50 | 7.30 | $31.96 | $726.03 |
| Nov 1999 | $100,000.00 | 25 Years | 6.55 | $678.33 | 0.25 | 6.80 | $15.74 | $694.07 |
Infochoice.com.au
The graph below shows how official interest rates and the standard variable home loan rate offered by the major banks have moved since the late Nineties. Variable rates largely track the movement of official interest rates with a margin of around 1.8 percentage points.
Since the major banks started moving their rates independent of the RBA cash rate in January 2008, the margin has slowly edged further away. It now stands at close to 2.8 percentage points.
The table records the history of interest rate movements over the last decade. It shows how variable home loan interest rates have moved in line with official interest rates (the Reserve Bank's overnight cash rate).
| Date | RBA Official Cash Rate | Bank Std Variable Rate |
| Nov-09 | 3.50 | 6.28 |
| Oct-09 | 3.25 | 6.03 |
| Apr-09 | 3.00 | 5.78 |
| Feb-09 | 3.25 | 5.84 |
| Dec-08 | 4.25 | 6.84 |
| Nov-08 | 5.25 | 7.73 |
| Oct-08 | 6.00 | 8.34 |
| Sep-08 | 7.00 | 9.36 |
| Jul-08 | 7.25 | 9.62 |
| Apr-08 | 7.25 | 9.46 |
| Mar-08 | 7.25 | 9.32 |
| Feb-08 | 7.00 | 8.99 |
| Jan-08 | 6.75 | 8.72 |
| Nov-07 | 6.75 | 8.57 |
| Aug-07 | 6.50 | 8.32 |
| Nov-06 | 6.25 | 8.07 |
| Aug-06 | 6.00 | 7.82 |
| May-06 | 5.75 | 7.57 |
| Mar-05 | 5.50 | 7.32 |
| Dec-03 | 5.25 | 7.07 |
| Nov-03 | 5.00 | 6.82 |
| Jun-02 | 4.75 | 6.57 |
| Apr-02 | 4.50 | 6.32 |
| Dec-01 | 4.25 | 6.07 |
| Oct-01 | 4.50 | 6.32 |
| Sep-01 | 4.75 | 6.57 |
| Apr-01 | 5.00 | 6.80 |
| Mar-01 | 5.50 | 7.30 |
| Feb-01 | 5.75 | 7.55 |
| Aug-00 | 6.25 | 8.05 |
| May-00 | 6.00 | 7.80 |
| Apr-00 | 5.75 | 7.55 |
| Feb-00 | 5.50 | 7.30 |
| Nov-99 | 5.00 | 6.80 |
| Dec-98 | 4.75 | 6.50 |
| Sep-97 | 5.00 | 6.70 |
| Jul-97 | 5.00 | 7.20 |
| May-97 | 5.50 | 7.20 |
| Apr-97 | 6.00 | 7.20 |
| Mar-97 | 6.00 | 7.55 |
| Dec-96 | 6.00 | 8.25 |
| Nov-96 | 6.50 | 8.75 |
| Aug-96 | 7.00 | 9.25 |
| Jun-96 | 7.50 | 9.75 |
| Dec-94 | 7.50 | 10.50 |
| Nov-94 | 6.50 | 9.55 |
| Oct-94 | 6.50 | 9.50 |
| Sep-94 | 5.50 | 9.50 |
| Aug-94 | 5.50 | 8.75 |
| Jul-94 | 7.00 | 9.75 |
Infochoice.com.au