The Reserve Bank Governor will next review the Official cash rate on 10 June. Many bank Economists expect the Reserve Bank Governor will begin to increase the OCR on this date. The real question we don’t know the answer to is, by how much? Could he increase it by .25% or .50% or could it be even more.

Today the main trading banks are offering floating interest rates around 5.75% pa and 1 yr fixed at 6.35% pa. The lower floating rate has meant that we have gone against the tradition of fixing mortgages and remained on these lower floating rates

This .60% pa margin on the lower floating rate has been a driver for that decision. The question is of course “will the margin between the fixed and floating rates shrink as the Banks find their cost of funding rising due to a higher OCR.?

The downstream impact on NZ and other global Banks from the bailout of Greece and potentially other struggling Economies in Europe is bound to result in increasing longer term borrowing rates. There have been increases over recent weeks that have not hit the headlines.

We now think you should be considering fixing your mortgage. If having the certainty of mortgage payments is important to you; and more important than having the lowest rate, you may choose to fix your mortgage now.
We are here to help you with the refixing process. Please either call Dom on 360 7768 email support@stml.co.nz or me on 9147555 so that we can start the ball rolling for you.

Bollard’s official cash rate (OCR), which has a direct bearing on floating mortgage rates and a lesser impact on fixed-rate home loans, currently stands at 7.25%.

Craig Ebert, an economist at Bank of New Zealand, says the central bank is under a bit of pressure. “Even though most of the data has been pressing on the strong side, it hasn’t been substantive,” he says.

While he doesn’t expect Bollard to move rates, he expects the wording of the press release accompanying the monetary policy statement will be hawkish. “There should be a clear message that the data’s going to remain very important” and that, if it continues to be strong, another rate hike is on the cards.

Cameron Bagrie, chief economist at ANZ/National Bank, says the big decline in petrol prices recently means the annual inflation rate, 3.5% at the end of September, is likely to head back below 3%. Bollard is pledged to keep inflation between zero and 3% over the medium term.

“The Reserve Bank is going to take a little bit of comfort from that but I don’t think that’s the end of the inflation story. But it’s hard to raise rates when inflation’s coming down,” Bagrie says.

Another reason for not raising rates is that the currency is currently very strong at nearly 69 US cents compared to around 60 cents back in July, although it is stable against other major currencies.

“If they hike at this point, that will push it through 70 (US cents),” he says.

Nick Tuffley, an economist at Westpac, says the Reserve Bank’s spotlight is again likely to focus on the strength of the housing market and signs it could be strengthening further.

Tuffley doesn’t think it will. “The housing market and household finances are stretched and logic dictates there is only so long that either can remain aloft.”