Commonwealth Bank warns of biggest rate hike in nearly 30 years
Australia’s biggest home lender fears borrowers in August could cope with their biggest monthly rate hike in nearly three decades if there is an inflation shock next week. Commonwealth Bank, along with four other major lenders, all expect the Reserve Bank of Australia next month to raise interest rates by 50 basis points, or 0.5 percentage points, to a six-year high of 1.85 percent. But CBA’s chief economist for Australia Gareth Aird said there was an outside chance of a 75 basis point hike on Aug. 2, bringing interest rates to a seven-year high of 2.1 percent from a three-year high of 1.35 percent. It would also be the steepest monthly increase since December 1994, meaning borrowers with an average mortgage of $600,000 would overcome another $256 increase in their monthly mortgage payments on top of the $352 increase they had experienced since May. Scroll down for audio Australia’s biggest home lender fears borrowers in August could cope with their biggest month...