More mortgage pain for borrowers as RBA lifts rates at May meeting

How three cash rate hikes will impact your mortgage

The Domino Effect: How three cash rate hikes may affect your mortgage

The RBA has now delivered three straight rate hikes.

After weeks of predictions flying around, RBA did exactly what many feared and lifted the cash rate again. Bheja called all three hikes, and now borrowers are feeling the pressure as rates climb back to 4.35%.

What stood out in this meeting wasn’t just the rate hike itself. The Board was mostly in agreement, with an 8–1 vote in favour of the increase.

For mortgage holders, this means another repayment increase is likely on the way once banks pass the hike through. And it’s probably not over yet. Westpac has forecast more rate rises in 2026, which could push the cash rate to 4.85% and back to levels last seen in 2008.

So, what do you do now?

While it may seem like all doom and gloom, this may not be the right time to fold your arms and do nothing. Besides actively reviewing your budget and trimming down unnecessary expenses, it could also be worth comparing your home loan options to see if you can secure a lower rate. Even a small difference in interest rates can save borrowers thousands over the life of the loan.

You can also speak to your existing lender to see if they can offer you a better rate. Many borrowers stay on higher rates simply because they never ask. If your financial situation has improved, your property value has increased, or competing lenders are offering lower rates, you may have more negotiating power than you think. Every dollar counts right now.

You should also keep track of when your bank passes on the hike so you know when your repayments will change.

Banks Passing on Rate Changes

See which banks have recently changed their home loan rates

Data from the last 30 days • Updated: 17 Sept 2026, 11:30 pm

15

Banks with Rate Hikes

0.80%

Largest Rate Hike

0.24%

Average Rate Hike

338

Total Products

Top 10 Banks with Rate Hikes

1
Macquarie Bank Limited logo
Macquarie Bank Limited
Major Bank90 products
Max Hike
+0.30%
Average
0.21%
Latest
8 Sept
2
Judo Bank logo
Judo Bank
Major Bank20 products
Max Hike
+0.27%
Average
0.24%
Latest
12 Sept
3
ANZ logo
ANZ
Major Bank75 products
Max Hike
+0.20%
Average
0.14%
Latest
17 Sept
4
Bendigo Bank logo
Bendigo Bank
Major Bank5 products
Max Hike
+0.20%
Average
0.11%
Latest
25 Aug
5
Auswide Bank Ltd logo
Auswide Bank Ltd
Major Bank2 products
Max Hike
+0.10%
Average
0.10%
Latest
4 Sept
6
MyState Bank logo
MyState Bank
Major Bank4 products
Max Hike
+0.10%
Average
0.10%
Latest
29 Aug
7
AMP - My AMP logo
AMP - My AMP
Major Bank4 products
Max Hike
+0.05%
Average
0.05%
Latest
18 Aug
8
Credit Union SA logo
Credit Union SA
Community1 products
Max Hike
+0.70%
Average
0.70%
Latest
20 Aug
9
BankVic logo
BankVic
Community2 products
Max Hike
+0.45%
Average
0.45%
Latest
27 Aug
10
RACQ Bank logo
RACQ Bank
Community33 products
Max Hike
+0.25%
Average
0.25%
Latest
12 Sept
Compare home loans

Data sourced from 7,829 home loan product variations

Showing 338 products with rate hikes in the last 30 days

Written by

Pravin

Pravin Mahajan

Founder @ Bheja.ai | Mortgage Broker | Ex-CTO RateCity & CIMET

Pravin Mahajan is the Founder of Bheja.ai and an accredited Mortgage Broker (Credit Rep. 570637). Based in Sydney, he sits at the unique intersection of financial regulation and enterprise technology.

With over 30 years of experience, Pravin has architected the consumer platforms that millions of Australians rely on for daily financial and purchasing decisions. His career is defined by building high-scale systems that simplify complex choices:

  • RateCity (Acquired by Canstar): As Chief Product & Technology Officer, Pravin led the tech transformation that culminated in the company's acquisition. He orchestrated "Australia’s First Home Loan Sale," a digital initiative that reached over 12 million people.
  • CIMET: As CPTO, he built enterprise-grade infrastructure for energy and broadband comparison, scaling operations to support major B2B partners.
  • Salmat (Lasoo): He architected digital catalogue systems used by 5.7 million monthly users, digitising the retail experience for brands like Target and Myer.
  • Woolworths: Designed the real-time, secure "Pay at Pump" transaction infrastructure deployed Australia-wide.

Today, at Bheja.ai, Pravin combines this deep technical background with his Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking to build AI agents that don't just compare loans, but help Australians actively secure their financial future.