News and Insights
Keep up with the property market, interest rates, lending rules and other useful updates for anyone who wants to make smarter property and financial decisions.
OCR held at 3.25%. Is it time to revisit the Reserve Bank’s mandate?
Over the past 12 months, the Reserve Bank has gradually lowered the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 5.50% to 3.25%. While that’s a solid drop, the pace of cuts has been cautious. With inflation falling and economic pressures mounting, many are asking: Why has the RBNZ been so cautious on rate cuts? Part of the answer may lie in a quiet but significant change made late last year. Here’s the full story.
June 2025 Update | Why now might be the sweet spot for buyers – and a TurnKey Pro update
It’s been a pretty wet start to winter, but at least we’ve had some positive movement on the finance front. The Reserve Bank dropped the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by another 0.25%, cashback offers of up to 1% are still on the table, and conditions are good for buying property right now. Here’s the latest.
April 2025 update | OCR cut, lending shifts & fresh optimism in the market
Economists have responded positively to the recent OCR cut, with many now predicting deeper cuts ahead than originally forecast. Factors like easing inflation, a slowing global economy, and recent US trade tariff moves are all feeding into those expectations.
Test rates are below 7% - why that’s good news for home loan borrowers
The Reserve Bank cut the OCR this week, and while that’s good news for mortgage holders, here’s what we’re really watching: Most banks have already dropped their floating rates. More interestingly – we’ve just seen a bank drop its test rate to 6.75%. That’s a big shift.