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	<title>Lending Central &#187; Economics</title>
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	<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com</link>
	<description>The first word in mortgage news</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:29:40 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>ASIC to see whether commercial resolution for Storm possible</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/asic-to-see-whether-commercial-resolution-for-storm-possible/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/asic-to-see-whether-commercial-resolution-for-storm-possible/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:29:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[ASIC]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Storm Financial]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3550</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The companies watchdog is talking to those involved in the Storm Financial collapse to see if a commercial resolution can be reached.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission said in a statement on Friday that it had completed a major phase of its investigation into Storm Financial and now was entering another.
That would involve confidential discussions [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/asic-to-see-whether-commercial-resolution-for-storm-possible/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>Bank competition still restrained by recovering RMBS market</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/bank-competition-still-restrained-by-recovering-rmbs-market/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/bank-competition-still-restrained-by-recovering-rmbs-market/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:58:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Securitisation]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Adelaide Bank]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Bendigo Bank]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[RBA]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[RMBS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3549</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd has hosed down claims that securitisation markets have recovered enough to lift bank competition.
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank chief executive Mike Hirst was responding to comments made by a top Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) official that the residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS) were &#8220;coming back to some extent&#8221; given government [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/bank-competition-still-restrained-by-recovering-rmbs-market/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Economy expected to continue growing strongly</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/economy-expected-to-continue-growing-strongly/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/economy-expected-to-continue-growing-strongly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:54:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Australian Economic Conditions]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Westpac-Melbourne Institute]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3548</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Australian economy is expected to continue growing strongly, on par with previous cyclical highs experienced during the resources boom.
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute leading index of economic activity, which indicates the likely pace of activity three to nine months into the future, rose 0.2 per cent to post an annualised growth rate of 6.3 per cent [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/19/economy-expected-to-continue-growing-strongly/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Margin squeeze, climbing costs hit mutuals&#8217; profits in 2009</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/17/margin-squeeze-climbing-costs-hit-mutuals-profits-in-2009/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/17/margin-squeeze-climbing-costs-hit-mutuals-profits-in-2009/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:04:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Broker News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Lender News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Credit Union profits]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Interest Margins]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3547</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A squeeze on interest margins and higher costs hit credit unions&#8217; profits in 2009 as they felt the brunt of the big banks&#8217; pricing power.
Despite putting up a fight for retail deposits and growing their home loan books, the profit margins of Australia&#8217;s 100-plus credit unions fell 2.2 per cent to 13.2 per cent during [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/17/margin-squeeze-climbing-costs-hit-mutuals-profits-in-2009/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>Market scales back rate rise expectations after RBA minutes</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/17/market-scales-back-rate-rise-expectations-after-rba-minutes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/17/market-scales-back-rate-rise-expectations-after-rba-minutes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:55:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Market Expectations]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[monetary policy]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[RBA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The financial market response to the minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) board&#8217;s latest monetary policy meeting was a marginal step back from the possibility, already seen as less than 50-50, of an interest rate hike next month.
Late on Monday, the futures market had given rate rise about 40 per cent chance.
But in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/17/market-scales-back-rate-rise-expectations-after-rba-minutes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>RBA leaves options open for next board meeting</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/16/rba-leaves-options-open-for-next-board-meeting/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/16/rba-leaves-options-open-for-next-board-meeting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:54:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Interest Rate]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[RBA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3544</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has left its options open for the April 6 board meeting.
In the minutes of the monetary policy meeting on March 2, the RBA said board members concluded that recently available evidence &#8220;had confirmed that it remained appropriate to move gradually towards normal levels, and that it was timely to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/16/rba-leaves-options-open-for-next-board-meeting/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fixed loans fall for fifth straight month, RBA might pause</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/16/fixed-loans-fall-for-fifth-straight-month-rba-might-pause/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/16/fixed-loans-fall-for-fifth-straight-month-rba-might-pause/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:15:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Broker News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Consumer]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Lender News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Commsec]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Demand]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Fixed Rate Home Loans]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Interest Rate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3542</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[New data showing weak lending finance is evidence of an economy slowing after the government stimulus has worn off and could spare borrowers an April interest rate rise, economist says.
Total personal finance commitments fell 1.5 per cent in January, seasonally adjusted, to $6.921 billion, from $7.028 billion in December, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/16/fixed-loans-fall-for-fifth-straight-month-rba-might-pause/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>RBA a &#8220;reluctant regulator&#8221; of credit card fees</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/15/rba-a-reluctant-regulator-of-credit-card-fees/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/15/rba-a-reluctant-regulator-of-credit-card-fees/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:19:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Credit Card Fees]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Credit Card Regulation]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[RBA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3538</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says it is a &#8220;reluctant regulator&#8221; of credit cards while leaving the door open to force providers to reduce interchange fees.
In a speech on Monday RBA Assistant Governor Malcolm Edey said he was not in a position to predict what the RBA board&#8217;s next decision on credit card fee [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/15/rba-a-reluctant-regulator-of-credit-card-fees/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Signs of pick-up in credit card debt as economy improves</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/14/signs-of-pick-up-in-credit-card-debt-as-economy-improves/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/14/signs-of-pick-up-in-credit-card-debt-as-economy-improves/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:08:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Australian Economic Conditions]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Credit Card Debt]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[RBA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3537</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are signs that consumer borrowing is rising in response to better economic conditions.
Of course, too much debt can be a bad thing, as the global finance crisis reminded us all.
But a willingness to take on debt can be an important indicator for the strength of the spending that drives the economy along, generating jobs [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/14/signs-of-pick-up-in-credit-card-debt-as-economy-improves/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Banks keep 85pct of RBA rate gains from credit card customers</title>
		<link>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/11/banks-keep-85pct-of-rba-rate-gains-from-credit-card-customers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/11/banks-keep-85pct-of-rba-rate-gains-from-credit-card-customers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:35:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>LC Team</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Lender News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Credit Cards]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Interest Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lendingcentral.com/?p=3533</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Movements on credit card interest rates by the big four banks over two years show banks have kept 85 per cent of the net benefit gained from the Reserve Bank of Australia&#8217;s (RBA) interest rate cuts.
By March 1 the net impact of the RBA&#8217;s movements in the official cash rate over the last two years [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.lendingcentral.com/2010/03/11/banks-keep-85pct-of-rba-rate-gains-from-credit-card-customers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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