Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
RBA looking to handle uncertainty better, says Debelle
Reserve Bank of Australia to change way it presents forecasts in order to avoid false impression of precision
RBA needs representative for the poor – religious group
The proposed new board member would help the central bank understand the effect monetary policy has on the poor, says group
Debelle calls for more thought on financial stability independence
RBA deputy says financial stability needs its own intellectual framework; panellists warn independence likely to face tougher challenges ahead
Australian first-home buyers have better finances, study finds
RBA research paper finds fewer people are transitioning from renting to owning houses, but those who do tend to be more financially stable
Bank swap rate reforms going well, Australian deputy governor says
Guy Debelle says BBSW rate will be strengthened by changes
RBA payments board backs ‘digital identity’ for Australians
Board encourages payments industry to work on a framework that could make online transactions more convenient and secure
RBA’s Kent warns mortgages are still risky, despite offsets
RBA assistant governor says use of offset accounts does not remove the need for tighter lending standards; new securitisation database sheds light on housing market
Australia risks shortage of economists, warns RBA’s Dwyer
Students are tending to choose business studies over economics, says the RBA’s head of information; central bank is trying to reverse the trend
Australia’s neutral rate of interest is around 3.5% – RBA minutes
RBA minutes show hawkish slant compared with policy statement released earlier this month; central bank estimates neutral rate has fallen 150 basis points
RBA minutes point to dangers from debt
Growth in household debt exceeds growth in incomes, creating risks to consumption; board members say situation warrants “careful monitoring”
Wage growth remains a concern for Australia – Lowe
Governor warns low wage growth is hindering household consumption; there are some signs the labour market is recovering, with employment growth registering stronger in recent months
Debelle: central banks can benefit from lack of covered interest parity
Increase in the “basis” or deviation from CIP is not always a sign of trouble and can offer reserve managers increased returns, RBA deputy says
Authors struggle to cut ‘price puzzle’ from Australian data
Authors find various approaches to removing the puzzle from VAR models fail for Australian data, calling into question the usefulness of the models
Macro-pru can offer ‘breathing space’ for Australian housing
Apra’s actions “will not address pressures”, but will provide “breathing space” as they should lessen the amplification of house prices, says RBA’s Lowe
Price disparity in housing market a cause for concern, says RBA’s Lowe
Australian house prices rising ‘briskly’ in some sectors, says governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia
Volatile housing market puts RBA under pressure
Variations in housing growth and prices ramp up risk to financial stability, RBA minutes show; regulator to consider further measures “if needed”
RBA opens new ‘highly secure’ banknote vault
Australian central bank makes first investment in banknote storage and distribution in over a decade; Lowe says public have come to “rely” on “secure and high-quality” banknotes
Debelle sets timeframe for adoption of forex global code
Market participants will have six to 12 months to adjust practices once the code is published on May 25
New forex code will not be a set of rules – Debelle
New code of conduct will force participants to think about their actions, Debelle says; rules are easier to “arbitrage” than principles
RBA’s Ellis examines the central banking community’s gender problem
RBA makes changes to processing candidate applications to remove unconscious bias, Ellis says; central bank recognises women face challenges when entering economics
RBA’s Bullock says central banks are ready to ‘take action’
Old school of thought regarding asset bubbles abandoned following financial crisis; macro-prudential tools are helping policymakers “clean up”
RBA paper assesses FOMC’s forecasting performance
RBA and Fed economists collaborate on study of forecasting errors by the Federal Open Market Committee
External review of the RBA to begin next month – Lowe
Governor tells MPs the central bank wants to identify opportunities for improvement; assessment will look into operation and administration, not policy framework
Uncertainty about momentum in the labour market – RBA minutes
“Mixed” picture in Australian labour market shows unemployment increasing alongside full-time employment; spare capacity likely to persist “for some time”