The Big Four Response: Navigating the March Rate Hike

Following Tuesday’s RBA announcement, the Australian mortgage landscape has shifted once again. As expected, all of the "Big Four" banks—CBA, Westpac, NAB, and ANZ—have now officially confirmed they will pass on the 0.25% cash rate increase in full to variable-rate mortgage holders.

A Uniform Shift

While the exact effective dates vary slightly between lenders (with most changes landing in late March), the outcome is the same for landlords: a higher cost of borrowing. For a typical $600,000 investment mortgage, a 0.25% hike adds roughly $90–$100 per month in repayments.

In an era where yields are already under pressure, precision in your financial tracking is no longer optional, it is a compliance and cash-flow necessity.

Proactive Management in PropKeeper

PropKeeper is built to help you absorb these macroeconomic changes without the manual guesswork. Here is how to update your portfolio today:

• Record the new rate: Once your lender confirms the change, record the new rate and its effective date against the mortgage in PropKeeper. See mortgages and rate history for how each change is tracked. To see how further rises could affect you, try the Rate stress test on your dashboard, which projects your next 12 months of cash flow after loan repayments if rates rise.

• Bank imports: If you import your bank history or use the BankSync feed, PropKeeper adds a rate to the mortgage's Rate History when the description of a mortgage repayment includes one, for example 6.10%. Check it against the rate your lender confirmed, and add it by hand if your bank does not show it.

• Yield Preservation: With the cash rate now at 4.1%, the "yield gap" is tightening for many investors. On the Premium plan, the Portfolio performance report shows equity, LVR and yield across your portfolio, so you can see how rising interest costs compare with your returns. Our guide to rental yield explains how the numbers fit together. It is also a good time to review your lease agreements.

The PropKeeper Take: Rate hikes are a test of your portfolio's resilience. By using the proactive tools in PropKeeper, you can move from "reacting" to your bank's news to "managing" your investment's future.