![\"ANZ](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5316c2c0-1e7a-11f1-9e3f-34d960b190d4.png\")
Major lenders aren’t waiting for the RBA to make its move. (Source: AAP) <\/p>\n Major lenders aren’t waiting for the RBA to make its move. (Source: AAP) <\/p>\n
Big Four bank ANZ<\/a> has beaten the RBA to the punch, hiking its fixed home loan rates ahead of the central bank\u2019s cash rate decision<\/a> on Tuesday. All of the major banks<\/a> have warned Aussie borrowers to prepare for a double dose of rate pain, with hikes expected in both March and May.<\/p>\n ANZ has today hiked fixed rates<\/a> by up to 0.25 percentage points. The hikes mean the majority of the bank\u2019s lowest fixed rates are above 6 per cent, with the lowest 1-year rate at 5.99 per cent.<\/p>\n ANZ was the last of the Big Four banks<\/a> to revise its cash rate forecast, announcing yesterday it now expects a 0.25 per cent RBA rate hike on Tuesday and another in May, to take the cash rate to 4.35 per cent.<\/p>\n RELATED<\/p>\n \u201cThe clearest and most immediate impact of the Middle East conflict<\/a> on Australia is higher inflation,\u201d ANZ economists Adam Boyton and Adelaide Timbrell said.<\/p>\n \u201cWith inflation above target and the RBA viewing the labour market as tight, the inflation risks are likely to be more central for the board than risks around [economic] activity.\u201d<\/p>\n It follows hawkish commentary from RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser earlier this week, who warned surging oil prices and general supply chain fallout from the Iran war<\/a> would mean inflation would be higher than the central bank’s previous forecasts.<\/p>\n A March hike on Tuesday would increase monthly repayments by $91 on a $600,000 mortgage with 25 years remaining.<\/p>\n If the RBA hikes again in May, across the three hikes in February, March and May, homeowners would see a total increase of $181 to their repayments.<\/p>\n