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A month ago, Banking Day suggested that by raising their own lending rates by more than the RBA, the banks would "risk great damage to the industry's battered reputation with consumers". Over the.. read more

Rising problems with impaired loans in its Australian operations hurt the third-quarter performance of Lloyds Banking Group PLC, the bank reported on Tuesday. Many of the problem loans appear to be.. read more

A $3.8 billion fall in the $A value of its foreign assets has sent the Reserve Bank of Australia to its largest-ever annual loss - $2.9 billion. read more

The Australian Bankers Association yesterday rejected claims that reduced competition was boosting bank profits. Instead, it said, 2010 profits were simply bringing the four major banks back into line.. read more

A new wide-ranging Senate Inquiry into banking competition appears almost certain after independent Senator Nick Xenophon joined forces with the Liberal Party. read more

Joe Hockey listed nine "positive policy suggestions" on banking yesterday. They included giving the ACCC power to investigate collusive price signalling. read more

Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey escalated his confrontation with the banking industry yesterday, by asking whether banks should be re-shaped into lower-risk, lower-growth businesses. read more

Joe Hockey's attack on bank margins last week shows that the big four banks are now more politically isolated than at any time in the industry's history. The moment when they change their strategy may.. read more

Reserve Bank of Australia financial stability chief Luci Ellis presented new evidence yesterday supporting the RBA's claim that Australia's housing prices are not yet an asset bubble. read more

A sustained parity of the Australian dollar with the US dollar is likely to boost Australian banks' after-tax funding task by around $1 billion a year. read more