The Australian --- Page: 2 : 30 December 2006 Original article by David Uren
ABIX Summary
New figures suggest that Australians are continuing to borrow money. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifted interest rates three times in 2006, but this does not seem to have stemmed the flow of borrowing. Lending by banks and other financial groups increased by $A19 billion in November 2006. Analysts say the RBA is most concerned about household and credit card debt. Housing lending rose by $A8.8 billion in November. Analysts note that many of the loans finalised in November would have been organised in the months before the most recent interest rate rise.
