<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mortgage holders hoping for a Christmas miracle will be left disappointed next week when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) hands down its decision on interest rates, according to new research.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The unanimous verdict of 35 financial experts in a survey by financial comparison site Finder was the RBA will keep the cash rate at 3.6 per cent next Tuesday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While 33 of them backed the central bank's expected no change policy to rates, two believed they should be lifted.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/inflation-australia-october-abs/bf7bd95e-cdca-4424-b8a0-903b4be71acb" rel="" target="_blank" title=" Final nail in the coffin for interest rate cut hopes as inflation rises again"><strong><span> Final nail in the coffin for interest rate cut hopes as inflation rises again</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Finder head of consumer research Graham Cooke says the clear message for mortgage holders is don't expect any relief soon.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A hold is still a better outcome than an end-of-year hike, which was being suggested by some analysts – and would have added extra pressure to already stretched household budgets," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"With inflation starting to get away from the RBA, the board appears committed to steady rates for now. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/interest-rates-to-stay-on-hold-in-december-forecasts-finder-survey/bda5cb00-acb1-4028-bb04-61b626b154a9" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Any festive rate cuts are firmly off the table, and borrowers will need to prepare for a cautious start to 2026 rather than a sudden reprieve."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The final nail in the coffin for hopes of a cut came last month when data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the country's annual inflation rate rose to 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to October.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The trimmed mean – the Reserve Bank of Australia's preferred measure of underlying inflation – also rose, up from 3.2 to 3.3 per cent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Maintaining interest rates at their current level will also impact pre-Christmas spending, according to Finder.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Research shows one in three mortgage holders would have enjoyed a more indulgent Christmas with a lower cash rate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>From those surveyed, 55 per cent had even been planning how they'd spend extra cash if rates continued to fall by splashing out on travel, home renovations and shopping for clothes and shoes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The outlook for potential rates cuts next year remains a mixed picture.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-heatwave-warning-temperatures-to-hit-40-parts-of-city/f4bff7aa-de1b-4304-8380-5d06ed3591c6" target="_blank" title="Warning issued as major heatwave grips Sydney"><strong><span>Warning issued as major heatwave grips Sydney</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Half of the 28 experts surveyed believe Australia has hit the bottom of the easing cycle, while the other half say there's still room for rates to fall.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many highlighted one lingering factor: the stubborn level of inflation will loom large over the RBA's cash rate strategy over next year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than a third of experts say October's inflation data has "definitely" raised the likelihood of a rate hike within the next six months, while 34 per cent believe it will have little impact.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/Z8tJCf"><strong><span>Sign up here</span></strong></a><span> </span><strong><span>to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.</span></strong></div></div>