A lot has happened in the mortgage market over the last couple of months, with several lenders lifting the interest rates.

Moving forward, many economists believe rates will rise further this year, with the Reserve Bank widely expected to lift rates at some point within the next 12 months.

With this in mind, it is clear that the bottom of the rate cycle may soon be behind us. As such, now really is the perfect time to review your current financial situation and make sure you are still in the right product for your needs.

Whether you’ve been in your mortgage for a few months or a few years, the start of a new year is always the ideal time to compare lenders and investigate what deals are available.

With some lenders offering fixed rates below 4% p.a., you may find that now is the perfect time to fix part or all of your mortgage.

I’m as proud of many of the things we haven’t done as the things we have done.JOHN DOE, Company CEO

A fixed rate will not only help you to avoid any future rate rises, but it will also provide you with some surety around your regular mortgage repayments.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen an increase in the number of people locking into a fixed rate mortgage. According to the latest data from Mortgage Choice, 19.5% of all home loans written in November were fixed – up from 17.4% the month prior.