While there are signs that the tightening policy of the RBA may have ended, homeowners, continued to be the victim of steep rate rises imposed by the banks to recoup what they call "higher cost of borrowing".

So what choice do homeowners have? Perhaps it's time to start looking around for a better deal. There might be a lot of negative talks about the non-bank lenders being squeezed out of the market because of the subprime crisis, but if you look at our editor's choice feature, you see that there are still competitive products out there.

But make sure you do your sums before you switch. Check out our refinancing feature to get all the information you need when refinancing. Even when you're not planning on switching but finding it hard to make ends meet due to the burden of higher mortgage repayments, our article on how to cope with rising rates reveals short term and long term fixes to help you sail the financial difficulties.

For those saving for a mortgage or a big holiday, check out our article on Saving without Pain for tips on how you can rein in your expenses and beef up your finances.

Our regular features include the Editor's Choice, state of the market and our loan comparison tables, where we compare over 1,900 mortgages. Make sure you get to your newsagent and pick up a copy of the May 2008 issue on sale now.

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