Almost half of Australian mortgage holders under financial stress as RBA tipped to raise rates again

Record level of stressed households as all but four of 39 economists in survey tip Melbourne Cup Day hike

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Almost half of Australia's mortgage holders are in financial stress even before an expected Melbourne Cup day interest rate rise goes ahead, paying at least 30% of their income to service their loans.

Households diverting at least 30% of their disposable income to service a mortgage - a standard stress gauge - will account for 48.5% of total borrowers by the end of the year, according to the Australian National University's Australian tax and welfare system model.