Could the escalating conflict in the Middle East be the catalyst that pushes Australia's cash rate to its highest level in nearly two decades? As fuel security concerns take centre stage, and Treasury officials scramble to rewrite the federal budget, the ripple effects are already being felt across the lending landscape.

In this week's episode of What's Making Headlines podcast, host Annie Kane, commercial content writer Ben Squires, and senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian review the economic fallout of the conflict, including forecasts that Australia's cash rate could reach GFC levels.

This week, they discuss:

• Why Westpac is forecasting a series of aggressive rate hikes by August.
• The surge in electric vehicle loans as borrowers scramble to bypass the "fuel crunch".
• How the home buyer schemes may be backfiring for the very people they aim to help.

And much more!