Will the banks stop you from building wealth?

Over the past couple of years there have been many changes that have dramatically reduced your borrowing capacity. The Financial Services Royal Commission, government has put pressure on the banks to reduce investment lending and a directive to tighten lending standards just to name a few. If you are unable to borrow then your only …

Read more

Updated: Ensuring your loans are structured correctly

Your loan structure can have a big impact on your success as an investor. It can influence interest rates, borrowing capacity, cash flow, taxation liabilities and so on. Four years ago I wrote this blog which included 7 loan structuring tips and I wanted to update you on a few matters. Funding a property owned …

Read more

How do banks set interest rates?

Understanding how banks set interest rates can help you make better informed decisions, particularly in regard to identifying the best lender to use. There are three main factors that influence rates. And some products and lenders may be influenced by only one or two of these factors. 1) Cost of funds ‘Cost of funds’ refers …

Read more

Preparing for a loan application… what has changed

Many clients are surprised by how thorough the loan approval process has become. The government has put pressure on the banks over the past 18 months to tighten up their credit assessment processes. The purpose of this blog is to give you an overview of what the banks look at, what questions they ask and …

Read more

Commissions have destroyed the reputation of financial planners. When is a commission ok, if ever? And what fee structures work?

Commissions in financial services is often viewed as a dirty word. The word creates connotations of self-interested sales people flogging products to poor, unsuspecting clients – well, it does in my head. I passionately believe that financial advisors should not accept any commission as a result of making an investment recommendation. But what about commissions …

Read more