Posts
Fixed vs variable when the RBA is cutting
The case for locking in during a cutting cycle is weaker than most borrowers think. Here's the decision framework we use.
12 November 2025
Loan Portability in 2026: Moving Your Loan to a New Property
Taking your existing loan with you to a new house can avoid LMI and discharge fees. The conditions lenders attach.
11 November 2025
Land Tax Aggregation Traps in Australia: What Property Investors Need to Know in 2026
Buying a second NSW investment pushes all your holdings across the threshold. How to manage it, or avoid it.
10 November 2025
Medicare levy and surcharge: who pays what
2% levy for everyone, plus the 1-1.5% surcharge for higher earners without private hospital cover. The thresholds.
7 November 2025
Cooling-off period state by state
Five business days in NSW, three in Victoria, zero at auction. The table and the traps.
6 November 2025
Private health insurance and tax: the math
Whether the rebate-plus-surcharge-avoidance makes hospital cover cheaper than going without, across income tiers.
5 November 2025
Comparison Rate in 2026: The Number That Actually Matters
Comparison rate bundles fees into an equivalent interest rate. Its formula has limits - here are the three it misses.
3 November 2025
Offset account 101: how much interest it really saves
An offset account offsets the principal on which interest is calculated. The effect compounds daily - here's the math on a typical $700k loan.
2 November 2025
FRCGW: 15% withholding on non-resident sellers
Foreign Resident Capital Gains Withholding applies to every sale unless the vendor produces a clearance certificate. The process.
1 November 2025
2026 Australian Home Loan Guide for Chinese Investors: Navigating Foreign Income, FIRB, and Tax Changes
A comprehensive 2026 guide for Chinese investors on Australian home loans, covering FIRB updates, foreign income approval, tax surcharges, and strategies to max