Business Planet - CPA Public Practice

30/05/2026

We have recently helped someone reduce their loan repayments by over $423 per month through refinancing their home loan and other debts.

In fact for the clients I see who are struggling with their mortgage and debt repayments, I regularly manage to save them hundreds of dollars per month.

In these uncertain times of interest rate changes most mortgage owners are now starting to consider their finance options.

Perhaps I can help you, like I was able to with many of your nearby residents.

If you require:
- reduced loan repayments,
- consolidation of debt,
- funds to renovate, install a pool or purchase a significant item,
- finance to purchase another property,
- parent equity guarantees to assist your children to purchase a property, or any other finance requirement

Please contact me for a free no obligation assessment of your current situation. https://www.mortgageaustralia.com.au

29/05/2026

Six Steps to becoming mortgage-free - Step 4: Offsets and Redraws
Would you like to cut your mortgage by years and pay less?

What if you could get your mortgage all wrapped up in record time, and spend more time doing the things you love?

Well, there are six steps you can take now, which will make a real difference to the time it takes to pay off your loan. You could be mortgage-free sooner than you think.

In the past weeks, we looked at Step 1: choosing the best loan, Step 2: changing your repayment frequency, and Step 3: Pay more to pay early.

Today, find out how offset accounts and redraw facilities can help you move quickly towards losing that mortgage forever.



Step 4: Offsets and Redraws

Do you have a savings account that you use to put money away for a rainy day? You might be surprised to learn that this can save you money on your home loan - even if you keep the money in savings. This is commonly referred to as an offset account.

Many lenders offer a 100% offset account which, when linked with your mortgage, can dramatically reduce the interest that you pay on your loan. The reason for this, is that the savings 'offset' what you owe, and you're only charged interest on your loan amount - minus your savings.

This can have a significant impact on your loan in the long term. For example, if you have a loan of $400k, and keep $30k in an offset account, you could save over $150k in interest over the life of your loan.

Another handy mortgage feature to look out for is a redraw facility. This allows you to make extra repayments on your loan whenever you want, but gives you the flexibility of taking that additional money back in the future if your plans change.

By taking advantage of offset accounts and redraw facilities, you can take control of your financial goals today, and pay your loan off sooner.

Want to escape your mortgage as soon as possible? Stay tuned for Step 5: Don't take candy from strangers.

29/05/2026

Make your house a home with a low cost home improvement loan.

28/05/2026

Another session of product and policy training. Staying up to date with the latest lender offers so we can offer them to you.

28/05/2026

26/05/2026

Read this before you sign on the dotted line:

Have you been asked to act as guarantor for your child or another family member? Before you whip out a pen and sign the contracts, you need to hear Wendy's story.

Wendy is in her mid- sixties, and lives in Perth with her son. She has a granny flat at the rear of her son's property where she stays with her two dogs, Millie and Ellie.

A few years ago, Wendy was living in a three bedroom house that she originally purchased with her late husband Jo, who passed away a long time ago. She didn't have a mortgage anymore, and she was looking forward to taking it easy in her retirement.

When Wendy's daughter came to visit one day, she had an important question to ask. She was looking to purchase her first home, but the bank wouldn't grant approval because she had only been in her job for a few months. Liz wanted her mum to act as guarantor on the loan to help her get across the line.

Of course, Wendy wanted to help her daughter, and after she spoke to a few friends she found that it was a fairly common practice to do this favour for one's child. Without giving it too much thought, Wendy decided to sign the contracts that the mortgage broker had drawn up.

On the day that Liz settled on her home, Wendy dropped around with a bottle of champagne to help her celebrate this exciting new step. There was a lot of unpacking to be done, but her daughter had never looked happier.

Six months later, everything had changed. Liz was suddenly made redundant and lost her job. Her boyfriend had also ended their relationship a couple of weeks earlier, and she began to suffer from severe depression. The mortgage went unpaid for several months, and when Liz avoided contact with her lender, the house was taken by the bank and sold.

In the time that all of this was happening, property values had decreased slightly in the area, and due to the need for a quick sale, the property was sold for $80k less than what Liz originally paid. After the sale was finalised, the bank was not able to recoup all of their funds, so they focussed their attention on Liz's guarantor.

Wendy had been under the impression that she might have to pay some of the missed instalments on her daughter's behalf. She didn't realise that the bank could demand that she pay the difference between the sale price and the loan amount. When Wendy didn't have the $70k that the bank were asking for, they sold her house from under her.

This sort of scenario is more common than you might think. Parents naturally want to help their children succeed in the world, but it's very important to understand what you're agreeing to if your child asks you to act as guarantor. If you don't understand the contracts, make sure you get a solicitor to investigate for you.

Remember too - there's always another way of doing things, and sometimes a cash gift can be a better option. Or better yet, your child might need to wait until they are financially able to make the leap into home ownership.

26/05/2026

Because selling your home in record time takes some elbow grease.

How far should you go when presenting your home for sale? Do you really have to get rid of all your family photos? Who has the time to bake a fresh batch of cookies in time for every open house?

There are some things that make a huge difference to potential buyers, and some that will just give you a headache for no reason.

If you're a bit unsure what you should do to make your property appealing to buyers, don't worry - just follow these 5 simple steps.

Step 1: De-clutter

It's time to cut down on some of those kids toys, and it might be a good idea to find a temporary home for your newspaper collection. Buyers are looking for space and comfort, and nothing says 'this house is too small' quite like an overflowing bookshelf.

Try packing away some of the items that you don't use very often. If you don't listen to your CD's very often, load them onto your ipod and pack them into boxes. It's amazing how much nicer a home can seem when it's tidy and clutter-free.

Step 2: Fix any small issues

Do you need to replace any light bulbs? Are the doorhandles showing a lot of wear and tear? Perhaps your screen door is torn because the dog was trying to get outside. This is the time to fix all of those little things you never got around to. This will show potential buyers that you have maintained the home, and they won't be worried about nasty surprises.

Step 3: Consider staging

Do you still have the couch that your Auntie passed down when you were leaving home? Whilst it shouldn't matter what your furniture looks like - the truth is that it can make a difference. If your belongings are a little bit rough around the edges, consider hiring or borrowing some nicer items for a few weeks whilst your home is open for inspection.

Step 4: Clean, Clean, and clean some more

It's not always easy to keep your home spotless - especially if you have small children. But nothing will scare away potential buyers faster than dirty underwear on the bedroom floor, or last night's Bolognese splattered all around the kitchen.

If you don't have the time to clean thoroughly before every open house, consider hiring a cleaner for this short period of time. By putting in the extra effort, you could be rewarded with a quick sale, or a better price.

Step 5: Neat and tidy

On the day of each open house, spend a few minutes making the beds (hotel-style if you can) and putting away any items that don't need to be lying around. Run a cloth over the benches one last time, turn on the dishwasher, and consider taking your dirty washing with you if you don't have time to get it washed and put away.

If you receive an offer on the house today, you'll be glad you went the extra mile. If not, you can come home and relax knowing that the housework is already done!

25/05/2026

Do you have a big ticket item you would like to purchase but aren't sure the best way to do it?

There are many different ways we can buy things - some better than others.

There are also some that can end up costing you way more than you might realise.

To give you a few new ideas, please have a look at my short "9 Ways to Pay for My Racehorse (or holiday, pool, car ...)" PDF article.https://www.mortgageaustralia.com.au/email/files/9waystopayformyracehorse.pdf

24/05/2026

Federal and State Governments review their incentive schemes for First Home Buyers with each annual Budget.

To find out the latest benefits you are eligible for, visit http://www.firsthome.gov.au/.

If you have any questions or would like some help in obtaining all the benefits you can, I'm here to help. http://www.firsthome.gov.au/

23/05/2026

"With fewer first buyers taking out home loans than a decade ago, one might have concerns for the future of the Great Australian Dream.

Just because you can�t afford what or where you want to buy first up, doesn�t mean you should forego property altogether. The longer you leave getting into the market, the harder it may become. Property prices may increase beyond your reach or the cost of living in general may climb, making it harder to save for a deposit.

While you may not be able to afford your dream home now, you can still take steps to help you afford it in the future.

Be prepared to compromise

While location remains the main mantra when it comes to property, many buyers may have to compromise on where they stake their first claim.

Rather than honing in on houses, consider an apartment, or even older units, which often have bigger floorplans and greater scope for renovating and redecorating.

If scoping inner-city or even middle-ring suburbs, set your sights on outer suburbs with greater affordability. You may have to commute further if you work in a CBD, and it may take longer to get to the beach on a hot summer�s day, but living on the urban edge can have lifestyle advantages.

You can escape quicker for a tree change, with many outer suburbs bordering bushland or national parks.

Amenities and infrastructure, such as shopping centres and hospitals, are often newer on the city fringe.

Your area is likely to be full of other first-home buyers, which often include young couples and young families, bringing energy and a greater sense of community to a neighbourhood.

Buying in newer, outer suburbs also means newer houses or apartments, which usually means fewer maintenance and repair costs, and more contemporary building materials, d�cor and landscaping.

You may find that once you are in the market and have paid down some of your first mortgage, you are in a stronger financial position to revisit your original desired location.

Make a move

It�s a bold idea � and certainly not for everyone � but is the quest for your first property an opportunity to live in a totally new city or region?

Apparently around one in three of us was prepared to pack up and move interstate to improve our financial lot in 2012, if the ING DIRECT Financial Wellbeing Index of that year was anything to go by.

The reality is around 300,000 to 350,000 Australians move interstate each year4, according to the latest available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. While many may move for family or work reasons, first home buyers looking for more affordable digs could also be part of this migration.

Before you call the removalists consider:

Financial security � can you secure employment before you make the move?

Lifestyle � what local hobbies, amenities and attractions will help you have a fulfilling personal life?

Family � if you have a partner and/or kids, will they be happy in the new location?

On the flipside, relocating to a new state, city or town is a potentially exciting opportunity to experience new people and places, and pocket some savings along the way.

Become a rent-investor

There�s no rule that says you have to live in your first property. Many first home buyers are challenging convention by rent-investing � renting where they want to live and buying an investment property in a more affordable location.

The objective for these renters is to buy where they can afford to get a foothold on the property ladder. That could be another suburb in the same city or a town in an entirely different state.

As with any investment, the key is to choose a property on financial merit, not emotion. Are you looking for capital gain over time or high rental yields right away?

The investment property can be positively geared, where the rent exceeds the cost of the mortgage and upkeep to give you a profit, or negatively geared, where the rental income is less than the cost of owning and managing the property, creating a tax deduction.

Seek legal and financial advice so you are well informed about how renting and taking on an investment property impacts your finances and tax obligations.

Maximise incentives

Various grants and stamp duty concessions are offered in each state and territory to give first home buyers a leg up. As at February 2017, here�s a snapshot of what�s available and where, do bear in mind that things could change, so double check before you commit.

For more information, visit www.firsthome.gov.au" www.firsthome.gov.au