Posts
Split loans: hedging when rates are uncertain
Splitting 50/50 fixed-variable isn't always the right call. Here's when it is, and when a pure variable still wins.
November 16, 2025
First Home Owner Grant: state-by-state 2026 table
FHOG amounts, eligibility, new-build rules and combined-concession interactions across all eight states and territories.
November 14, 2025
Subclass 186 ENS: Direct Entry vs Transitional
Which stream applies depends on your current visa. Timelines, evidence and the 2023 age-cap carve-outs.
November 13, 2025
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.
November 12, 2025
Loan portability: moving your loan to the new property
Taking your existing loan with you to a new house can avoid LMI and discharge fees. The conditions lenders attach.
November 11, 2025
NSW land tax aggregation trap
Buying a second NSW investment pushes all your holdings across the threshold. How to manage it, or avoid it.
November 10, 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.
November 8, 2025
Cooling-off period state by state
Five business days in NSW, three in Victoria, zero at auction. The table and the traps.
November 7, 2025
Private health insurance and tax: the math
Whether the rebate-plus-surcharge-avoidance makes hospital cover cheaper than going without, across income tiers.
November 5, 2025
Comparison rate: the number that actually matters
Comparison rate bundles fees into an equivalent interest rate. Its formula has limits - here are the three it misses.
November 3, 2025