✈️ AI Saved My Holiday🥢🌴

Welcome to 2026 Finance Friends!!!! I’m kicking off the first Credit Crunch of 2026 with a real-life reminder of why curiosity matters , and why AI is no longer optional.

I had been planning our Vietnam family holiday for months. Accommodation booked. Flights locked in. Bags meticulously packed in labeled 'packing cubes'. The one job I gave my husband was to organise the visas. And he did. Weeks in advance. All sorted… or so we thought.

Fast forward to Christmas night, 25 December, 9pm, standing at the airport check-in counter, and we’re told my husband can’t board the flight. His visa didn’t include his middle name. Vietnam requires full legal names on visas. No exceptions......Cue panic.

It was Christmas night. A public holiday. After hours. Two distraught kids. And the very real likelihood that our family holiday was about to fall apart at the check-in desk.

I checked myself and the kids in (because at least we could fly), while my husband raced off with his laptop to try and find a solution. His instinct was what most of us would do -  Google, emails, websites, frantic searching for “emergency visa Vietnam”.

I suggested using AI. He kept Googling.

So I opened my laptop and went straight to ChatGPT.

Within seconds, it gave me:

• A list of reputable emergency visa providers
• Expected turnaround times for each provider
• Website links and citations
• WhatsApp contact details
• Guidance on what was legitimate and what to avoid

Within minutes, I was speaking directly with a reputable emergency visa company via WhatsApp. While my husband was still scrolling Google results, I was uploading passport details, taking headshots at the airport, and reapplying for a brand-new visa , all while cross-checking the company’s legitimacy with ChatGPT in real time.

Was it risky? Absolutely. But I wasn’t guessing, I was validating, questioning, and pressure-testing every step (but seriously - I had nothing to lose).

With 40 minutes until the flight closed, the company issued an official letter confirming the visa was in progress. That letter was enough for Vietnam Airlines to release my husband’s boarding pass. And before we even boarded the plane, the full visa came through.

Holiday saved.

Meanwhile, the second company my husband contacted (also reputable) didn’t respond until the next morning, long after we’d landed safely in Vietnam. To their credit, they refunded the fee.

Same problem. Two approaches. Very different outcomes.

Which brings me to my word for 2026: Curious.

• Be curious enough to explore new tools.
• Curious enough to feel uncomfortable.
• Curious enough to question how you’ve always done things.

Just because something worked for the last 10 years doesn’t mean it’s how you should do it for the next 10.

Last year, I encouraged brokers to double down on everything AI can’t do: real relationships, authenticity, trust, human connection -  and to lean on AI for everything else. That message hasn’t changed.

AI is no longer the shiny, (scary) new toy.
It’s here. It’s not going anywhere.
Use it — or be left behind.

Which brings me to you.

Have you mapped out your business plan for 2026 and how are you embedding AI into your daily processes?  Each year, I plan my next 12 months by breaking it into 30 days, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, then reverse-engineering the activity required to hit the targets. Nothing overly complicated. Just clarity, numbers, and intention.  If you’re feeling a little behind on planning and need a nudge, consider this it. And if you want a simple, practical template to get everything out of your head and onto paper, we’ve made something just for you here:👉 BIZ PLAN 2026 

Alright, story time over. Let’s get into the policy updates you need to know about 👇

🧠 Go Beyond by LMG Lending (Think Tank)

🏡 Residential Vacant Land – Now Available!

Options Available

• ✅ Mid Doc & Full Doc

• ✅ No build timeframe required (land banking acceptable)

• 📏 Maximum land size: 4 hectares

• 📊 Maximum LVR: 75%

Loan Limits

• 🏙️ Metro: up to $2.0M

• 🌄 Regional: up to $1.0M

⚠️ Note: Construction lending is not currently available.

🏢 Commercial Lending

Documentation

• Full Doc & Mid Doc

Key Updates

• 🏗️ Vacant land now accepted as first security

• 💰 Up to $2M at 65% LVR for populated areas (50K+ population)

• ⏳ Loan term extended to 30 years for loans over $4M (previously 25 years)

• 📉 ICR reduced – Mid Doc ICR lowered from 2.0x to 1.75x for loans over $4M

• ❌ SMSF net asset requirement removed for loans over $4M

• 🔺 Maximum loan amount increased to $10M

Line of Credit

• 🔺 Maximum loan amount increased to $10M

• 📉 ICR reduced – Mid Doc Max ICR lowered from 2.0x to 1.75x

SMSF Commercial

• 🔺 Maximum loan amount increased to $10M

🏠 Firstmac – Policy Update (Effective Immediately)

Improved transparency around borrower obligations and serviceability for Company & Trust applications.

1️⃣ Company, Trust & SMSF Loans – Corporate Trustees Only

• Home & SMSF loans accepted only where trustee is a corporate entity

• ❌ New loans with individual trustees will not be considered

• 🔁 Further advances for existing borrowers may be considered (excluding SMSF loans)

2️⃣ Guarantor Liabilities

All guarantees must be disclosed and included in serviceability:

• Relationship to borrower

• Purpose of the loan

• Loan details (limit / amount guaranteed, repayment, repayment type)

3️⃣ Related Rental Income & Interest Addback

If guaranteed loan is held by a company or trust:

• 👥 No unrelated third parties → 100% rental income & interest addback allowed

• 🤝 With unrelated parties → use borrower’s proportional share only

If guaranteed loan is held by a third-party individual:

• 🏘️ Rental income capped at the monthly repayment amount

• ❌ Investment loan interest addback (negative gearing) not allowed

4️⃣ Non-Disclosure

• 🚫 Failure to disclose guaranteed loans = automatic decline

🏦 Bank of Sydney

Home Equity Maximiser – Product Update

📅 Effective 10 January 2026

• Product no longer available for sale (OO & Investment)

What stays the same

• ✅ No impact to existing customers

New & In-Pipeline

• 📥 Applications submitted on or before 10 Jan 2026 will be accepted

💼 MA Money

Low Credit Score Clients – Top 10 Reasons

1️⃣ No CCR
2️⃣ Statements required only for refinances
3️⃣ Real-life assessment, not just credit files
4️⃣ Low scores may still qualify for Prime rates
5️⃣ Alt Doc & Full Doc for all clients
6️⃣ Unlimited debt consolidation
7️⃣ Direct access to credit team
8️⃣ Same-day scenario responses
9️⃣ Unlimited cash out (most clients)
🔟 Prime through to Specialist products available

🏦 ANZ

Company Home Loan Policy Changes

📅 Effective 8 January 2026

What’s Changing?

Eligibility limited to existing ANZ customers who:

• Are a director, personal guarantor & hold ≥25% ownership

• Have satisfactory account history

• Have held:

  • ANZ lending product for 6+ months, or

  • ANZ deposit/transaction/savings account for 12+ months

📊 Maximum LVR: 70%

In-Flight Applications

• Submitted pre-effective date → old policy applies

• Submitted on/after effective date → new policy applies

• AST/AIP increases or credit-critical changes → new policy applies

• Satisfying outstanding conditions → old policy applies

• Declined & resubmitted → new policy applies

What You Need to Do

• Does not apply to individual trustees

• Review pipeline for trust/company structures

• Communicate changes to clients

• Ensure new applications meet criteria

🏠 ME Bank

New Home Lending Experience – Launching Soon

Two new home loan products + a brand-new lending experience.

📅 Information Sessions

• Tuesday 20 January
  👉 https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b74d6f29-e561-4154-b201-0de8c037293b@8cfb3129-62e1-46d9-99ef-6d3641a7f007?deliveryName=DM830980 

• Wednesday 28 January
  👉 https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a39b5f99-254f-42a7-8199-bb8b5bf1e085@8cfb3129-62e1-46d9-99ef-6d3641a7f007?deliveryName=DM830980 

• Wednesday 4 February
  👉 https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/15d8b868-64d4-4708-a450-6c6fd497737f@8cfb3129-62e1-46d9-99ef-6d3641a7f007?deliveryName=DM830980 

🏦 Bankwest

Top 26 for ’26 🎉 (Thanks Kathy Panopoulos!)

Highlights

• AVMs accepted up to $2M ($3M in some cases) & 80% LVR

• 100% overtime accepted for emergency & healthcare workers (expanded list)

• Flexible VISA holder options

• Contract PAYG verified with 1 payslip only

• Up to 98% LVR Purchase/Construction, 95% Investment

• Commission income at 80%, annualised over last 6 months

• Genuine savings required only above 90% LVR

• Rental payments accepted in lieu of savings

• Family Tax A & B at 100% (children up to 15)

• Casual income accepted (52 weeks, min 6 months)

• Cash out up to $1M @ 80% LVR

• Probation considered to 80% LVR

• 100% carers income accepted

• Seasonal income policies supported

• Up to 4 dwellings on one title

• Up to 60 hectares (with dwelling)

• Family guarantees incl. refinances & investments

• No limit on out-of-contract build items

• Display homes accepted

• Bonus income accepted at 80%

• No rental yield cap (sub-80% LVR)

• 100% ongoing allowances accepted

• 90% holiday rental income accepted

• 9 offset accounts per split

• Market-leading foreign income policy

• Rental income accepted as sole income source

🚀 NEW THIS WEEK INSIDE THE BROKERS' BIBLE – BUSINESS FUNDING MODULES!

Education and Training: