๐จ Credit Crunch: Policy Updates You NEED to Know This Week
Hey finance friends ๐There’s a lot happening across lenders right now — and some of these updates are genuinely important for how you structure deals moving forward.
Let’s break it down ๐
๐ฆ NAB – Major Changes to Company & Trust Borrowing
Big shift here from NAB, especially for non-individual lending.
๐ What’s changing from 1 May:
- Max LVR capped at 80% for all company and trust applications
- โ Cash-out is no longer permitted for non-individual lending
โก CBA – Access Seeker Now Mandatory
From Tuesday 28 April, NextGen’s Access Seeker is now mandatory in ApplyOnline.
๐ก Why this matters:
- Gives a real-time CCR data comparison
- Helps improve accuracy upfront
- Reduces rework and back-and-forth with credit
- Speeds up outcomes for both you and your clients
๐ Bonus:
Free for brokers and clients — no cost barrier.
๐ข Bank of Sydney – Commercial + SME Opportunities
This one is a bit of a hidden gem ๐
๐ผ Specialised Commercial Lending
Bank of Sydney is open to:
- โฝ Service stations
- ๐ง Childcare centres
- ๐ซ Schools
- ๐ Boarding houses
(All assessed case-by-case)
๐ SME Policy Highlights
(For clients with <$3m business lending or <$6m total exposure)
- Up to 80% LVR (residential + commercial security)
- ๐ Longer loan terms:
- 30 years (residential)
- 25 years (commercial)
- ๐ Reduced servicing buffer → 1.5%
- ๐ธ Interest-only available up to 5 years
๐ This is a strong niche play for SME clients needing flexibility.
๐ฅ MA Money – 40-Year Loan Terms Now Available
Yes… 40 YEARS ๐ฎ
๐ฏ Available where:
- All applicants are aged 40 or under
- Applies to both:
- Owner Occupied
- Investment lending
๐ก Why this matters:
- Lower repayments = improved servicing
- More cash flow flexibility
- Helps clients enter the market sooner
- Strong tool for investment structuring
๐งฉ Can be paired with:
- Full offset
- Common Debt Reducer
- 1 year financials for self-employed
- No shading on bonuses/commission
โ ๏ธ Keep in mind:
- Max loan size: $2.5m
- Not available for:
- Non-residents
- Expats
- SMSF
๐ฐ ME Bank – New $3,000 Cashback
๐
Available 1 May → 28 August
๐ธ Key details:
- $3,000 refinance cashback
- Minimum loan: $700,000
- Max LVR: 80%
๐ Good tactical play for refinance conversations right now.
๐ก Bankwest – Big Policy Enhancements (LMI + Savings)
Bankwest has quietly made some very broker-friendly changes ๐
๐ฐ Genuine Savings – Simplified
- Reduced from 3 months → 1 month
- Only needs to be evidenced prior to formal approval
๐ Essentially a 1-day policy in practice
๐ Gifted Funds – Easier
- Declaration only required
- โ No requirement to show funds sitting in account
๐ฉ๐ผ Probation Now Accepted (LMI)
- No time-in-job requirement
- No gap required between roles
๐ Reduced LMI Rates (OO)
- 80–90% LVR → 6.14%
- 90–95% LVR → 6.54%
โก Extra win:
- Strong PAYG pricing discounts currently available
๐ This is a very competitive play in high LVR lending right now
๐ Education You Shouldn’t Miss
๐ข ORDE Commercial Masterclass
๐
29 April
๐ Melbourne CBD
You’ll learn:
- How to identify commercial opportunities in your database
- Structuring stronger deals
- Market insights (with Bernard Salt research)
- Valuation insights from Opteon
๐ CPD points included
๐ Register here:
https://orde.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/event/home/borderoomsessioncommercialmasterclass?j=30806&sfmc_sub=2308183&l=1294_HTML&u=475244&mid=546009439&jb=1
๐ ANZ LMI Webinar
๐
6 May | 11:00am–11:45am
Covers:
- LMI policy deep dive
- Common scenarios
- Tips & tricks
- FAQs + niches
๐ CPD points available
๐ Register here:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/0fef4861-cf3d-4bcf-95ac-e7c54f774762@1f4f7eda-6e51-425e-a0f9-4c2fcef58a52
๐ฅ Wrap Up
A few key takeaways this week:
- NAB tightening company/trust lending (this is big)
- Bankwest quietly becoming very competitive in high LVR + LMI
- MA Money pushing boundaries with 40-year terms
- Bank of Sydney offering strong SME/commercial niches
๐ Plenty of opportunity here — but also a few policy shifts you need to stay on top of.
See you next week, finance friends ๐
