TeemU Finance - Paul Freer

21/10/2026

More than 20%. That is how often brokers did not recommend the cheapest loan, according to 7 of the 8 large aggregator groups ASIC reviewed [ASIC Report 840, 13 October 2026].

It even has a name. The cheapest loan question. ASIC looked at 13 licensees covering about two thirds of broker representatives in Australia, for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025. It found practices generally lined up with its guidance, but also cases where there was no clear evidence to support recommending a higher cost loan. ASIC's position is that the greater the cost difference, the stronger the evidence needed.

Sorting by the lowest rate is not the full picture though. Approval time, how a lender assesses your income and the features you will actually use can all change the result. For example, a rate 0.10% lower on a $600,000 loan is roughly $600 a year in interest [an example only, not a quote from any lender]. If that lender takes 3 weeks longer to approve and puts your house purchase at risk, the cheaper rate may not turn out to be the cheaper outcome.

The good news is that you can test any recommendation with 2 questions, and it does not need an application. What was the cheapest option you looked at, and what does the difference cost or save me each year in dollars? You should get a clear answer, from us or anyone else. ASIC's Moneysmart site also lists questions to ask when choosing a home loan.

So, when did someone last explain why your loan was chosen over the cheapest one? Happy to talk it through, and no pressure either way.

Paul / TeemU Finance

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21/10/2026

Planning to buy an investment property? The rules that decide whether it stacks up changed on 12 May 2026, and the law passed on 25 June.

If you buy an established home after 7:30pm on 12 May 2026, then from 1 July 2027 a rental loss can no longer be offset against your wages. It is carried forward against future rental income or gains instead. New builds keep the benefit, and properties owned or under contract before that date are grandfathered.

What does this mean? Take rent of $25,000 against $35,000 of loan interest and costs. That $10,000 loss used to reduce the tax on your salary. For these purchases it now sits and waits.

Interestingly, the bit that matters for a loan is how lenders see it. ANZ, NAB and Macquarie have updated their serviceability policies so negative gearing is only recognised for new builds or properties bought before the budget. So, the cash flow needs to stand up without it.

Plus, from 1 July 2027 the 50% CGT discount is replaced by indexation to inflation and a 30% minimum tax on real gains [gains built up before that date stay on the current rules].

Whether you are a first time investor or already have a portfolio, established or new build, own name or trust, the answer will be different for each of you???

This is general information only and not tax advice. An accountant should check your position, and if you do not have one we know 2 good value quality accountants I’d be happy to introduce you to.

If you are weighing up an investment purchase, send through your numbers and I’ll talk it through with you.

Paul / TeemU Finance

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13/10/2026

The RBA lifted the cash rate to 4.60% last week [the 4th rise this year], and the board has said it will keep going if inflation needs it. So, refinance cashback ads are about to get louder. Interestingly, there are already offers out there ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, usually for loans up to 80% LVR. Most want the loan kept open for at least 12 months, and some take back 50% if you leave early.

What does this mean. On a $600k loan, every 0.10% of interest rate is roughly $50 a month. A $3,000 cashback sounds great, but if the rate is 0.25% higher than another lender’s, that’s about $125 a month and the cashback is gone in 2 years. Then you keep paying the higher rate.

Or, maybe the right answer is a lower rate with no cashback at all. Or staying put and asking your current lender to sharpen their pricing.

Or looking at your structure [offset, fixed and variable split] rather than just the headline number.

Of course, this all depends on your cash flow, savings and how you sleep at night. A computer or a comparison calculator won’t be able to factor in the nuances of your situation. That’s where we come in.

So, if rates are on your mind and you’d like a second opinion on your loan, send me a message and I’d be happy to talk it through.

Paul

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07/10/2026

Please find below our EMU Market Update for October 🙂

With our EMU we look to share relevant market data and information in one place. Saving you time as we do the sourcing for you. We hope you find this of interest. Current Economic Indicators: RBA cash interest rate target 4.60% (0.25% increase) CPI (inflation) index movement in 12 months to August 2...

30/09/2026

As you will have probably heard, the RBA yesterday announced an increase in the cash rate to 4.60%. That's the 4th increase this year and a 15-year high. Most lenders are expected to pass it on. Macquarie has confirmed 25 basis points from 15 October and the big 4 haven't announced yet.

On an average loan of around $736k thats roughly $120 a month extra [depending on your loan size and term of course].

Interestingly, only weeks ago banks were cutting variable rates and offering sharper pricing to win new customers. Which usually means the best pricing goes to people walking in the door, not to those already on the books.

As one broker put it in the ABC, banks quietly hope you don't ask for a better rate. So what does this mean for you?

Watch and wait is one option, or a more proactive approach could be to check where your rate sits today against what lenders are offering new borrowers. Or, maybe there's an option to refinance to a lower cost lender, or restructure your finances so the extra cost hurts less [maybe a fixed and variable split, utilisation of an offset or redraw instead, the term of the loan, etc].

A calculator can't factor in your cash flow, your savings and how you sleep at night. That's the bit we can help with.

So, if your repayments are on your mind, send me a message and I'd be happy to talk it through.

Paul

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09/09/2026

1.2 million Suncorp Bank customers started receiving letters this week. A good many of them here in Queensland.

Their accounts, products and banking platforms are moving across to ANZ by June 2027. It's the first real step for customers since ANZ completed the $4.9Bn acquisition back in July 2024. For now no action is required, and people will get individual guidance ahead of their own migration date.

At the same time, HSBC has agreed to sell its Australian home and personal loan book, around $36Bn of it, to Blackstone, with Pepper Money lined up to manage the portfolio. That one is expected to complete in the first half of 2027.

So a fair number of Australian mortgage holders are about to change who services their loan, without having chosen to.

Having spent a good part of my career inside banks, including running one, here's what I'd say. A migration like this doesn't rewrite your loan contract. Your balance, your rate and your remaining term come across as they are. What tends to move is everything sitting around the loan.

Four things worth keeping an eye on:

a. Your BSB and account numbers, and every direct debit, salary credit and standing payment pointed at them.

b. How your offset and redraw behave on the new platform, as the mechanics are not identical between lenders.

c. Any annual package or fee waiver you're on, and what the equivalent looks like on the other side.

d. Any discretionary discount you negotiated years ago, as that was granted under the old bank's pricing policy.

And one more that matters in todays world. A migration can mean 18 months of legitimate emails and texts about your bank accounts, which is perfect cover for scam emails. If something lands asking you to verify or update anything, don't click it. Open your banking app yourself, or ring the number on the back of your card.

None of this means you need to rush anywhere. Sitting tight is a perfectly sound option [nothing about the migration itself is a red flag].

However, a change you didn't ask for is a reasonable prompt to look at something you may not have checked in a while. Is the rate you're paying still in line with what's being written today? Does the structure still suit what you're doing now, rather than what you were doing in 2021? A comparison table won't answer that, as it can't see your income, your account conduct or your plans for the next few years.

So, if you're one of the 1.2 million and you'd like a second set of eyes on where your loan sits, let me know and I'd be happy to talk it through.

Paul

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09/09/2026

Please find below our EMU Market Update for September 🙂

With our EMU we look to share relevant market data and information in one place. Saving you time as we do the sourcing for you. We hope you find this of interest. Current Economic Indicators: RBA cash interest rate target 4.35% (no change) CPI (inflation) index movement in 12 months to July 2026 3.5...

09/07/2026

In Brisbane the government will now chip in up to $400,000 towards a first home, and you can start with a deposit of just 2%.
It has a name. Help to Buy, the federal shared equity scheme. From 1 July 2026 it opened 10,000 new places for the year and lifted the income limits to $103,000 for a single and $165,000 for couples and single parents [Housing Australia]. The government takes up to a 40% share in a new home, or 30% in an existing one, up to Brisbane's price cap of $1,000,000.
Waiting for prices or rates to make it easier probably won't help. A full 20% deposit on a $700,000 place is $140,000, and with the RBA holding the cash rate at 4.35% there is no cut on the horizon before the next meeting on 11 August at the earliest.
There is a catch worth knowing. The government keeps its share of the home and you repay it when you sell or refinance. But you don't need a large deposit to get started, and with only 10,000 places for the whole country, it is worth checking early whether you fit.
Not sure if you qualify, or whether the shared equity trade off suits you? Happy to run through the numbers and tell you honestly either way, no pressure.
Paul
TeemU Finance

25/06/2026

Please find below our EMU Market Update for June 2026 🙂

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13/06/2026

EMU Fun Fact #22 - Do EMU's have teeth?
Let's find out....