Money Guides Australia

Complete guide to stamp duty in Australia: how it works, who pays, first home buyer exemptions and how to calculate it.

Stamp Duty Guide (Australia)

Complete guide to stamp duty in Australia: how it works, who pays, first home buyer exemptions and how to calculate it.

First Home Buyer Stamp Duty

Buyer's Guide

Everything about first home buyer concessions: exemptions, thresholds, and eligibility by state.

Stamp Duty Fees & Total Costs

Cost Breakdown

Understanding total government costs: stamp duty, transfer fees, mortgage registration and more.

Mortgages & Home Loans

18 guides

Mortgage Quotes Australia

How to compare mortgage quotes and home loan offers in Australia. Learn what lenders check, what to compare (rate vs comparison rate), and how to shortlist the best loan.

Refinancing Break-Even — When Does It Pay Off?

Estimate refinance break-even by comparing upfront costs vs monthly repayment savings. Includes a step-by-step method, examples, and a checklist.

Offset Account Explained

Learn how offset accounts work in Australia, when they beat extra repayments, and how to estimate interest and time saved.

Extra Repayments Guide

See how extra repayments reduce interest and loan term. Learn the best strategies and common mistakes in Australia.

Offset vs Extra Repayments — Which Saves More?

Compare offset accounts vs extra repayments with clear scenarios, break-even logic, and how to choose based on flexibility, fees and discipline.

Refinance Costs Australia — Complete Fee Breakdown

Complete breakdown of Australian refinance fees: discharge, application, valuation, legal and government fees. Learn which are negotiable and when costs make refinancing not worth it.

Refinance Cashback Offers Explained

How refinance cashback offers work, their impact on break-even, clawback conditions to watch for, and common traps to avoid.

Amortisation Schedule Explained

Understand amortisation schedules, principal vs interest, and why early repayments are mostly interest.

LMI Calculator Guide

Learn when LMI applies in Australia, typical triggers (LVR > 80%), and strategies to reduce or avoid LMI.

How to Avoid LMI in Australia

Seven legitimate ways to avoid or reduce Lenders Mortgage Insurance in Australia — including FHBG, professional waivers, guarantor loans, and parental gifts.

Capitalised LMI Explained

Capitalising LMI defers the upfront cost — but you'll pay interest on it for the life of the loan. Compare upfront vs capitalised on a typical Australian home loan.

LMI for First Home Buyers

How LMI affects first home buyers — First Home Guarantee, Help to Buy, state schemes, and when paying LMI still makes sense.

LMI on Investment Property

How LMI works on investment property loans — the 15% investor loading, 5-year tax deductibility, and when investors should pay or avoid it.

LMI When Refinancing

Whether refinancing triggers a new LMI premium, when LMI is portable, and how to refinance without paying LMI twice.

Fortnightly vs Monthly Repayments

Fortnightly repayments can reduce interest and shorten your loan. Learn how it works and model the savings.

Interest-Only Home Loans

Understand how interest-only repayments work, what happens after the IO period ends, and how to estimate repayments.

Principal & Interest vs Interest-Only — Pros, Cons & Repayment Impact

A clear comparison of principal & interest vs interest-only home loans, including a table, real scenarios, and what happens when the interest-only period ends.

Repayments on $500k, $600k, $700k Mortgages

Reference

See example repayments for common loan sizes and learn what changes repayments most: rate, term, offset and extra repayments.

Borrowing Power

6 guides

Borrowing Power Calculator Guide

Estimate how much you can borrow for a home loan based on income, expenses, debts, credit cards and HECS/HELP.

Borrowing Rate vs Power

Learn the difference between borrowing rate and borrowing power, and which one you need for your situation.

Credit Cards & Borrowing Power

Tip

How credit card limits affect your borrowing capacity even if you have no balance.

HECS & Borrowing Power

Does HECS/HELP debt reduce your borrowing power? Learn how lenders assess student debt.

DTI Ratio Explained

Learn why Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio matters for your borrowing power and home loan approval.

Loan Interest Schedule

Understand amortisation schedules and how they work with your borrowing power.

Capital Gains Tax

6 guides

Capital Gains Tax Guide (Australia)

Complete guide to Australian capital gains tax: how CGT works, the 50% discount, cost base rules, indexation method and how capital losses work.

Capital Gains Tax on Property

How CGT applies to investment property in Australia. Covers cost base, capital works deductions, main residence exemption, 6-year rule and inherited property.

Capital Gains Tax on Shares

How CGT applies to shares, ETFs and managed funds in Australia. Covers brokerage, parcels, capital losses, DRP and record keeping.

Capital Gains Tax on Crypto

How Australian CGT applies to cryptocurrency. Covers ATO treatment, personal use exemption, exchange fees, DeFi and record keeping.

CGT Discount & Indexation Methods

Explains the 50% CGT discount, 33.33% SMSF discount and indexation method for pre-1999 assets. Includes worked examples comparing both methods.

CGT Cost Base Explained

Reference

Complete guide to the CGT cost base: the five ATO elements, what reduces it, capital works deductions and the most common mistakes people make.