Notes from credit.
What we're seeing on files this month, LVRs, exit sensitivities, and the shape of the Australian private credit market.
Cornerstone articles
Practical guides to bridging, first and second mortgages, caveat loans, development finance, non-bank lending and more. Written by the credit team.
- Broker brief · 21 June 2026
How Long Does a Bridging Loan Take to Settle in Australia?
From scenario submission to settlement, a practical guide to bridging loan timelines in Australia. What drives speed, what causes delays, and how to package a file for fast turnaround.
Read article → - Borrower guide · 21 June 2026
Self-Employed Borrowers and Private Credit: What Lenders Actually Assess
Private credit lenders assess self-employed files differently from banks. Two years of financials are not always required. Here is what actually drives the credit decision and how to position a self-employed file.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 17 June 2026
How Archer Wealth underwrites a property loan
The credit process from scenario submission to formal approval, what the credit team actually looks at, and why some files come back same-day while others take a week.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 17 June 2026
What happens when a borrower defaults on a private mortgage
The enforcement process under a registered mortgage when a borrower defaults, what the lender can and can't do, the borrower's protections, and why most files don't reach formal enforcement.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 17 June 2026
How private mortgage rates are set in Australia
Why a $750k bridging loan against a Bondi house and a $3m second mortgage against a regional commercial site price differently, the four inputs that drive private mortgage pricing, and what borrowers can do to influence each.
Read article → - Broker brief · 29 May 2026
Private Lending vs Bank Lending: What Every Broker Should Know
When private lending beats bank lending, when it doesn't, and how good brokers use both. Speed, LVR, rate, structuring and a worked case study, written for the broker desk.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 26 May 2026
Low doc loans in Australia, explained
How low doc loans work in Australia after the NCCP, what counts as low doc, who actually writes them in 2026, LVR caps, pricing, and where private lenders fit when the bank low doc form doesn't.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 26 May 2026
Non-bank lenders in Australia, explained
A practical map of the Australian non-bank lending market in 2026, the three tiers (tier-two non-banks, private lenders, niche specialists), how regulation differs, where each fits, and how to compare lenders within a tier.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 26 May 2026
Bridging finance in Australia, explained
How bridging finance works in Australia, open vs closed bridging, capitalised vs serviced interest, where banks and private lenders sit, LVR norms, and the single most important question on every bridging file: what is the exit.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 26 May 2026
Caveat loan vs second mortgage in Australia
Both sit behind a senior mortgage; both fund short-term needs. But the legal mechanic, recovery position, pricing, and use cases differ. A side-by-side comparison written for brokers and borrowers.
Read article → - Investor brief · 26 May 2026
Private mortgage funds in Australia, explained
How private mortgage funds work in Australia, wholesale vs retail, contributory vs pooled, first-mortgage backed vs subordinated, regulatory frame, and what wholesale investors should look for before allocating.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 26 May 2026
SMSF property loans in Australia, explained
How SMSF property loans work in Australia, the LRBA framework, bare trust structure, bank vs private lender appetite, LVR caps, residential vs commercial, and the regulatory trap doors trustees need to know.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 26 May 2026
Interest-only investment loans in Australia, explained
How interest-only investment loans work in Australia after APRA's tightening cycle, bank policy, IO term limits, switching from IO to P&I, where private lenders write IO files banks won't, and the tax mechanics every investor should understand.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 25 May 2026
Commercial property loans in Australia, explained
A practical guide to commercial property loans in Australia, what the banks fund, where private lenders fit, how LVR and serviceability are assessed, and what to expect on terms, rates, and timelines.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 25 May 2026
Investment property loans in Australia, explained
How investment property loans work in Australia, bank policy versus private credit, APRA-driven serviceability, where portfolio borrowers run into walls, and how private lenders fit. Written for brokers and their borrowers.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 25 May 2026
Property development finance in Australia, explained
How property development loans work in Australia, land acquisition, DA hold, construction, residual stock. Where major banks fund, where second-tier lenders fit, and where private development finance is the natural home.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 23 May 2026
Vacant land loans in Australia
How vacant land loans work in Australia, bank policy, private lender alternatives, LVR caps, DA-hold structures, and the practical mechanics of buying dirt before you build.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 22 May 2026
Second mortgage loan in Australia, explained
A practical guide to second mortgage loans in Australia, what they are, when they fit, how combined LVR works, and what to ask a private lender before signing anything.
Read article → - Brokers · 15 May 2026
The complete guide to non-bank lending for brokers
A lot of finance professionals know non-bank lending exists. Fewer use it well, and the gap costs real income across the year. A practical guide to reading the deal, picking the right lender, and turning declined files into settlements.
Read article → - Market · 18 April 2026
Australian private credit: where the margin really is
Spreads widened through the cycle, but risk-adjusted returns are concentrated in a narrower slice of the market than most LPs realise.
Read article → - Credit · 12 April 2026
Why we underwrite the exit before the entry
A simple principle with expensive exceptions: we size bridging to the exit value, not the acquisition value.
Read article → - Products · 4 April 2026
Second mortgages: sensible limits in a thinner market
We still write behind majors, but the envelope has narrowed. Here is the band we are comfortable inside.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 6 June 2025
Caveat Loans + Second Mortgages in Australia
Caveat loans and second mortgages give Australian borrowers fast, asset-backed funding when traditional bank approval is too slow or restrictive. A practical guide to what they are, when they fit, and how to use them well.
Read article → - Market brief · 6 June 2025
Private Mortgage Lenders in Australia, Explained
How private mortgage lenders work in Australia, why they matter in today's market, how to get started, and the pitfalls to avoid before signing anything.
Read article → - Borrower brief · 4 September 2024
Private First Mortgages: Non-Traditional Borrowers
Why private lending is the key to financial freedom for borrowers with unconventional income or credit histories, and how Archer Wealth's private first mortgages work in practice.
Read article →