Guides & tools · Free
Resources for better decisions.
Guides, glossary, and tools — for property buyers, investors and business owners navigating Australian finance.
Free PDF guides · No email gate*
Plain-English guides
written by the directors.
Practical, specific, and current. Each guide is written by Jeff and Moishe based on real client situations — not generic finance content. *Email captured for occasional updates, downloads instant either way.
FREE PDF · 22 PAGES
First Home Buyer Guide
2026 Edition · Victoria
WOOD & WEISS FINANCE
First Home Buyer Guide
FHB Guarantee, stamp duty concessions, FHOG, FHSS — how to stack the schemes for $40K+ savings. Plus the realistic 8-week pathway from strategy call to keys.
- Government scheme eligibility & stacking
- Deposit pathway: 5% / 10% / 20% scenarios
- Lender selection for first home buyers
- Pre-approval to settlement timeline
FREE PDF · 13 PAGES
Refinance Health Check
2026 Edition
WOOD & WEISS FINANCE
Refinance Health Check
Is your current loan still right? A structured self-assessment. When refinancing is worth it, when it isn't, and how to spot the $5K-$15K/year you might be leaving on the table.
- Five signals it's time to refinance
- Real costs of refinancing (with 3-year breakeven maths)
- Lower rate vs. better structure — what to optimise for
- Equity release strategies
FREE PDF · 13 PAGES
Self-Employed Borrower Guide
2026 Edition
WOOD & WEISS FINANCE
Self-Employed Borrower Guide
How lenders actually assess self-employed income, what add-backs to claim, and the tax minimisation vs borrowing capacity trade-off that costs most self-employed clients $200K+ in capacity.
- How lenders look at self-employed income
- Documentation checklist (BAS, accountant letters, etc.)
- Add-backs that boost capacity by $100K+
- Tax minimisation vs. borrowing capacity trade-off
FREE PDF · 12 PAGES
Investment Property Advisory Guide
2026 Edition
WOOD & WEISS FINANCE
Investment Property Advisory Guide
From your first investment property to portfolio building. Loan structure for investors, equity recycling strategy, the capital growth vs. yield trade-off, and the tax framework that compounds returns over decades.
- The four returns: growth, yield, tax, leverage
- IO vs P&I — and why most investors choose IO
- Equity recycling: from 1 to 5 properties
- Why cross-collateralisation is a trap
FREE PDF · 12 PAGES
Business Finance Guide
2026 Edition
WOOD & WEISS FINANCE
Business Finance Guide
Commercial property, working capital, equipment finance, invoice finance — the full range of business lending products, when each makes sense, and how to use residential property equity for business at a much lower cost than direct business lending.
- Product landscape: rates, speed, use cases
- Commercial property loans vs residential
- Using property equity for business (the cheapest capital)
- Personal guarantees & cross-default — what to watch for
More guides on the way: Construction Loan Basics, SMSF Lending Guide, House & Land Package Guide. Want one prioritised? Tell us.
Glossary
Finance terms made simple.
Common lending terms decoded in plain English.
LVR (Loan-to-Value Ratio)
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The loan amount as a percentage of the property value. A $480K loan on a $600K property is 80% LVR. Lenders typically require LMI (Lenders Mortgage Insurance) on LVRs above 80%.
LMI (Lenders Mortgage Insurance)
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Insurance that protects the lender if you default. Required on loans with less than 20% deposit. Cost varies from a few thousand to tens of thousands depending on loan size and LVR.
A transaction account linked to your home loan where the balance reduces the interest charged on the loan. $50K in offset against a $500K loan means you only pay interest on $450K.
Repayments cover interest only; the loan principal doesn't reduce. Used mostly by investors for cash flow and tax purposes. Lenders typically allow 5-year IO periods on investment loans, 3-year on owner-occupied.
P&I (Principal & Interest)
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Standard loan repayment type where each repayment covers both the interest charge and reduces the loan balance. Builds equity faster than IO.
Conditional approval from a lender, subject to finding a suitable property. Valid for 3-6 months typically. Gives confidence to make offers, but is not formal approval.
A rate that combines the advertised interest rate with most fees and charges, expressed as an annual rate. Required by law in advertising. Useful but not perfect — doesn't include all real costs.
The interest rate lenders use to assess your borrowing capacity (currently approximately 3% above the actual rate, per APRA guidelines). Why two clients with the same income can have very different borrowing capacities across lenders.