Same client.
Every lender.
Why the answers differ.

1. 1One formula, many answersEvery lender starts from the same sum. Here's that sum, and why a small monthly difference turns into a big loan difference.6 min
2. 2Income: what counts, and how muchOvertime, bonus, allowances and rent are rarely counted in full, and each lender cuts them differently.8 min
3. 3Living expenses and the benchmarkWhy the figure your client declares is often not the figure the lender uses, and why families feel it most.7 min
4. 4Existing debtsAn unused credit card limit, a HECS debt and an existing mortgage can each cost more borrowing power than clients expect.7 min
5. 5The buffer and the assessment rateLenders don't test your client at the rate they'll pay. Here's the rate they test at, and when it's lower.5 min
6. 6Self-employed incomeLatest year, two-year average or the lower of the two: the same tax returns can be read three ways.7 min
7. 7Investors and existing propertyRental shading, how existing loans are tested and negative gearing produce the widest gaps of all.8 min
8. 8Putting it togetherA checklist for reading any scenario: where the gap will come from, and why the highest number isn't always the answer.5 min

General education for mortgage brokers, not credit advice. Lender policies, rates and benchmarks change often; the case studies use made-up borrowers run through each lender's calculator as rebuilt in AutoCalc, with lenders unnamed.