Beyond Settlement · The Ongoing Review
Loans aren't set-and-forget. They're reviewed.
Most investors leave their loans untouched for years. The lender's policy changes, the market shifts, the portfolio evolves... and the structure that suited you at settlement quietly stops serving you. Annual review is my minimum for every client. For investors in growth mode, more often.
Last reviewed
Rebecca Tickner
Finance Broker · Maxfin
Sound familiar?
The problems I hear most often.
Your rate has drifted above market
Lenders rely on inertia. The rate you signed up for two years ago is rarely the rate they're writing today. A review either confirms you're still well-priced, or surfaces the case for a re-price (often without refinancing) or a switch.
The structure no longer fits the portfolio
Your portfolio in year one looks different from your portfolio in year three. Cross-collateralisation that didn't matter then may now block your next move. Loan splits that were tidy then may now be tangled. The structure needs to evolve with the portfolio.
Equity has built up that you can't see
Properties revalue. Markets move. The lazy equity sitting in your portfolio is invisible until someone orders a current valuation and runs the numbers. A review is when that happens.
How It Works
Five stages. Walked together.
The same client journey from your first call through to settlement... and the loan reviews that follow.
Tap a stage to explore
01.
Discover
- 15-minute discovery call
- Hello Pack lands in your inbox
- Click “Get Started” to begin your Fact Find
02.
Plan
- Your Fact Find returned
- I assess your servicing
- You receive your Game Plan with my recommendation
03.
Apply
- Game Plan signed
- I lodge your application
- We wait... lender may come back with clarifying questions
04.
Approve
- Conditional approval
- Final conditions satisfied (e.g. insurance)
- Formal approval
05.
Settle
- Loan documents signed
- Settlement booked, solicitor takes the lead
- Loan settled!
In Practice
The cheapest rate at the time of application means nothing if the loan is left untouched for ten years. The work doesn't end at settlement. That's when it actually starts.
Rebecca Tickner
What you get working with me.
Rate reviewed against current market
The lender's discretionary discount. The retention pricing. The genuine refinance case. All modelled against today's rates, not what you signed up for.
Structure assessed as your portfolio evolves
The right structure at property one isn't always the right structure at property three. Cross-collateralisation, loan splits, ownership entities all checked.
Equity position estimated against today's valuations
An informed estimate of releasable equity across the portfolio, before any formal valuation is ordered. Useful for planning the next move.
Lender policy changes flagged
When a lender on your portfolio tightens their investor cap or shifts serviceability policy, you hear about it from me, not when you try to apply for the next loan.
Refinance modelled when it makes sense
Not every review ends in a refinance. When the maths supports one, the case is documented honestly... discharge fees, valuations, switching costs and net benefit included. No hand-wave numbers.
Documented in writing
Every review delivered as a brief, not just a phone call. You have something to refer back to, share with your accountant, or weigh against your other professional advisers' views.
Three Cadences
How often we review depends on what you're actually doing.
Annual is the minimum for every client. Investors in growth mode get a tighter cadence. Aggressive scalers get continuous oversight. The right tier is whichever matches the actual pace of your portfolio.
Standard
Annual
For: every client I've placed a loan with.
The minimum review I do for everyone. Once a year, structured, with a written brief.
What's included
- Rate review against current market for your loan type
- Structure check as your situation evolves
- Equity position estimate against current valuations
- Lender policy changes flagged that affect your loan
- Refinance modelled if the numbers warrant it
Growth Phase
Active
For: investors actively building a portfolio.
Every six months for clients in growth mode. The pace of change in your situation justifies tighter oversight.
What's included
- Everything in the Annual review, twice as often
- Capacity reassessment for the next purchase
- Equity release modelled before it's needed
- Lender sequencing review across the portfolio
- Pre-approval timing aligned to your buying window
Aggressive Scaling
Continuous
For: clients buying multiple properties per year.
Event-driven, ongoing. The work doesn't fit a calendar... it fits your portfolio activity.
What's included
- Structural review with each new purchase decision
- Continuous lender pool monitoring as policies shift
- Restructuring triggered by valuation movements
- Equity release sequenced across the portfolio
- Direct line whenever the situation changes
Questions
Frequently asked.
How much does the review cost?
Generally, nothing. For clients I've placed loans with, the trail commission the lender pays me funds the ongoing work. The review is part of the relationship, not an additional invoice.
More involved restructuring work (where significant new applications or commercial arrangements are required) may involve a separately disclosed fee, agreed before any work starts.
Do I have to be an existing client?
Not strictly. I do reviews for some clients whose loans were placed elsewhere... usually as a starting point for moving the relationship. For non-clients, an initial portfolio review may involve a small upfront fee, refunded if you proceed with a refinance through me.
What does the review actually look like?
A scheduled call (30-60 minutes) plus a written brief. I'll have prepared a summary of your loans, current rates against market, structural notes, and any recommendations. The call is for talking it through, not for me to read at you. The brief lands in your inbox afterwards as a reference.
What if you find I should refinance away from you?
Then I tell you. Best Interests Duty is the legal standard for Australian brokers, and it's also how I work by default. If a lender I don't have access to is genuinely the best fit for your situation, the right answer is for me to flag it, not pretend my panel is the whole market.
How do I know if Active or Continuous is right for me?
Volume and pace of activity. If you're holding steady with one or two properties and reviewing yearly is enough to keep things in check, Annual works. If you're buying or releasing equity every 6-12 months, Active is the cadence. If you're scaling aggressively (multiple purchases per year, frequent structural changes), Continuous fits. We work it out in the first review.
What if my situation hasn't changed... do I still need a review?
Yes, briefly. Even if your situation is unchanged, the lender's policy and the market haven't been. The annual review is short when there's nothing to do, and it's usually still worth the call to confirm there's nothing to do.
People reading this usually
Written & reviewed by
Rebecca Tickner
Finance Broker, Maxfin · Diploma of Finance & Mortgage Broking Management (FNS50322) · ASIC Credit Rep 571611 · MFAA Member
I built a seven-property portfolio with my partner. I structure clients' finance the same way I run mine.
More about Rebecca