Who I Help · FIFO Investors
Investment finance for FIFO and resource-sector investors.
Roster income, allowances and labour-hire arrangements are read very differently by different lenders. The right lender for a FIFO investor isn't always the one with the best advertised rate. It's the one who reads your full income picture properly.
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Rebecca Tickner
Finance Broker · Property Investor
The Context
What I see come up most often.
FIFO finance is its own category. The base rate, the roster allowance, the living-away-from-home allowance, the site uplifts, the labour-hire structure... these don't appear on a typical PAYG payslip. Some lenders read every line. Some lenders shade the non-base components down to zero, which can cut your assessable income by a third before you've even started.
Most FIFO investors I work with have been told by their bank that their borrowing capacity is meaningfully less than what it should be. The fix is rarely income. The fix is the lender. Some are friendlier to the FIFO income mix than others, and the right lender for your specific employer and roster pattern is a question of policy, not just rate.
On top of that, applying for a loan while you're on roster has its own logistics. Valuations, signing, ID verification, settlement timing all need to fit around the roster. I work around it.
The Specifics
The structural and lender considerations I'd look at for you.
How lenders read your income mix
Base salary, roster allowances, LAFHA, site uplifts, overtime and bonuses are all treated differently. The strongest lenders for FIFO accept 90%+ of the full assessable amount. The weakest treat allowances as bonus and shade them to zero. The same payslip can yield two very different borrowing capacity numbers depending on which lender reads it.
Labour-hire vs direct employment
If you're employed via a labour-hire firm rather than directly by the operator, some lenders treat your employment as less stable and apply tighter serviceability. Others see no issue. Knowing which lenders are comfortable with labour-hire FIFO before lodging the application is what avoids a soft decline.
Roster patterns and stress testing
Lenders apply a stressed assessment rate to your loan repayments. For investors holding multiple properties, this stress test compounds. FIFO income can absorb more stress because the discretionary income tends to be higher, but only if the lender is reading the full income properly. The right structure builds in the buffer.
Settlement and signing logistics while on roster
Most settlements can be completed remotely with secure electronic signing and digital ID verification. Where physical signing is required, the document timeline is built around your swing. I won't have you sweating a settlement deadline from a remote site without the paperwork sorted in advance.
State residency for stamp duty and concessions
Many FIFO workers live in one state, fly to another for work, and own property in a third. State-based stamp duty concessions and FHB schemes hinge on principal place of residence rules that aren't always intuitive. Your conveyancer confirms the legal position; my job is making sure the loan structure aligns with whichever state actually applies.
Building a portfolio across rosters
FIFO investors are often well-placed to scale faster than PAYG city workers because of the income premium. The portfolio strategy is the same. Lender sequencing, structure first, equity release done cleanly. The roster doesn't change the playbook. It just changes the logistics.
Common Questions
Frequently asked.
Will a lender accept all of my LAFHA and site allowance income?
It depends on the lender. The strongest FIFO-friendly lenders accept 90% or more of the full assessable amount including LAFHA, roster and site allowances. Conservative lenders shade them significantly. Knowing which lender to approach for your specific employer matters more than rate.
Does it matter that I'm on a labour-hire contract?
Yes, but not always negatively. Some lenders are comfortable with labour-hire arrangements where the underlying client is a tier-one operator and your role has been continuous. Others apply tighter serviceability. I'll match you to a lender who reads the arrangement properly.
Can I apply for a loan while I'm on swing?
Yes. Most of the process is digital. Document collection, ID verification and signing can all be completed remotely. Where a physical valuation or signing is required, we plan around your roster.
Is FIFO income considered 'variable' for lending purposes?
Some lenders treat the non-base components as variable, even when the roster has been continuous for years. The fix is documentation: roster pattern, ATO history, a letter from the employer confirming the income structure. With the right pack, the income reads as stable to most lenders.
Do I need to live in the state where I work?
No. You can be a NSW resident working a Pilbara roster and buying a Victorian investment property. Each piece is independent. The state matters for stamp duty and any FHB scheme eligibility, but not for the underlying loan.
FIFO income is real income. The right lender reads it that way. The wrong lender shades it down and tells you you can't borrow what you actually can. My job is finding the right one.
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.
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