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Building a Strong Foundation: Avoiding Mortgage Default

19 July, 202320 July, 2023 Updated on20 July, 2023 Budgeting, Economy, Finance

When building a home, it’s often said that the foundations are the most important part. Their primary purpose is to hold your house up – supporting the structure and preventing it from being affected by uneven ground. Similarly, when purchasing a home and financing it with a mortgage, your financial foundation is just as crucial. A solid financial foundation can help you avoid mortgage stress, loan default, or even eviction. Unfortunately, economic factors such as higher living expenses, interest rate hikes, or job loss can jeopardise your financial foundation. What is mortgage stress? Mortgage stress occurs when homeowners face difficulty meeting their mortgage repayments and their living expenses. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has developed a “Mortgage Affordability Indicator”, which applies a 30% mortgage repayment threshold based on a household’s income. Mortgage stress can cause immense strain on individuals and families and increase the risk of mortgage default. Defaulting on a home loan happens when borrowers cannot make repayments as per the agreed terms and conditions of the loan agreement. This situation may result in serious consequences, including eviction and mortgagee possession of the property by the lender. How to avoid mortgage stress and loan default 1. Know Your Financial Situation One of the most crucial steps to avoid mortgage default is having a clear understanding of your financial situation. By evaluating your income, expenses, and overall financial position, you can identify potential risks and understand what options are available to you. Tracking your income and expenses will help you to analyse your spending habits and identify areas where you can cut back or make adjustments to free up cash flow. This is also a great time to review your expenses and renegotiate with service providers. Reviewing your financial position may help you identify available options to assist in financial hardship. 2. Seek Professional Guidance A mortgage broker can help you assess your current loan terms and explore options for refinancing or loan modifications that better align with your financial circumstances. They can provide valuable advice and assist in negotiating more favourable terms with your lender. 3. Communicate with Your Lender If you anticipate difficulties in making your mortgage repayments, it is best to communicate proactively with your lender in advance. Most lenders have teams dedicated to supporting customers experiencing financial hardship. They may be able to offer temporary payment arrangements or alternative solutions to help you through a difficult period. Case Study: Consider the case of John and Sarah, a couple facing the risk of defaulting on their mortgage due to a sudden but temporary loss of income. To avoid this outcome, they took several steps: Reviewed their financial situation – John and Sarah underwent a complete review of their financial situation. They reviewed their expenses, paused or cut back on discretionary spending, and renegotiated with all of their utility and service providers. This freed up cash flow to allocate towards their home loan. They also identified that they were slightly ahead with their home loan repayments. Communicated with their lender – John and Sarah reached out to their lender to explore their loan repayment choices. Since they had made some progress in their payments, they were eligible for a repayment holiday. This option would allow them to pay less towards their home loan for the next six months. They had examined their financial situation and were confident that they could manage these reduced repayments, and this would give them six months to replace the lost income and get back on their feet. To prevent mortgage stress and default, it’s important to actively manage your finances and have a clear understanding of your financial situation. Though it can be tough, taking early action and being transparent with your lender can help you work together to overcome financial challenges and ensure the safety of your home. If you are facing any difficulties in making your mortgage payments, you can find helpful resources on the MoneySmart website: https://moneysmart.gov.au/. The information provided in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice.

4 simple techniques to reduce your tax

22 June, 202216 June, 2022 Updated on16 June, 2022 Tax

Here is a list of tips to help you minimise the amount of tax you pay this end of financial year: 1. Keep records Even if you use an accountant to prepare your tax return, you are responsible for the information you provide and for keeping your tax records for a minimum of five years. So, to ensure that you don’t have to pay any more tax than you are obliged to: Keep receipts of all your tax-deductible expenditure. If you are audited by the tax office, you will need to be able to prove the expenses were incurred. Keep track of all your medical expenses. If net medical expenses relating to disability aids, attendant care or aged care exceed the threshold for the year, you may be eligible for a tax offset that takes the form of a credit against tax payable. Keep detailed records of income and capital gains. Required details include date the investment was purchased, how much was paid, when it was sold and how much was received. 2. Claim all available tax deductions You may be able to claim a tax deduction for many of your expenses. These include: donations to registered charities or non-profit organisations; self-education expenses; premiums on income protection insurance; work-related expenses. You should bear in mind that the range of permissible work-related expenses varies widely from occupation to occupation. Refer to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) website www.ato.gov.au for full details. 3. Contribute to superannuation Contributions to superannuation can reduce the level of tax you would otherwise have to pay on your investments because super is taxed at a maximum of 15%. In addition, some people are eligible to claim a tax deduction for contributions made to super. The rules surrounding superannuation tax deductibility provisions and contribution limits are complex, so it pays to seek advice from your financial planner. 4. Manage capital gains When you sell an investment for a profit, you are considered to have made a capital gain. For non-professional investors, capital gains will be included on your annual income tax return. Assets acquired before 20 September 1985 are exempt from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) considerations. When you sell an asset for less than you initially paid for it, you make a capital loss. When your total capital losses for the year outweigh your total capital gains, you will finish up with a net capital loss for the year. If you have a potential CGT liability, there are some strategies that you could consider to reduce the amount you need to pay: a. Keep an investment for at least 12 months Investors are entitled to claim a 50% discount on capital gains made on assets held for longer than a year. So, by holding on to the investment for more than 12 months you will halve the CGT payable. b. Use carry-forward tax losses to reduce CGT Capital losses incurred in previous tax years that have not already been offset against capital gains may be carried forward in future tax years and can mitigate the effect of any CGT liability. Check your past income tax returns or ask your accountant to determine whether this is an option for you. Remember that this information is not personal tax advice. Always consult a professional adviser to help you determine the best strategies for your personal circumstances. The information provided in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice.