Assessment Explainers
How specific lending decisions are assessed
Lenders do not assess borrowing using a single rule or calculation.
Individual outcomes are produced by how specific assessment rules interact inside broader credit frameworks. These rules explain why borrowing capacity caps out, why income is treated differently, why deposits matter, and why similar borrowers can receive different results.
This section contains assessment explainers — focused reference pages that break down how particular parts of the lending system work.
Each page answers one common question about how lenders assess risk.
What these explainers cover
Assessment explainers focus on mechanics, not outcomes.
They explain:
- Why certain limits exist
- How policy rules are applied
- What lenders are testing in specific scenarios
- Why results can feel counterintuitive
They do not provide personal advice, product comparisons, or recommendations.
How these pages fit into the assessment framework
Each explainer sits beneath the broader lending framework used across home loans, business lending, and equipment finance.
They connect back to:
- How Lending Is Assessed (the core framework)
- The Four Cs of Credit
- Assessment Pillars
Think of these pages as zoomed-in views of individual assessment rules within that framework.
Assessment explainers available
Borrowing capacity & serviceability
- Borrowing Capacity: Why It Caps Out
- Why borrowing power plateaus even as income rises.
- Serviceability Buffers
- How lenders stress-test repayments using higher assumed interest rates.
Income assessment
- How Income Is Assessed
- How PAYG, bonus, overtime, and variable income are treated.
- Self-Employed Income Basics
- How business, trust, and company income is assessed.
- Expat & Overseas Income Overview
- How foreign income, currency, and residency affect assessment.
Deposits, equity & guarantees
- Genuine Savings & Deposits
- How lenders assess deposit sources and contribution.
- Guarantors: How It Works
- How family guarantees are assessed and limited.
Loan structure & features (assessment lens)
- Fixed vs Variable: What Lenders Assess
- How loan type affects serviceability and policy treatment.
- Offset vs Redraw
- How lenders view access to surplus funds.
Asset-based lending
- Equipment & Asset Finance Basics
- How asset-based lending differs from property lending.
How to use this section
You can:
- Read pages in any order
- Jump directly to the topic relevant to your situation
- Use explainers to interpret lender feedback or outcomes
- Follow links back to the broader framework for context
These pages are designed for non-linear reading.
What these pages are not
Assessment explainers:
- Do not assess eligibility
- Do not recommend lenders or products
- Do not replace professional advice
- Do not predict outcomes
They exist to explain how the system works, not what decision should be made.
Related framework pages
- How Lending Is Assessed
- Credit Assessment Framework
- The Four Cs of Credit
- Assessment Pillars
Important information
This information is general in nature and explains lending assessment frameworks only.
It does not consider personal circumstances and does not constitute credit or financial advice.