Asset Finance - Finance & Beyond
Overview of Asset Finance
Purchasing business vehicles, machinery, or heavy assets requires a large capital outlay that can deplete your operational cash reserves. Asset finance allows your business to acquire the equipment it needs today while spreading the cost over the asset's useful life. At Finance & Beyond, we structure asset lending—such as chattel mortgages, commercial hire purchases, and finance leases—that balance your tax positioning, depreciation, and cash flow requirements.
Key Benefits of Our Asset Finance Solutions
Securing financing through Finance & Beyond offers a range of strategic advantages designed to improve your wealth positioning, save you money, and protect your assets:
- Chattel mortgages allowing business ownership of the asset from day one with flexible balloon payments.
- Tax-effective structures where interest and depreciation claims can offset tax liabilities.
- Pre-approved asset limits to negotiate with dealerships and equipment suppliers with cash buyer leverage.
- Flexible repayment structures tailored to seasonal cash flows (e.g. agricultural or tourism businesses).
- Low-doc asset options for self-employed clients using only bank statements or BAS.
Detailed Credit Policy & Eligibility Criteria
Lenders evaluate your application based on strict guidelines. Understanding these criteria allows us to package your application for immediate approval:
- Active ABN registered for at least 12 months with GST registration if applicable.
- Verifiable usage of the asset for predominantly business purposes (minimum 50% business use).
- Clear credit history showing regular repayment behavior on existing debts.
- Asset details (invoice, tax invoice, and registration documents if vehicle).
- Sufficient cash flow history to service proposed equipment repayments.
Strategic Guidelines for Borrowers
When preparing for Asset Finance, it is essential to look at the broader picture. Many borrowers make the mistake of focusing purely on interest rates, but credit layout, loan terms, and repayment strategies have a much larger impact on the total cost of the loan. For example, structuring offset accounts correctly allows you to keep your savings liquid while offsetting mortgage interest daily. This means your money is always working for you, reducing your overall loan term and saving you thousands in non-deductible interest.
Furthermore, when assessing Asset Finance, we analyze how different lenders evaluate your income. Some lenders apply conservative buffers, shading rental yields or self-employed profits by up to 20%. Others are more generous, looking at recent income performance or allowing add-backs like depreciation. By comparing credit policies across our extensive panel of over 40 lenders, we identify the specific institutions that will look most favorably on your financial profile, maximizing your borrowing capacity.
Finally, we emphasize the importance of ongoing loan health checks. The finance market changes rapidly, and a rate that was competitive two years ago may now be costing you more than it should. We conduct annual audits of your loan portfolio, comparing it against current market offerings to ensure you are always on the optimal path. Whether this means negotiating a rate discount with your existing lender or refinancing to a new provider with better terms and cash-back incentives, we represent your interests long after settlement.
Step-by-Step Loan Process
We manage your loan journey from initial analysis to final settlement, providing a seamless, stress-free experience:
- Asset Assessment: We identify the asset type, purchase cost, and determine the optimal term and structure.
- Document Collation: We collect business statements, supplier invoices, and guarantor declarations.
- Lender Negotiation: We approach asset lenders to negotiate establishment fees and interest rates.
- Contract Execution: We compile the asset contract, setting the balloon payment to match your business plans.
- Supplier Settlement: We coordinate direct payment to the supplier, releasing the asset for immediate use.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much deposit do I need?
While a 20% deposit is standard to avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance, many lenders offer options for 5% or 10% deposits. First home buyers and medical professionals may qualify for waived LMI or government guarantees, allowing entry with as little as 2% to 5% deposit.
What is the difference between fixed and variable rates?
Fixed rates lock in your interest rate for a set period (usually 1 to 5 years), offering repayment certainty. Variable rates can change with the market but offer greater flexibility, allowing unlimited extra payments and offset account access.
How long does the approval process take?
Streamlined vehicle or equipment finance can be approved in 24 to 48 hours. Standard home loans and complex commercial mortgages typically take 3 to 10 business days depending on document readiness and lender valuation queues.
Regulatory Guidance & Disclosures
Our credit services are provided in strict compliance with the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (NCCP) and the directives of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) in New Zealand. As credit representatives, we are bound by Best Interest Duty (BID), meaning we must prioritize your financial interests above all else. We provide a detailed Credit Guide and Quote outlining our broker services, commission structures, and internal dispute resolution schemes prior to lodging any credit application. We maintain active memberships with key industry bodies, ensuring our advisory team is trained in the latest compliance and credit security standards. For any queries regarding complaints, credit guide documents, or disputes, please refer to our dedicated policy pages in the footer.
