A boutique lending approach for the business owners.
Banks love “easy” borrowers, the ones with a simple payslip and a predictable 9-to-5. If you’re a business owner, contractor, or freelancer, you’re “complex” in their eyes. But at VaultFin, we see it differently. We know that being self-employed often means you have more control over your financial future, not less. We specialize in navigating the “too hard” deals, helping Melbourne business owners secure the finance they deserve by looking at the true strength of their enterprise.
Overview
If you’ve ever walked into a big bank as a business owner, you’ve probably felt the frustration of being judged by a rigid checklist that doesn’t fit your life.
Challenges self-employed borrowers face The biggest hurdle is the “Year to Year” trap. A bank might see one bad quarter or a year where you heavily reinvested in new equipment, and suddenly you’re labeled a “risk.” They struggle with income that fluctuates or business structures involving trusts and multiple entities. To them, if it’s not a standard PAYG slip, it’s a headache.
What banks usually overlook They often ignore “add-backs”, things like one-off expenses, depreciation, or extra super contributions that make your profit look lower on paper for tax purposes, but don’t actually decrease your ability to pay a mortgage. We know how to “add back” these items to show a lender your genuine earning power. We speak the language of P&L statements and balance sheets, ensuring your actual cash flow is what gets assessed.
Our expertise with complex income We forensically review your financials before a bank sees them. If you’re a sole trader, a director of a company, or operating through a complex family trust, we know which lenders have the policies to reward your success.
How We Help
Income Assessment
We start by doing a deep dive into your last two years of financials. We look for the “story” in the numbers, maybe you had a massive one-off startup cost that won’t happen again, or a temporary dip while you pivoted. We find the “true” income that a standard bank calculator would miss. By presenting your genuine earning capacity rather than just a taxable figure, we open doors to much stronger borrowing options.
Documentation Support
We know you’re busy running a business; the last thing you want is a back-and-forth with a bank over a missing document. We coordinate with your accountant directly to gather what’s needed, from Notices of Assessment to Profit & Loss statements, making the process as “hands-off” for you as possible. We handle the administrative heavy lifting so you can stay focused on your day-to-day operations without being buried in mortgage paperwork.
Strategy-Building
Getting a loan today is one thing but making sure it doesn’t hurt your business tomorrow is another. We help you build a strategy that takes into account your business goal. Your home loan should be an enabler of your success, not a restriction. We align your personal debt with your business’s cash flow requirements so that you have the liquid capital needed for future growth and investment opportunities.
Loan Options
Full-Doc Loans: For when your tax returns are up to date and tell a great story. Most banks look only at your taxable income, but we look for lenders who will “add back” non-cash expenses like depreciation, one-off equipment purchases, or voluntary super contributions. Highlighting these helps us significantly increase your borrowing power.
Alt-Doc (Alternative Documentation) Loans: For when you have the income and the cash flow, but your tax returns haven’t been finalized by your accountant yet. We can use BAS statements, business bank statements, or an accountant’s letter to prove your position.
Specialist Lenders: Major banks often rely on automated systems that automatically decline anything that looks slightly “unusual.” We have deep relationships with Specialist Non-Bank Lenders who employ human credit assessors. These are people who look at your business model, understand your industry, and take the “big picture” into account.
Tax-Smart Structures: A mortgage shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. We work closely with your accountant to make sure your loan structure is Tax-Smart. This means ensuring that the way your loan is set up doesn’t accidentally trigger a tax issue or jeopardize your asset protection.
Don’t let a rigid bank policy stand in the way of your next move. If you’re a fresh startup with one year of figures or an established enterprise with a complex trust structure, we have the grit and the technical expertise to get your deal across the line.