Conlon Financial Solutions

🎉 Celebrating 10 years.

Ten years ago I started Conlon Financial Solutions with a laptop, a phone, and way too much optimism about how "simple" this would be.

Since then I've lost count of the FHOG applications, the 9pm calls with anxious first home buyers, the settlement day happy dances, and the sheer number of times I've explained what "genuine savings" actually means.

What I haven't lost count of is how lucky I am. Every single client who trusted me with one of the biggest decisions of their life, every referral, every "hey can you help my brother/sister/mate", it all adds up to a decade I genuinely didn't see coming.

So thank you, from the bottom of my very tired, very grateful heart. Here's to the next 10 being just as chaotic and rewarding.

🥂 Who's shouting the cake?

Buying with a friend instead of a partner? It's more common than you'd think, and it works a bit differently.

Things to sort before you sign anything:

Tenants in common lets you each own a specific share (50/50, 60/40, whatever suits), rather than equal joint ownership
A co-ownership agreement spells out what happens if one person wants to sell, can't pay their share, or you have a falling out
Lenders still assess you both as jointly responsible for the full loan, regardless of your ownership split
Exit strategy matters more here than with a couple, have the "what if" conversation early

It can be a genuinely smart way to get into the market sooner. It just needs clearer boundaries upfront than buying with a partner typically does.

Thinking about buying with a friend? PM me for a chat.

Heading off on parental leave? It's worth telling your lender, even if nothing feels urgent yet.

A few things that can change:

Some lenders offer a reduced repayment or interest-only period while you're on leave
If you're applying for a loan before leave starts, lenders may ask how your income changes during leave
Government Parental Leave Pay can sometimes be included as income, depending on the lender and your situation
Returning to work part-time afterwards can affect reassessment if you need to refinance later

None of this needs to derail your plans, it just helps to flag it early rather than have it catch you (or your lender) off guard.

Planning parental leave and want to check your loan is set up for it? PM me for a chat.

Made your final home loan repayment? There's still a bit of admin before it's truly done.

Discharging your mortgage involves:

Your lender releasing their legal claim (the mortgage) over your property title
A discharge fee, usually a few hundred dollars, charged by the lender
Your conveyancer or the lender lodging the discharge with Landgate to update the title
Your home insurance should be checked and updated too, since the bank is no longer a listed interest

It usually takes a few weeks from your final payment to the title being fully clear. Worth planning ahead if you're paying off a loan to coincide with another milestone.

Getting close to paying off your loan? PM me if you want a hand with the process.

Ever been approved for less than you expected, even though your repayments would be comfortable at today's rate? Here's why.

Swipe through 👉

Want to know your actual borrowing capacity, buffer included? PM me for a chat.

Offset account or just a regular savings account? They're not the same thing.

Savings account:

Earns interest, which is taxable income
Entirely separate from your home loan

Offset account:

Doesn't earn interest, instead it reduces the interest charged on your loan
Every dollar sitting in it works against your loan balance, daily

For most people in a higher tax bracket, offset wins, since the "return" (interest saved) isn't taxed the way savings interest is. It also keeps your money accessible, unlike paying extra directly off your loan.

Not sure if your account is actually set up as an offset? PM me for a chat.

Moving house doesn't mean you have to start your home loan from scratch.

Loan portability lets you transfer your existing loan to a new property, keeping your current rate, terms, and loan features instead of applying fresh.

Why it can be worth it:

You keep a competitive rate you might not get again
Avoids break costs if you're mid-way through a fixed term
Less paperwork than a brand new application in most cases

It's not available with every lender, and there are conditions (the new property usually needs to settle close to when you sell), but it's worth asking about before assuming you need to start over.

Moving soon and want to know if your loan is portable? PM me for a chat.

Never used your credit card, but it still hurts your borrowing power? Here's why.

Lenders don't just look at what you owe, they look at what you could owe. A $20,000 credit limit counts against your borrowing capacity even if the balance sits at zero, because you could max it out tomorrow.

What this means in practice:

Reducing your credit limit (not just paying it off) can genuinely increase how much you can borrow
Closing cards you don't use removes them from the calculation entirely
Multiple cards with high limits add up fast, even if you're disciplined with all of them

If you're planning to apply for a home loan in the next few months, this is one of the easier things to fix well in advance.

Want to know how your current limits are affecting your borrowing power? PM me for a chat.

Applying for a home loan with a partner or family member? A few things change once there's more than one name on the application.

Joint income boosts your combined borrowing power, but both incomes and debts get assessed together
Both applicants' credit history and existing debts affect the outcome, not just one person's
Ownership structure matters, joint tenants vs tenants in common changes what happens if one person wants out later
Both parties are equally responsible for the full loan, not just half each

Borrowing together can open up options you couldn't reach solo, but it's worth having the ownership and exit conversation early, before you need it.

Applying with someone else and want to understand how it changes things? PM me for a chat.