Asset Finance

A loan or lease used to purchase business assets like vehicles, machinery, or equipment. The asset often acts as security for the loan.

Balloon Payment

A larger, final loan payment due at the end of a finance term, often used in business or asset loans to reduce regular repayments.

Business Loan

Any loan provided to a business to support operations, growth, cash flow, or asset acquisition.

Cash Flow

The movement of money in and out of a business. Positive cash flow means more money is coming in than going out.

Collateral / Security

An asset pledged to a lender to secure a loan. If the borrower defaults, the lender can claim the collateral.

Credit Assessment

The process a lender uses to evaluate whether a borrower can repay a loan, based on financial history, income, and other factors.

Credit History / Credit Report

A record of a borrower’s previous loans, repayments, defaults, or bankruptcies. Lenders use this to assess creditworthiness.

Credit Limit

The maximum amount a lender will allow a borrower to access under a loan or line of credit.

Debt-to-Income Ratio (DTI)

A measure comparing a borrower’s total debt to their income. It helps lenders assess repayment capacity.

Equity

The value of an asset or business after all debts are subtracted. For property, it’s the market value minus the loan balance.

Fixed Interest Rate

An interest rate that remains the same for a set period or the entire term of the loan.

Flexible Loan

A loan that allows variations in repayments, extra payments, or redraw facilities, giving the borrower more control.

Guarantor

A person who agrees to repay the loan if the primary borrower cannot. Often required for higher-risk loans.

Invoice Finance / Trade Finance

Short-term funding based on outstanding invoices or receivables. Helps businesses manage cash flow while waiting for customer payments.

Interest Rate

The cost of borrowing money, usually expressed as a percentage of the loan amount.

Lender / Finance Provider

A bank, credit union, or licensed finance company that provides loans or other credit products.

LVR (Loan-to-Value Ratio)

The ratio of a loan amount to the value of the asset securing it, expressed as a percentage. A lower LVR often means lower risk to the lender.

Line of Credit / Overdraft

A flexible loan allowing a borrower to draw funds up to a set limit, repay, and redraw as needed.

Loan Term

The length of time over which a loan must be repaid.

Mortgage

A loan secured against property. Repayment terms and interest vary depending on the lender and type of property.

Secured Loan

A loan backed by collateral, such as property or equipment. Secured loans usually have lower interest rates.

Unsecured Loan

A loan not backed by collateral. Lenders rely on the borrower’s creditworthiness. Usually higher interest rates than secured loans.

Working Capital

The funds a business uses for day-to-day operations, typically calculated as current assets minus current liabilities.

Refinancing

Replacing an existing loan with a new loan, usually to get better terms, lower rates, or release equity.

Pre-Approval

An initial assessment from a lender indicating how much you may be able to borrow, often used for property loans.

Drawdown

The process of accessing funds from a loan after approval.

Repayment Schedule

A timetable showing the timing and amounts of repayments for a loan.

Principal

The original amount of money borrowed, not including interest or fees.

Interest-Only Loan

A loan where only interest is paid for an initial period. After that, repayments include both principal and interest.

Bridge Loan

Short-term funding used to “bridge” a financial gap, often when buying a new property before selling an existing one.

Credit Score

A numerical representation of a borrower’s creditworthiness, based on their credit history.

Default

Failure to meet repayment obligations under a loan agreement.

Balloon Finance

A finance arrangement where smaller regular repayments are made during the term, followed by a larger final payment.

Guarantor Loans

Loans where someone else guarantees repayment if the borrower is unable.

Term Loan

A loan with fixed repayment schedule and term, often used for business expansion or capital purchase.

Overdraft

A short-term facility allowing a business to withdraw more than its account balance, up to an approved limit.

Referrer / Referral Service

An intermediary that connects a borrower with a licensed broker or lender. Does not provide advice or approve loans.

Credit Assistance

Activities where a licensed individual assists a person to apply for, or makes recommendations about, a credit contract. Our site does not perform this — the broker does.

Application Fee

A fee charged by a lender to process a loan application. Not all lenders charge this.

Broker / Finance Specialist

A licensed professional who can provide credit advice, assess applications, and help submit loan requests to lenders.

Pre-Qualification

A preliminary assessment to determine if you may meet the lender’s basic requirements before a formal application.

Accounts Receivable

Money owed to a business by its customers for goods or services already delivered.

Accounts Payable

Money a business owes to suppliers or vendors for goods or services received.

Accredited Lender

A lender officially approved and regulated to provide finance under Australian law.

Amortisation

The process of gradually paying off a loan through regular repayments that include principal and interest.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

The yearly interest rate including fees and costs, used to compare loans.

Bad Debt

Money a business cannot recover from customers. Can sometimes be offset against taxes.

Balloon Loan

A loan where the last repayment is significantly larger than the preceding repayments.

Bank Guarantee

A promise by a bank to cover a borrower’s obligations if they fail to meet them.

Base Rate

The reference interest rate used by lenders to calculate variable loan interest.

Bridging Finance

Short-term funding to cover temporary gaps, often used in property purchases or business cash flow needs.

Business Credit Report

A report detailing a company’s credit history, financial obligations, and risk rating.

Business Expansion Loan

Funding specifically intended for growth activities, such as new premises, equipment, or staff.

Capital Expenditure (CapEx)

Money spent on purchasing, upgrading, or maintaining physical assets like machinery or property.

Cash Advance

Short-term loan against future receivables or revenue, often used by small businesses.

Certificate of Title

An official document proving ownership of a property or land.

Charge

A lender’s legal claim over an asset as security for a loan.

Commercial Lease

A rental agreement between a business and a property owner for commercial premises.

Commercial Mortgage

A loan used to purchase or refinance commercial property.

Commitment Fee

A fee charged by a lender to keep a credit facility available for use.

Contingency Fund

Reserve funds set aside to cover unexpected business expenses or emergencies.

Convertible Loan

A loan that can convert into equity in a business under specific conditions.

Credit Application

The form or process a borrower completes to request a loan.

Credit Limit Increase

Requesting a higher borrowing limit on an existing line of credit or credit card.

Current Ratio

A measure of a company’s ability to pay short-term obligations, calculated as current assets divided by current liabilities.

Debt Consolidation

Combining multiple debts into a single loan, often with lower interest or simplified repayment.

Debt Restructuring

Negotiating changes to a loan’s terms, such as extending repayment or adjusting interest rates.

Deposit / Down Payment

An initial upfront payment made when securing a loan or purchasing an asset.

Disbursement

The release of loan funds to the borrower after approval.

Documentary Credit

A letter of credit issued by a bank guaranteeing payment for international trade transactions.

Draw Period

The time during which a borrower can access funds from a line of credit.

Equity Release

Accessing the value in a property or asset to fund business activities or expansion.

Expense Ratio

The proportion of a business’s income spent on operating costs.

Fixed Rate Loan

A loan where the interest rate remains constant for the agreed term.

Floating Interest Rate

An interest rate that changes according to market conditions or a benchmark rate.

Fringe Benefits

Non-cash benefits provided to employees, sometimes affecting financial statements and taxation.

Gross Profit

Revenue minus the cost of goods sold, before operating expenses.

Interest-Only Period

The time during a loan term when only interest is payable, often used in commercial or asset finance.

Invoice Factoring

Selling unpaid invoices to a finance provider to access immediate cash flow.

Landlord Consent

Permission required from a property owner to mortgage or make major changes to leased property.

Loan Application Fee

Fee charged to process a loan application; sometimes refundable.

Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR)

Percentage of a property’s value represented by the loan amount.

Microloan

Small, short-term loans often aimed at start-ups or small businesses.

Operating Lease

A lease where the asset is rented for a shorter period than its economic life; maintenance may be included.

Overdraft Facility

Pre-approved credit allowing an account to go negative up to a limit.

Personal Guarantee

An individual promises to repay a business loan if the company cannot.

Pre-qualification / Pre-approval

An initial assessment indicating how much a borrower may be eligible to borrow.

Principal & Interest

Loan repayments that include both the amount borrowed (principal) and interest.

Secured vs Unsecured Loan

Secured: backed by an asset.
Unsecured: no collateral, higher interest, relies on creditworthiness.

Term Loan

A loan with fixed repayment schedule and term, often for specific business or property purposes.

Trade Finance

Funding that supports the import/export of goods, including letters of credit or invoice finance.

Variable Interest Rate

An interest rate that changes with market conditions, usually linked to a benchmark.

Working Capital

Funds used for daily operations — current assets minus current liabilities.

Write-Off

When a lender declares a debt as unlikely to be collected; can be tax-deductible for businesses.