Frequently asked

FAQs

Quick answers about RateSearch, refinancing, and how Mango Financial Group works. Pick the tab that matches what you're refinancing.

No. Using RateSearch will not affect your credit score in any way.

We do not perform a credit check, a credit enquiry, or any other form of credit file activity when you use the tool. The analysis is based entirely on the information you enter — loan balance, current rate, property value — none of which touches your credit file.

If you decide to refinance and apply for a new loan through Mango Financial Group, only at that point — and only with your explicit consent — would a lender perform a credit check as part of their application process. That's a separate, opt-in step that happens after you've decided to proceed.

Yes. There's no cost to use the tool, no obligation, and we don't share your details with anyone outside of Mango Financial Group. RateSearch earns its keep through Mango's broking business — if you refinance through us, lenders pay Mango a commission, the same commission they'd pay any broker. You don't pay extra.

The rates shown are real lender rates pulled from current rate sheets, updated monthly. Your actual offered rate will depend on the lender's full assessment of your situation (employment, credit, equity, etc.) — but the comparison gives you an indicative figure that's usually within 0.1–0.2% of what you'd be quoted on a full application.

We email you a copy of your analysis. If you asked for a call, a Mango Financial Group broker will contact you within 1 business day. If you ticked the rate-monitoring option, we'll keep an eye on your loan vs the market and email you if a meaningful gap opens up. Nothing happens without your say-so.

Most refinances complete in 4–6 weeks from application to settlement. Some are faster (Macquarie can settle in 3 weeks for clean files), some slower depending on the lender's workload. Your Mango broker will give you a more specific timeline based on which lender you go with.

Roughly: a discharge fee from your current lender ($150–$400), a settlement fee at the new lender ($0–$500), and sometimes a valuation ($0–$500). All in, $500–$1,500 is typical.

Many lenders offer refinance cashbacks of $2,000–$4,000 that more than offset these costs. Your broker will work out the all-in numbers before you commit.

Lenders Mortgage Insurance applies when your loan-to-value ratio (LVR) is above 80%. It's a one-off insurance the lender takes out to protect themselves if you default — but it's added to your loan balance, so you pay it.

At 85% LVR LMI is typically 1–2% of your loan; at 90% it's 2–3%. Avoidable if you can get your LVR below 80% via a partial paydown or higher property valuation.

Not unless you choose a lender without those features. Most lenders we recommend offer offset and redraw — though the offset variant of a loan is usually 0.10–0.30% higher than the no-offset variant. Mango's recommendations show offset-variant rates so the comparison is honest.

RateSearch's mainstream panel might not be the best fit, but specialists like Pepper Money and Liberty actively lend to non-standard situations — recent defaults, self-employed income, complex tax structures, low documentation. A broker call is the right next step. Mango can map options that go-direct applicants miss.

No. RateSearch does not perform any credit check or credit enquiry.

The SMSF flow runs entirely on the information you enter — loan balance, rate, property value — without touching the credit file of you, your trustees, or your fund. There's no impact on any credit score.

If you decide to refinance your SMSF loan with Mango Financial Group, a lender will run their own credit assessment as part of the application — but only after you've decided to proceed and given consent. That's a separate, opt-in step.

SMSF lending is when your Self-Managed Super Fund borrows money to buy property — typically through a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA). The property is owned by the SMSF, the loan sits in the SMSF, and rent goes back into the SMSF.

It's a strategy that lets you use super dollars to invest in property, with the loan paid down by rental income and ongoing super contributions.

Three reasons: SMSF lending is more complex to structure (LRBAs, bare trusts, ongoing compliance), lenders see it as higher risk (recourse is limited to the property), and the panel of active SMSF lenders is smaller. Most major banks exited SMSF lending years ago, leaving specialist non-banks who price for the risk.

Expect SMSF rates to run 1.5–2% above equivalent residential rates in the current market.

Yes. SMSF refinancing works much like residential — you switch your existing LRBA to a new lender for a better rate. The process is more complex (you'll need updated trust deeds and bare trust documents) but it's well-established and worthwhile if the rate gap is meaningful.

The Mango broker call walks through the structural side and confirms whether refinancing is the right move for your fund.

Most SMSF lenders cap at 80% LVR for residential property. Some cap at 70%. For commercial property held in SMSF, caps are lower again (60–70%).

Importantly: there's no LMI option in SMSF. Lenders simply decline above their cap rather than offering insurance to write a higher-LVR loan. If your LVR is above 80%, you'll likely need to bring it down (extra contributions, partial paydown) before refinancing.

An LRBA is the legal structure required for SMSF property lending. It separates the property from the rest of your SMSF assets via a "bare trust" so that if the loan defaults, the lender's claim is limited to the property — not your other super assets.

All SMSF property loans require this structure. Your accountant or solicitor sets it up alongside the loan.

SMSF setup costs run higher than residential — typically $1,500–$3,500 total. This covers:

Lender application fee ($0–$1,500), settlement fee, valuation, plus updated bare trust documents from your solicitor (~$500–$1,200).

The rate gap usually needs to be 0.5%+ for SMSF refinancing to pay back the setup costs within a reasonable window. The Mango broker call walks through your specific all-in numbers.

Yes — and commercial property is more flexible inside an SMSF than residential. It can be leased to a related party (your business, for example) at arm's-length market rent, which residential property held in SMSF cannot.

RateSearch's SMSF tool covers residential property only. For Commercial SMSF refinancing — different lender panel, different LVR caps, different valuation requirements — please talk to a Mango broker directly.

No. Mango Financial Group provides credit assistance only — comparing lenders, structuring the loan, helping you switch. Whether SMSF property is right for your overall retirement strategy is financial advice, which requires a licensed financial planner.

We strongly recommend getting both: credit assistance from a broker (us), and financial advice from a planner. The two work alongside each other.

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