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NAB updates savings, rental yield, and boarding expense policy
NAB has introduced several lending policy changes for applications submitted from 27 August 2026, covering genuine savings, rental income, and boarding expenses.
- Genuine savings: Gifted and inherited funds can now be used to verify genuine savings, provided brokers note the source of the funds and that they are non-refundable. The 90-day requirement does not apply to gifted or inherited funds, but remains in place for other forms of genuine savings.
- Maximum rental yield: The maximum rental yield that can be used for servicing has increased from 6 per cent to 7 per cent. The cap is managed manually by credit assessors and is not applied in NAB’s decision tool.
- Boarding expenses: The minimum boarding expense for customers living with relatives has increased from $500 to $600 per month.
MA Money lifts LVRs and lending limits
MA Money has increased maximum LVRs and loan limits and expanded its valuation policy across a range of lending scenarios, with the changes effective from 26 August 2026.
For Prime Full Doc and Alt Doc loans of up to $5 million, the maximum LVR has increased from 75 per cent to 80 per cent.
The lender has also expanded automated valuation model (AVM) use to Category 1 properties up to 80 per cent LVR and $2 million and increased the maximum loan size for Category 3 locations from $500,000 to $1 million.
The broader policy update also includes changes across residential, vacant land, bridging, expat, and commercial SMSF lending, as well as income verification and credit policy.
ING expands casual income assessment policy
ING has updated its casual income assessment policy to provide greater flexibility for casual employees and contractors, with the changes applying to applications approved from 27 August 2026.
- Casual employees: Where a customer has been with the same employer for at least six months, casual income can be assessed using 52 weeks of earnings. If six months or more of YTD income is available, two recent payslips are required. Where less than six months of YTD income is available, two recent payslips plus the previous year’s income statement or payment summary from the same employer are required.
- Contractors without leave entitlements: Contractors with at least six months with their current employer can also have income assessed using 52 weeks of earnings, with the same documentation requirements as casual employees. Where they have been with their current employer for less than six months, at least 12 months of income history across current and previous employers must be evidenced, with employment gaps no longer than 60 days. Servicing is based on the lower of current or previous employer income, annualised over 52 weeks.
- Contractors with leave entitlements: PAYG policy applies.
Thinktank updates SMSF refinance and commercial lending
Thinktank has introduced a new residential SMSF refinance pathway, reduced rates across selected commercial and residential products, and expanded its Commercial Edge offer, with the changes effective from 17 August 2026.
- Easy Refinance – Residential SMSF: Eligible borrowers can refinance on a dollar-for-dollar basis where they have 12 months of satisfactory loan conduct, evidenced by loan statements. The new loan must have a lower repayment and interest rate than the existing loan. Term extensions are permitted with borrower acknowledgement, but switching from principal and interest to interest-only is not permitted.
- Rate reductions: Rates have been reduced across Commercial Mid Doc and Full Doc loans up to $10 million and Residential Mid Doc loans up to $3 million. The reductions vary according to loan size and LVR.
- Commercial Edge: The offer has been expanded to Commercial Full Doc, Mid Doc, Quick Doc, Lease Doc, and Commercial SMSF Full Doc and Mid Doc loans. Eligible loans receive a zero loan documentation fee, zero title insurance fee, zero insurance stamp duty, and a 50 per cent reduction in the establishment fee. Other legal, settlement, and valuation fees remain payable by the borrower.
Connective Solutions updates Prime and SMSF lending
Connective Solutions, powered by Pepper Money, has extended several existing offers and updated its SMSF lending criteria, with changes effective 21 August 2026.
- Prime Full Doc: Eligible borrowers can access no Lender Protection Fee (LPF) up to 90 per cent LVR on select residential home loans, with the offer extended until 12 November 2026.
- SMSF refinances: The Prime Super Simple SMSF Refi allows eligible residential SMSF borrowers to have serviceability assessed using their last six months’ repayment history. No application fee applies to residential securities until 12 November 2026.
- SMSF securities: Connective Solutions is updating its acceptable SMSF security criteria to align with the definition of business real property, following recent changes to SMSF lending.
- Prime Alt Doc: Self-employed borrowers can access no LPF up to 80 per cent LVR on selected Prime Alt Doc home loan options, with multiple income verification methods available.
Aware of a product or policy update that brokers should know about? Leave it in the comments below.
See last week’s policy changes here.
[Related: Product policy tops broker recommendations]
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