Coronavirus (COVID-19): Information for small businesses, households and mortgage-holders

Buyers Choice: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Live blog post: This blog post will be updated as new information becomes available. Please check in regularly to stay up to date.

The Federal Government and State Governments have announced new measures to slow the infection rates in our community of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). These measures impact our economy, individual’s livelihoods, entire industries and businesses. Financial support is available to help you manage the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

How your Mortgage Broker can help you

The team at Buyers Choice are committed to supporting you during the evolving Coronavirus situation. Your local Buyers Choice Mortgage Broker is available to answer any questions that you may have around small business and property finance.

Our team of experienced brokers can help you:

Understand the financial assistance packages the banks are offering, and how they relate to your circumstances
Assess your options, taking your loan structure and overall short and long term strategy into consideration
Conduct a home loan, property investment loan and/or business loan health check
Research the option of refinancing to a lower interest rate
Where appropriate consolidate debt
If required help you access a small business loan

We’re still open, operating and ready to help you. However, we’ve adapted our service offering in response to advice around the Coronavirus.

We’re offering the option of phone or virtual video appointments. We’re also working closely with the banks and making use of the latest technology to provide remote servicing. The situation is evolving very fast. We’re following the developing news from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Australian Government closely. We’ll keep you updated if anything changes regarding our service offering.

Banking – Home loan payment deferrals and assistance packages

Banks and lenders have announced a range of financial assistance packages for mortgage borrowers, including the deferral of repayments for up to six months. It’s important to note that for many of the banks offering to pause home loan repayments, the repayments will be added to the term of the loan. Also, while your repayments are on hold, interest may still accrue, which means your repayments will increase once the pause period ends. We suggest you speak with your mortgage broker before deferring (pausing) payments to ensure you understand the implications.

CLICK HERE to access a spreadsheet listing lender financial relief package contacts.

Help for households

The Federal Government has announced an additional $66.1 billion economic support package. The package includes support for households including casuals, sole-traders, retirees and those on income support; assistance for businesses to keep people in a job; regulatory protection and financial support for businesses to stay in business.

Where to find more information on support for households:

Coronavirus supplement (CLICK HERE)

Payments to support households (CLICK HERE)

Early release of superannuation (CLICK HERE)

Reduce superannuation minimum drawdown rates (CLICK HERE)

Reducing social security deeming rates (CLICK HERE)

Help for businesses

Where to find more information on assistance to businesses to keep people in a job

Boosting cash flow for employees (CLICK HERE)

Regulatory protection and financial support for businesses to stay in business.

Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme

Temporary relief for financially distressed businesses (CLICK HERE)