Articles
Market & industry insights.
Practical notes on how private lending actually works - written by the Alphacon credit team for brokers and borrowers who want the mechanics, not the marketing.
Caveat loans vs second mortgages
A caveat loan can be arranged in days, but the lender's security is a notice on the title rather than a registered mortgage. Here's how the two differ, why that changes the price, and when a registered second mortgage is the better route.
ATO tax debt loans, explained
A secured loan can clear an ATO or tax debt in full before it costs more than money - the credit file, a Director Penalty Notice, or the business itself. Here's when that makes sense, and when a payment plan still wins.
When bridging finance beats a bank extension
A settlement date that will not move is a different problem to a shortfall of capital. Here is how to tell which one you are solving, and which fix actually clears in time.
How to read a risk fee
Establishment fee, line fee, risk fee, management fee. What each one actually charges you for, and how to reduce four term sheets to a single comparable number.
Second mortgages, explained
A second mortgage can release equity without disturbing a good first-mortgage rate. It can also be the most expensive way to fund a shortfall. The difference is in the numbers.
Construction and development finance in Australia
Construction and development projects need capital released against progress, not all at once. Here's how staged construction finance is structured, what a lender checks before each drawdown, and what it actually costs to run.
What is bridging finance?
Bridging finance closes a timing gap, not a shortage of equity. Here's what it actually funds, how it's assessed, and when it's the wrong tool for the job.
Releasing equity from commercial property
Equity sitting in a commercial property can fund a new opportunity without a sale - structured as a second mortgage or a refinance. Here's how to work out which path is cheaper.
Private lender vs bank: how to choose
Banks and private lenders solve different problems. Here's how the two actually differ on speed, assessment and cost, how to work out which one fits your deal, and how to tell one private lender from another.
Short-term business loans in Australia
A short-term facility can cover stock, payroll, a tax debt, or a contract that needs funding before payment lands. Here's how they're structured and priced against a bank overdraft or line of credit.
How LVR works for commercial property
Loan-to-value ratio drives what you can borrow, at what price, more than any other single number. Here's how it's calculated for commercial property, and where combined LVR changes the picture.
SMSF property lending, explained
Lending to a self-managed super fund is assessed differently to a personal loan - the fund is the borrower, the property is held on a holding trust, and the lender's recourse stops at that asset. Here's how it works, and what changed in August 2026.
Business loans with bad credit in Australia
A poor credit history doesn't automatically rule out property-secured finance. Here's how lenders like Alphacon assess a deal when the credit file is the problem, not the security, and what it costs.
Non-bank lenders in Australia, explained
Non-bank lenders fund a meaningful share of Australian commercial property finance. Here's what the category actually covers, how it's funded and regulated, and how private lenders like Alphacon fit within it.