Client Case Study
From Financial Pressure to $12,000 a Year Back in the Household Budget
“Our job is to show you what’s possible.
Your job is to decide what’s right for you.”
At WhiteStar, we often meet clients who are working incredibly hard but still feeling overwhelmed by their financial commitments. This was the case for one hardworking client who was juggling long shifts while also covering significant visa costs for his partner.
Despite doing everything he could to stay on top of his finances, the combination of repayments was creating constant pressure and leaving very little breathing room each month.
The Situation
The client had been managing several financial commitments at once:
- Mortgage repayments of $1,820 per month
- Personal loan, credit cards and Buy Now Pay Later facilities totalling approximately $930 per month
In total, he was paying around $2,750 per month toward debt repayments.
Adding to the challenge, his mortgage was with a lender typically used for borrowers with credit difficulties. However, after reviewing his credit file, we could see that his credit score and repayment history did not justify remaining on such a high interest rate.
There were also a few lending challenges to navigate:
• Several payday lenders appearing on the credit file
• Varying income due to shift work
These factors can make many lenders hesitant, even when the borrower is otherwise managing their commitments responsibly.
The Solution
With an understanding of lender policies and where exceptions can sometimes be made, Marina carefully reviewed the scenario and identified lenders who could assess the application more fairly.
The strategy focused on refinancing the mortgage and consolidating the remaining debts into one manageable loan.
This allowed the client to:
- Refinance to a significantly lower interest rate
- Clear personal loans, credit cards and Buy Now Pay Later facilities
- Simplify everything into one structured repayment
The refinance achieved several key outcomes:
- Lower interest rates across the existing loans
- All mortgages with the same lender
- Access to funds for property improvements and additional accommodation
- Lending structured to recognise the strength of the Airbnb income
- Continued growth of a successful property investment strategy
The Outcome
The refinance delivered immediate relief.
- Monthly repayments reduced by $1,066
- Over $12,000 per year back into the household budget
- Short-term debts cleared and finances simplified
For this client, the outcome meant much more than just improving the numbers. It brought real relief after months of working hard to stay on top of repayments while managing visa costs for his partner. After settlement, he shared the following message with our team:
Client Review
“Absolutely fantastic service and follow up from Marina and Kat. They were incredibly thoughtful and detailed throughout the whole process. Thanks to their help I was able to move away from a subpar home loan with another lender and consolidate my debts from my partner’s visa application into one affordable repayment at a dramatically lower rate. I’m very grateful for the support and will definitely be establishing a long-term relationship with them. Highly recommended.”. PRODUCT REVIEW
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