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Reflects your repayment history.
Perth brokers, clients across Australia
Borrowing Power CalculatorHow much can you borrow?
Before you start shopping for a car or applying for a personal loan, it pays to know your borrowing power. Not a rough guess, but an estimate based on your actual income, expenses, and existing debts.
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How much could you borrow?
Use the calculator below to get an estimate of how much you could borrow for a car loan or personal loan. It takes a few minutes, and it won't affect your credit score.
What are you borrowing for
Secured loans (car) allow more borrowing than unsecured, because the lender holds the asset. It moves where in the band you are likely to land rather than changing your income.
Include all income sources: salary, rental, self-employed. Lenders shade some of those differently, and one lender might count self-employed income at 80% where another counts it at 100%.
Higher expenses reduce your serviceable surplus. Accuracy matters here: lenders also apply a floor of their own, so a figure below what a household of your size normally spends will not help you.
The limits, not the balances. Lenders treat a limit as potential debt whether or not you use it. This calculator books $304 a month against yours, which is 3.8% of the limit and a common lender approach. The lender your file goes to will use its own figure, and your broker will tell you what it is.
Longer terms lower monthly repayments, increasing capacity. They also mean more interest paid overall, so a bigger number here is not automatically a better outcome.
This number is yours, not ours. Yes Loans is a broker and does not set rates: lenders price each application after they have read it. Lenders also assess at a rate above the one they offer, so set this a little higher than the rate you expect if you want the cautious answer.
Estimated borrowing powerGet a broker to check it
The cautious read$51,500The generous read$77,500
A secured car loan usually sits in this half of the band
Your monthly surplus$1,716
Of that, put to a repayment$1,373
Over5 years
Tested at10.00% p.a.
The band is$26,000 wide
An estimate only, worked out from the figures you entered above. It holds back a fifth of your surplus, because a lender leaves a margin rather than lending you to your last dollar, and it books your card limits at 3.8% of the limit a month. Both of those are lender policy and vary. It is not an offer, an approval or a pre-approval, and no lender has seen your file. Yes Loans is a finance broker and does not set interest rates or lending policy.
What your card limits are costing you$11,500
That is borrowing power your credit card limits are using up, whether or not there is anything on the cards. Cancelling or reducing limits you don't need is the quickest lever most people have.
Not a fixed number
What Is Borrowing Power?
Borrowing power is the estimated amount a lender is willing to offer you based on your financial situation. It's not a fixed number. It shifts depending on your income, your debts, your expenses, and the type of loan you're applying for.
Your borrowing power
Reflects your capacity to service a new loan right now.
Two people with the same credit score can have very different borrowing power depending on their income, existing commitments, and how much of their credit card limits are sitting unused.
Eight things a serviceability assessment weighs
What Affects Your Borrowing Power?
Lenders don't just look at your income. They run a serviceability assessment that takes several factors into account. Here's how each one typically plays out.
Gross income
Higher income increases how much you can serviceably repay
What you can do
Include all income sources: salary, rental, self-employed
Existing loan repayments
Reduce available surplus for a new loan
What you can do
Pay down or close existing loans before applying
Credit card limits
Lenders treat limits as potential debt, even if unused
What you can do
Reduce or cancel cards you don't need
Monthly living expenses
Higher expenses reduce your serviceable surplus
What you can do
Can't always be changed, but accuracy matters
Loan term
Longer terms lower monthly repayments, increasing capacity
What you can do
Choose a term that fits your budget
Credit history
Poor history can reduce capacity or increase rate
What you can do
Address issues before applying where possible
Loan type
Secured loans (car) allow more borrowing than unsecured
What you can do
Use an asset as security where it makes sense
Number of dependants
More dependants increases lender's assumed living costs
What you can do
Accurately reflect your actual situation
One thing many people miss: credit card limits reduce your borrowing power even when the balance is zero. Lenders apply a buffer to the full limit as potential future debt. If you have cards you don't use, cancelling or reducing the limits before applying can meaningfully increase what you're able to borrow.
Assessed differently, on purpose
Car Loan Borrowing Power vs Personal Loan Borrowing Power
Not all loans are assessed the same way. The type of finance you're applying for affects how lenders calculate your borrowing capacity.
Car Loans
Secured against the vehicleCar loans are typically secured against the vehicle being purchased. Because the lender holds the asset as security, they carry less risk, which means they're often willing to lend more at a lower rate than for an unsecured product. Your borrowing power for a car loan is also influenced by the age and value of the vehicle. Lenders apply different policies to new versus used cars, and some have restrictions on older vehicles.
For most buyers, a car loan gives you more borrowing capacity than an unsecured personal loan of the same amount. Getting pre-approval before you start shopping also puts you in a stronger negotiating position at the dealership.
Explore your options on our car loans Perth page.
Personal Loans
Secured or unsecuredPersonal loan borrowing power is calculated differently depending on whether the loan is secured or unsecured. Unsecured personal loans rely entirely on your income and creditworthiness, which typically means lower amounts and higher rates than a secured product. Secured personal loans, backed by a vehicle you already own, can give you access to more at a better rate.
The purpose of the loan also matters. Some uses are assessed more favourably by lenders than others. Our brokers can advise on how to frame your application to give it the best chance of approval.
See our personal loans page for a full overview of what's available.
Find out what you qualify for.
The estimate above is a starting point. Our brokers assess your situation across the whole panel and work out which lender will go furthest for your profile, rather than showing you what a single lender would offer.
Or call us on (08) 9472 3000
Where the band above comes from
Why a Broker's Assessment Goes Further Than a Bank Calculator
A bank's borrowing power calculator shows you what that one bank might lend you, based on their specific policies, their rates, and their risk appetite. It's a useful starting point. It's not the full picture.
Our lender panel
The lenders your one application reaches
Different lenders apply different rules to the same income. One lender might shade self-employed income at 80%, another at 100%. One lender penalises certain types of credit card debt more heavily than another. Some lenders have lower floor rates for living expense assumptions, which directly affects how much you can borrow. Borrowing power estimates can vary by 20% to 40% across lenders for the same borrower.
At Yes Loans, our brokers work across a panel that includes Angle Finance, Latitude Financial, Sovereign Credit, Pepper Money, Money3, and Allied Credit. Rather than showing you what one lender will offer, we assess your situation and identify which lender is most likely to offer the most for your specific profile. That's a different exercise to running numbers through a single online calculator.
That 20% to 40% spread is exactly what the band above draws. Our loan repayment calculator is a useful companion tool once you have a loan amount in mind. It estimates what your repayments would look like at different rates and terms.
Six levers, before you apply
How to Increase Your Borrowing Power
If the calculator gives you a lower figure than you were hoping for, there are practical steps that can improve your position before you apply.
Reduce credit card limits
Even unused cards count against you. Cancelling cards or reducing limits is one of the quickest ways to improve your borrowing capacity.
Pay down existing debts
Reducing personal loan or car loan balances lowers your monthly commitments and frees up more serviceable income.
Avoid new credit applications
Multiple enquiries in a short window can reduce your score and signal financial stress to lenders.
Stabilise your income
Lenders assess income over a period, not just a current payslip. Consistent income over 3 to 6 months is viewed more favourably than recent changes.
Apply jointly
A second applicant's income is included in the serviceability assessment, which can meaningfully increase what you're able to borrow.
Choose a longer loan term
A longer term lowers the required monthly repayment in the serviceability calculation, which can increase your maximum borrowing amount.
These aren't instant fixes.
But even one or two changes made before you apply can move your borrowing power by a meaningful amount. Put the first one into the calculator above and watch the band move.
Hear From Our Customers
Yes Loans263 Albany Hwy, Victoria Park
A big thank you to Cooper from Yes Loans for helping me secure my loan for my new car! He was easy to communicate with, always kept me updated, and made ... Morein the last week
Thanks to Stephen, for assisting with my loan and making it possible, he dealt with it professionally and was very quick to reply with any questions and ... Morein the last week
I cannot recommend Trent highly enough. From the very beginning, he was professional, efficient and incredibly committed to helping me secure the right ... Morein the last week
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Perth based, every one of them
The brokers who run the real assessment
A calculator applies one set of rules. A broker knows which lender on the panel applies the set that suits your file. Every rating below is that broker's own Google rating as published on the Yes Loans about page.
Goran BabacGeneral Manager5.0 (22)
Trent HilliamFinance Broker5.0 (18)
Ridge KiddFinance Broker5.0 (18)
Cooper BoydFinance Broker5.0 (4)
Stephen PastorelliFinance Broker5.0 (2)
Aidan DaggettFinance Broker5.0 (1)
Paddy KnightBusiness Development Manager5.0 (1)
Kim MarchantFinance Broker5.0 (1)
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Why Choose Yes Loans
A panel reads your file, not a policy
At Yes Loans, our brokers work across a panel that includes Angle Finance, Latitude Financial, Sovereign Credit, Pepper Money, Money3, and Allied Credit.
A panel, not one policyso one bank's answer is not the answer
Different lenders apply different rules to the same income. One lender might shade self-employed income at 80%, another at 100%. One lender penalises certain types of credit card debt more heavily than another. Some lenders have lower floor rates for living expense assumptions.
No credit checkto find out roughly where you stand
Using an online calculator is a soft assessment that requires no credit check and leaves no mark on your file. A credit enquiry is only recorded when you formally apply for a loan with a lender.
The lender likeliest to lend mostrather than the first one you walk into
Rather than showing you what one lender will offer, we assess your situation and identify which lender is most likely to offer the most for your specific profile. That's a different exercise to running numbers through a single online calculator.
Perth brokerswho do the assessment properly
The calculator gives you a starting point. Our brokers give you a real answer, and they work with clients across Australia from an office in Perth. It will be one of these eight who reads your file.
Next
Where to take your number
A figure on its own is not a plan. These are the pages that take it further.
Loan repayment calculator
Once you have an amount in mind, this estimates what the repayments would look like at different rates and terms.
Car loans Perth
Secured against the vehicle, which is why it usually carries more borrowing capacity than an unsecured product.
Personal loans
Secured or unsecured, and not tied to a specific purchase.
Bad credit personal loans
If credit history is the part of your file you are worried about, this page covers what specialist lenders assess instead.
Read nextYour Comprehensive Personal Loan Calculator GuidelinesIn the guide What a calculator can and cannot tell you before you apply
What an online calculator is actually working outWhy two lenders return different numbers for the same fileWhat to have in front of you before you startWhen to stop calculating and talk to a broker
Victoria Park, Western Australia
The calculator gives you a starting point. Our brokers give you a real answer.
- 4.8
- from 281 reviews on Google
- 8
- brokers, every one of them in Perth
- 20-40%
- how far borrowing power estimates vary across lenders
- 0
- credit checks to use this calculator
Ready to Find Out What You Can Borrow?
The calculator gives you a starting point. Our brokers give you a real answer.
At Yes Loans, we work across a panel of lenders and assess your situation properly before recommending where to apply. That means you don't waste time on lenders who aren't right for you, and your credit score stays protected in the process. Whether you're looking at a car loan, a personal loan, or something else, our brokers are based in Perth and work with clients across Australia.
From the Yes Loans blog
All news and guidesFinance Resources
Your Comprehensive Personal Loan Calculator Guidelines
If you're considering applying for a personal loan, an online personal loan calculator can help you determine what is realistic before you apply.
Credit Checks in Australia: What's on Your File and What It Means for Your Loan
What is a credit check in Australia, what's on your credit file, and what do lenders actually look at? Here's what you need to know before you apply.
Choosing Between A Personal Loan And A Car Loan
Are you in the market for a new car? Or do you need some extra cash for something else, like a wedding? The structure matters more than the label.
Frequently Asked Questions
Borrowing power is an estimate of how much a lender will offer you based on your income, expenses, existing debts, and the type of loan you're applying for. Lenders run a serviceability assessment: they take your income, subtract your living expenses and existing loan commitments, and check whether the remaining surplus is enough to cover the repayments on a new loan. The calculation varies by lender, which is why the same borrower can get different figures from different institutions.
No. Using an online calculator is a soft assessment that requires no credit check and leaves no mark on your file. A credit enquiry is only recorded when you formally apply for a loan with a lender. That's why using a calculator to estimate your position before applying is worth doing.
Because every lender applies different policies. They use different floor rates for living expenses, shade income differently depending on employment type, and weight existing debts in different ways. A figure from one bank's calculator reflects that bank's criteria only. A broker assessment draws on a panel of lenders and finds the one whose policies work best for your profile.
It depends on your income, expenses, existing debts, and the value of the vehicle. Car loans are secured, which typically allows for more borrowing than an unsecured product. Most lenders will finance up to 100% of a vehicle's value for borrowers with a strong profile, with lower amounts or deposit requirements for clients with impaired credit. Our car loan brokers can give you a realistic figure once they've reviewed your situation.
Generally, yes. Secured loans carry less risk for the lender because an asset backs the debt. That reduced risk often translates into higher loan amounts and lower rates compared to an unsecured product. For car loans, the vehicle is the security. For personal loans, a vehicle you already own can sometimes be used. Our brokers can advise on which structure gives you the best result for your situation.
Reducing your credit card limits is the quickest lever most people have access to. Even a $10,000 card with a zero balance reduces your assessed borrowing capacity because lenders assume it could be used. Cancelling or reducing unused cards before you apply is a practical, immediate step. Paying down existing loan balances is the next most impactful move. If you have a second applicant who can be added to the loan, that income is included in the assessment and can make a significant difference.