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CASE STUDY · SHARES & REFINANCE

$350K Recycled Through a Share Portfolio

A professional couple cleared $350,000 of non-deductible debt, created a deductible investment facility, and have since recycled a further $80,000 on their own.

✓ Real client file, published anonymously✓ Licensed under ACL 387025

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Borrower
Professional couple, top tax bracket
Loan type
Refinance + debt recycling split
Properties
Home + 2 investment properties
Lender
Macquarie
Recycled asset
Existing share portfolio
Home lending today
$920K non-deductible + $405K deductible
$350K
non-deductible debt cleared
$405K
deductible debt today
2 days
to approval
~$11.2K
anticipated yearly tax saving*

The Borrower

A couple in senior corporate roles, one in asset management and one in tech sales. Each owned an investment property before they bought their home together, and they had built a $550,000 share portfolio with no debt against it.

They had researched debt recycling and knew the strategy they wanted. They needed a specialist debt recycling broker to implement it properly.

The Goal

The Problem

$320,000 of borrowing secured against their two rentals had funded their home deposit. Deductibility generally follows what borrowed money is used for, not the property securing it, so none of that interest was deductible. Their share portfolio sat unencumbered alongside it.

PropertyValueFacilityPurpose
Home$1.65m$1.2m loanNon-deductible
Investment 1$650k$400k investment loanDeductible
Investment 1—$150k owner-occupier splitNon-deductible (funded the home deposit)
Investment 2$770k$385k investment loanDeductible
Investment 2—$170k owner-occupier splitNon-deductible (funded the home deposit)
Shares$550k—Unencumbered

What the Bank Said

When they bought their home, their previous bank advised drawing equity from each investment property to fund the deposit. It got the purchase done, but left non-deductible debt sitting against the investments.

What We Did Differently

We refinanced the home and both investment properties to Macquarie and structured the recycle around the plan the couple brought to us:

  1. They sold $350,000 of their $550,000 share portfolio.
  2. The proceeds went against non-deductible debt: $200,000 off the home loan and $150,000 to clear the owner-occupier split on Investment 1.
  3. $325,000 was redrawn through a new, separate investment split.
  4. They bought the shares back the next day, settled from the new split.
  5. Investment 2 was refinanced alongside, with its $170,000 non-deductible split left in place to clear the same way later.
  6. Three months on, they recycled a further $80,000 themselves through Macquarie's online chat, with no new application, reassessment or broker step required.

The Result

MetricFigure
LenderMacquarie
Approval timeframe2 business days
Repayment typeP&I, both splits at 5.89%
Non-deductible debt cleared (initial)$350,000
Deductible investment debt created (initial)$325,000
Further debt recycled after 3 months, no new application$80,000
Non-deductible home loan balance, current$920,000
Deductible investment debt, current$405,000
Non-deductible split left on Investment 2 (to clear later)$170,000

The Tax Outcome

$405,000 of deductible debt at 5.89% generates about $23,855 of interest in year one. With both partners on the top marginal rate (45% plus the 2% Medicare levy, on income over $190,000), the anticipated combined saving is $11,212 a year, subject to confirmation by their accountant.

Figure
Annual interest on $405,000 at 5.89%$23,854.50
Combined marginal tax rate47%
Combined anticipated tax saving$11,211.62
Partner 1 anticipated saving (50/50 split assumed)$5,605.81
Partner 2 anticipated saving (50/50 split assumed)$5,605.81

*Interest on a P&I loan falls as principal is repaid, so the deduction reduces over time. Tax outcomes are subject to advice from your accountant.

Recycling the Tax Saving

Extrapolating the $11,211.62 annual tax saving, redirected as extra repayments against their combined $1,090,000 non-deductible debt ($920,000 home loan + $170,000 remaining Investment 2 split) at 5.89% P&I:

Assumptions: 30-year loan term, rate held flat at 5.89% for the full period, extra repayment applied monthly ($934.30/month) and redirected 100% at the non-deductible debt, and the $11,211.62 saving held constant each year. In practice it would likely grow as they keep recycling, so this is a conservative floor, not a ceiling.

YearBalance without extra repaymentsBalance with extra repaymentsInterest saved to date
5$1,012,904$947,901$8,944
10$909,480$757,278$40,086
15$770,739$501,559$101,005
20$584,618$158,515$201,871

Left untouched, the loan runs the full 30 years and costs $1,234,957 in total interest.

Redirecting the tax saving every year clears it in 21.9 years, 8.1 years early, and cuts total interest to $852,110.

Total interest saved over the life of the loan: $382,847

Illustrative projection on the stated assumptions only, not a forecast or a promise of any result. Rates, tax law and the clients' circumstances will change.

Key Takeaways

Contact us if you're looking for a debt recycling mortgage broker who can restructure lending across a home and an investment portfolio.

Planning a similar move? See how we approach refinancing for debt recycling and debt recycling with shares and ETFs.

Want to know what your structure could look like?

Talk it through with a specialist broker, or run your own numbers first.

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Disclaimer: This case study is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, credit, or accounting advice. Figures shown are specific to this client's individual circumstances and should not be relied upon as a guide to expected outcomes for any other person. Debt recycling is a leveraged strategy that uses your home as security and can amplify losses. Please seek personalised advice from a qualified professional (mortgage broker, accountant, and/or financial adviser) before making any financial decisions.