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Buying Near Mascot On Bonuses, Commissions And RSUs – Safely

How Mascot buyers using bonuses, commissions and RSUs can boost borrowing power without overestimating income or risking mortgage stress when the big year doesn’t repeat.

9 Sept 2026Updated 25 Sept 2026Reviewed 16 Sept 20265 min read

Key Takeaway

Australian lenders will count bonuses, commissions and RSUs for a Mascot home loan, but usually only after averaging 1–3 years and discounting them by around 20–40%, and borrowers should go further by setting internal limits based on base salary alone. With more than 28% of mortgage holders now considered ‘at risk’ of stress, treating variable pay as buffer and debt‑reduction capital, not required repayment income, materially reduces risk. The key actionable step is to size your safe Mascot purchase price off base pay and use variable income only to build offsets and pay down debt.

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Buying Near Mascot On Bonuses, Commissions And RSUs – Safely

You can absolutely use bonuses, commissions and RSUs to buy near Mascot, but you should never build your loan around a “best year ever”. Lenders will usually average and shade variable income, and you should go further by setting your own limit based mainly on base salary, then treating bonuses and RSUs as extra capital for buffers and debt reduction.

Quick answer in numbers: if you earn $150,000 base plus a “typical” $50,000 bonus, most banks might count roughly $30,000–$40,000 of that bonus after averaging and discounts. A safer internal rule is to pretend your income is just $150,000 for servicing, and use the bonus only for offset and lump‑sum repayments.

Mascot buyers reviewing bonus and RSU income with broker Clarifying how bonuses, commissions and RSUs show up in lender eyes.

How banks actually treat bonuses, commissions and RSUs

Lenders around Mascot all have their own calculators, but the rough rules are similar.

  1. Bonuses and commissions

    • Usually need 2 years of history, sometimes 1 strong year with evidence it will continue.
    • Banks often average the last 2 years, or 2 years plus year‑to‑date.
    • Then they shade it – commonly using 60–80% of that average in servicing.

  2. RSUs and share plans

    • They want a vesting schedule and at least 2 years of vesting history if possible.
    • Some lenders treat RSUs like bonus income and shade them; others ignore them if they look too lumpy.
    • Volatile tech shares are often hit harder.

  3. APRA buffer and HEM

    • Your loan is tested at ~3% above the actual rate (APRA serviceability buffer).
    • Living costs default to HEM if your declared spending looks unrealistically low.

For a deeper dive on how variable income gets averaged and shaded, see /insights/managing-big-income-swings-large-loan.

Worked Mascot example

  • Base salary: $140,000
  • Average bonus/commission last 2 years: $40,000
  • Lender counts: say 70% of that = $28,000
  • Assessed income: $168,000 before tax.

At today’s assessment rates, that could be the difference between roughly $1.0m and $1.2m in borrowing capacity, depending on other debts. The danger is assuming you “deserve” the full $40,000 every year.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I rely on my annual bonus to qualify for a Mascot home loan?▾
You can use your annual bonus to support a Mascot home loan, but lenders usually require at least one to two years of history and will average and discount it. You should still ensure repayments are affordable on base salary alone, with the bonus treated as upside for buffers and extra repayments rather than money you need just to cope with the mortgage.
How do banks treat RSUs when assessing borrowing power?▾
Banks typically want to see a vesting schedule and at least a couple of years of RSU history before counting them. Some lenders treat RSUs like bonus income and shade them heavily, while others may ignore them if they look too volatile. Because policies differ widely, lender choice and documentation make a big difference to how much of your RSUs can be used.
What buffer should I hold if my income includes commissions or RSUs?▾
If you rely on commissions or RSUs, a good rule is to hold 6–12 months of essential living expenses plus all loan repayments in cash or a true offset account. This protects you if a big year doesn’t repeat or if markets turn against your employer’s share price, and it should generally be built before taking on additional geared investments.

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