Emergency triage tool

How the triage tool decides your route

In an emergency, three things decide what is possible: time, security and evidence. The tool weighs them in that order. Time is the deadline the creditor, the ATO or the other party has set. Security is whether there is property — residential or commercial — that a lender can take a mortgage or caveat over. Evidence is how easily your business can show it trades, which usually means recent bank statements and a track record.

Where property is available, the tool leans towards property-secured routes because they are the fastest for meaningful amounts. A caveat loan or a second mortgage behind an existing home loan can move quickly because the lender relies mainly on the property and a clear exit, not on months of financial statements. In plain terms, $20k to $250k is possible the same day when property secures it, and amounts up to $5m are possible within 24–48 hours. "Possible" is doing real work in that sentence: it depends on title searches, how quickly you sign, and whether there is enough equity.

Without property, the tool looks at unsecured, cash-flow and line-of-credit options. These are typically $5,000 to $500,000 for trading businesses, sized on turnover and bank statements. Same-day funding is possible for smaller unsecured amounts, but larger unsecured sums usually take a little longer because the lender has to be comfortable with your cash flow alone. A business that has only traded for a few months has fewer unsecured choices — the tool will tell you so rather than pretend.

Why the "next hour" list matters as much as the loan

Most emergencies get worse because of what happens in the first few hours, not because of the debt itself. A creditor who hears nothing assumes the worst. A creditor who gets a call, a confirmed amount and a timetable often waits. That is why every triage card starts with actions — confirm the exact figure, call the other party, gather documents — before any funding step. If you do nothing else today, do those.

The documents list is specific to your emergency. A failing settlement needs the contract and the settlement date; a garnishee needs the ATO notice and your account balance; a breakdown needs a repair quote. Having them ready is the single easiest way to save a day.

When the tool says "buy time first"

If the deadline is shorter than any realistic route — say, a large unsecured amount needed within hours — the card tells you to negotiate first. That isn't a brush-off. It is what an experienced lending specialist would tell you on the phone. Read our guide on calling creditors to buy time and the deadline pages such as needing money today.

From triage card to funding

When you're ready, start the 60-second enquiry and use the same answers you gave here. A real person reads it, calls you, and works on one route — we don't send your details to a crowd of lenders. Accuracy matters: if the amount, the deadline or the property details are off, the first option offered may not be the one that works. If the numbers are still moving, the cash-gap countdown helps you pin down exactly how much you need.