Good to know

Your bank can only offer you your bank's products. Sitting across a panel of lenders means I can compare not just rates and fees, but policies — and that matters more than most people expect, because lenders differ enormously in what they'll actually accept. The same application can be a comfortable yes at one lender and a no at another.

I'll do that comparing for you, then talk you through a shortlist in plain English and explain why I'd lean one way rather than another. The choice stays yours. My panel doesn't cover every lender in the market, and if I ever think something outside it would suit you better, I'll tell you.

For most residential home loans, the lender you choose pays a commission to my licensee, which passes a share to TruLend — an upfront amount when the loan settles, and a smaller trail each year it stays open. You'll get the rate and estimated amount in writing before you proceed. Occasionally, with complex commercial, SMSF or specialist work, a fee may apply; you'd know the amount and the reason upfront, in writing, before anything begins.

Absolutely not — and please don't feel awkward about saying so. My job is to lay out the options clearly and tell you which one I'd choose and why. The decision is entirely yours, and if you'd prefer a different option from the shortlist, I'll happily run with it.

At every milestone as a minimum, and any time you ask. If you'd like a particular rhythm — a weekly text, a fortnightly call — just tell me and that's what we'll do.

A single credit enquiry generally has limited impact. Multiple applications in a short window are the thing to avoid — which is precisely what working with a broker helps you avoid.

Very often, yes. Lenders have quite different policies, and a decline from one tells you almost nothing about another. Tell me what happened and why, and we'll work out the right path.

Maybe, maybe not. There are low-deposit options, guarantor structures and government schemes, and LMI is sometimes worth paying rather than waiting — though that depends entirely on your circumstances, and nobody can tell you which way prices will move. Let's do the numbers rather than guess.

It's more paperwork, not more difficulty — provided we prepare properly. Some lenders are genuinely good with self-employed borrowers, and those are the ones we'll be talking to.

As a realistic guide, roughly 6–10 weeks from first conversation to settlement for a straightforward purchase, and 4–8 weeks for most refinances. Complex situations take longer. It can move faster when it needs to — lenders differ a lot in how quickly they assess — so if you're working to a deadline, say so at the first conversation. Knowing early changes which lenders we approach, and it's far easier to plan around than to fix later.

It's collected because I can't responsibly recommend a loan without it, stored securely, and shared only with the lenders, my licensee and aggregator, credit reporting bodies, insurers or other parties genuinely necessary to progress what you've asked me to do. Never sold, never used for unrelated purposes. You'll sign a Privacy Consent setting this out in full.

When I'm helping you with a home loan or other regulated consumer credit, I'm legally required to act in your best interests, and to put your interests ahead of my own wherever the two might conflict. Which lender pays me more never decides which lender I recommend.

Business and commercial lending is regulated a little differently, and I'll always let you know when that's the case for what you're doing. But honestly, it changes nothing about how I work with you. Acting in your best interests isn't a box I tick — it's simply how I do this job.

Please tell me. I'll always do my very best to listen, understand and support you — but I'm human, and occasionally something gets missed, or a message lands differently to how I meant it. Most of the time a conversation is all it takes to put things right, and I'd genuinely rather you gave me that chance than sat with it.

If we can't resolve it between us, there's a formal complaints process through my licensee, Connective Credit Services Pty Ltd, and beyond that you can take it to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) — a free and independent service. The full details are in your Credit Guide.