Out of the cocoon

The big four banks have been through a period of evolution recently, as they lean into digital offerings and new tech. But unlike the non-banks and non-major lenders, which seem to tick along relatively steadily when it comes to broker opinion, the major banks draw either strong praise or censure from brokers at any given time; there’s very little middle ground. In our cover story (page 18), we take a look at how the big four banks have been transforming their offerings in the last year and what brokers think about their performance and service.

With a financial year having drawn to a close and a new one just started, many people are now thinking about their tax and general financial position. Key among these considerations is how they’re going to be paying their ATO debts and afford the things they want and need. For many, personal loans could be the answer. On page 24, we’ve partnered up with MoneyPlace to unpack how demand for personal loans has been rising in the past year and how brokers can be supporting more borrowers to access finance to free up some cash flow.

Meanwhile, over on page 30, Ben Squires looks at how debt consolidation is increasing in popularity as the cost of living bites and how this can be a beneficial move for consumers and small-business owners alike.

As always, this edition is chock-full of tips and advice from the leading players in the broking industry. Whether it’s the Elite Broker profile with Julian Fayad on page 12, the New Broker profile with Tayla Phillips on page 17, or some of the key takeaways from our recent Lead Generation Bootcamp on page 42, there are lots of gold nuggets in the content.

Don’t forget to check out the list of all the amazing winners from the second annual Mortgage Business Awards, run with the support of principal partner Resimac, on page 36, too!

I hope you enjoy this edition of The Adviser and do reach out if there’s anything you’d like to see included in future editions: [email protected]