Brokers should prep for industry change



Mortgage brokers have been told it is inevitable their industry will follow financial planning and they should prepare accordingly.
The principal of Financial Consulting Australia, Joe Mennea said the broking industry has made significant advances to implement improvements to standards, which would lift the standing and appreciation of the service they provide.
Mennea warned, however, that reviewers of the industry should be cautious to not suffocate brokers and their relationships with clients, but that brokers should be ready for change, for example mandatory educational qualifications, nonetheless.
“Entry level academic qualifications and accreditation supported by ongoing study and professional pathways to reflect importance of the industry can only serve to provide customers with reassurance and confidence,” said Mennea.
160 students undertook the Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management course, with mentor founder and principal, Mark Sinclair, likening the course to that required of financial planners.
“It was inevitable that the broking sector would follow the financial planning industry and respond to industry and government pressure, market consolidation and heightened scrutiny in general,” said Sinclair.
Recommended for you
With an advice M&A deal taking around six months to enact, two experts have shared their tips on how buyers and sellers can avoid “deal fatigue” and prevent potential deals from collapsing.
Several financial advisers have been shortlisted in the ninth annual Women in Finance Awards 2025, to be held on 14 November.
Digital advice tools are on the rise, but licensees will need to ensure they still meet adviser obligations or potentially risk a class action if clients lose money from a rogue algorithm.
Shaw and Partners has merged with Sydney wealth manager Kennedy Partners Wealth, while Ord Minnett has hired a private wealth adviser from Morgan Stanley.