🎄My Final Credit Crunch for 2025🎄

Well friends… this is the last Credit Crunch for the year! What. A. Ride. 🚀

If you’d told me back in January that this year would end with The Brokers' Bible being aquired by LMG,  Australia’s largest aggregator… I never would’ve believed you,  it simply wasn’t on my radar (for at least 5 years!) Yet here we are, and it’s become one of the most exciting, energising chapters of my career. Being able to collaborate at this scale and help build world-class support and resources for brokers across Australia and New Zealand has been a total pinch-me moment.

And the best part?
Next year, you’ll see an uplift across the board.
I’m already deep in planning for 2026 and feeling incredibly excited about what’s coming.

🌱 So, What’s Ahead for 2026

• Commercial Policy Upgrade:
  We’re nearly done, about 8 lenders left to go. This will be a huge uplift for brokers working in commercial or wanting to step into it. 

• New Templates & Courses:
  Fresh tools, white-label assets, education pathways… all designed to genuinely help you run a better business.

• More Education Webinars:
  Bite-sized, practical, and broker-led by me. Expect deeper dives, real scenarios, and training that supports what you're actually facing day-to-day. These webinars are not just for you, I'm designing programs for your entire team.

• AI Build Expansion:
  Brokerchat.AI - More structure. More accuracy. More support layers.

💡 My Personal Advice to Brokers Going Into 2026

1. Double down on what AI can’t do

• Connection, relationship building, authenticity.
• Pick up the phone.
• Meet clients face-to-face.
• Re-engage referral partners.

These are the things that build trust, credibility, and long-term business.

2. Lean into what AI can do

• Don’t fight it — use it. Understand it. Play with it.
• Put one hour a week in your calendar.
• Be curious. Ask questions.
• Talk to other brokers about what’s working for them.
• 2026 is the year AI stops feeling “new and shiny” and becomes part of your everyday ops.

Age is irrelevant, curiosity isn’t.

3. Build your marketing muscle

• Your clients want to see you.
• Your story. Your values. Your knowledge.
• Show up online authentically — even imperfectly.
• Run events. Teach your community. Share what you know.

This was a huge part of how I built my business.

4. Know your niche

• Understand exactly who you serve and speak directly to them.
• You don’t need to be everything to everyone — you just need to be the right person for your ideal client.

🤖 What to Outsource to AI (Immediately)

Think of AI as your extremely eager trainee who doesn’t need coffee breaks:

Application assistant: 

• Policy searching - AKA, The Brokers' Bible

• BID/compliance note drafting

• Application submission notes

It won’t replace your compliance obligations — but it will save you hours.

In your business:

• Marketing campaigns & social content

• Email sequences & nurturing funnels

• Team KPI planning, business modelling & cashflow mapping

• Business analysis

• Business planning frameworks

And on the personal side…

• Holiday planning

• Meal preparation

• Kids’ schedules and activities

• Mental load support

• Life admin (basically everything you normally avoid)

Honestly, I even use one of my little AI agents for general sanity checks… and yes, it now refers to me as “Lovely,” not “Kath.” I didn’t ask for this , but I will absolutely take it.🤣

✨ Be Curious

That’s my biggest message for 2026. Curiosity is going to be your competitive edge. I’ve built a whole suite of my own GPTs — investing, SMSF/tax, travel planning, parenting teenagers, meal prep, business strategy, and sanity checks. 

Do they replace my financial planner or accountant?
Absolutely not.

Do they give me clarity, a framework, and the confidence to have better conversations with those professionals?
Yes. And it’s brilliant.

 

Go Flexi by LMG – Big Update 🚀

LMG – You asked, we listened.
We’ve extended Go Flexi and here’s the headline:

✨ No LMI. No Risk Fee. No LPF.

Up to 90% LVR on Prime Full Doc home loans for both refinances and purchases of residential properties.
Offer ends 17 February 2026*.

And the kicker?
Unlike most LMI waivers, there are no occupation restrictions across both OO and INV borrower profiles.
(Prime eligibility criteria still applies.)

ApplyOnline – Document Upload Changes 📁

Effective immediately:
Email documents will no longer be accepted.
All home loan application documents must be uploaded directly via the Documents Tab in ApplyOnline.

ANZ – Making Commercial Lending Simple 🏢

Perfect for clients growing their sub-$3M property portfolio.

Key highlights:

• Interest Only up to 5 years, matched to the remaining lease term to support cash flow.

• 1.5x interest coverage ratio, calculated using current rates — helping more clients meet servicing from net rent.

👉 Full details inside the TBB Commercial Hub.

Westpac Group – Company & Corporate Trustee Loan Changes 🏛️

Effective Thursday 18 December, home and investment loans where the borrower is a company or corporate trustee will only be available via:

• Business Bank, or

• Private Wealth channels.

This change ensures customers receive the right level of expertise and a more consistent experience.

Eligibility Overview

New to Bank Applicants

Must demonstrate either:

• Primary income (>50%) from self-employed business income, or

• Meeting Private Wealth segmentation.

A new-to-bank customer is someone with:

• No existing business lending or business transaction accounts with the Group, and

• No existing mortgages with the Group (personally or via related entities).

Existing to Bank Applicants

Must sit within a Business & Wealth RM-managed relationship that includes active business lending and/or transaction accounts.

For additional lending on an existing company/corporate trustee loan:

• Primary income must be >50% self-employed, or

• Applicant must meet Private Wealth segmentation.

Pipeline Deadline

Applications under current policy must be submitted by 11:59pm, Wednesday 17 December 2025.

Bank of Sydney – New Policy Niches 🧩

• Common Debt Reducer:
  Where an applicant shares a debt with a non-applicant (e.g., spouse, friend), BoS may assess only the applicant’s ownership percentage — subject to conditions.

• Regional Residential Max LVR (no LMI) increased to 75% (up from 70%).

Suncorp – Construction Loan Changes 🏗️

From Friday 12 December 2025, Suncorp will only offer Interest Only construction loans.

Key points:

• AOL will update between 15–17 December, but any construction loan submitted on or after 12 December with P&I selected will not be accepted.

• Construction splits must now sit in their own loan split.

• Pre-approval construction loans submitted as P&I will need to be switched to IO if converting to full approval on or after 12 December.

👥 Members We Helped This Week

Here’s a snapshot of the real scenarios our members brought to us — and how The Brokers’ Bible stepped in to support.

1️⃣ Foreign Income – PNG Kina + 90% Investment Purchase

Member query:
Client working and living in Papua New Guinea, earning in Kina, wanting to buy an investment property.. NAB was shading income by 40% and broker wanted to know which other lenders accept Kina and how they calculate it.

TBB support:
PNG is a niche currency with limited lender appetite, but we provided:

• Direct links to our Foreign Income Module + Non-Resident and Expat Hubs

• Clarification on expat vs non-resident treatment

• A shortlist of lenders who MAY consider Kina income for expats:

  ANZ
  Bluestone
  Bankwest
  Brighten
  Granite
  MA Money
  Westpac Group (capped at 70% LVR)

This gave the member instant clarity AND lender direction.

2️⃣ Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme – Savings Too High?

Member query:
Clients purchasing at $700,000, with $142,000 in savings. Lenders showing ~$7,800 LMI. Broker asked whether the Home Guarantee Scheme could apply.

TBB support:
We provided:

• Direct module links

• A full breakdown via our AI Chatbot, including:

Key insights:

• Scheme requires deposit between 5%–20%

• Clients’ savings = 20.28%, which exceeds the threshold

• Lenders are guided not to offer the scheme where savings are >20%

• Strict retained savings applies

• Clients retaining $100k+ after a 5% deposit would also breach retained savings guidelines

Outcome:
Clear advice that the clients may not be eligible, with supporting references and next steps.

3️⃣ OO Purchase With Visa Holder Sister + Retaining Existing Investment Property

Member query:
Owner-occupier purchase with a non-resident sibling on a current VISA, while retaining an existing investment property. Needed lender options that supported complex structures + visa flexibility.

TBB support:
We suggested ING as a strong lead because:

• They offer a Property Share Loan

• They accept any visa

• They may allow:

  • PR borrower on title,

  • Visa holder loan only
    (commonly accepted in marital relationships — pending confirmation for siblings - this may not be suitable)

We flagged this as a potential pathway and suggested a  deeper review of the VISA HOLDER module inside TBB and encouraged to workshop with the BDM.

🌟 Want support like this?

These scenarios are exactly why brokers lean on The Brokers’ Bible daily — fast answers, policy clarity, structure ideas, and lender direction when scenarios get tricky.