The Adviser Podcast Network

With all four major banks locking in predictions for a Melbourne Cup Day cash rate hike and mortgage repayments eating up more than half of the typical household budget, borrowers and brokers are bracing for maximum financial pressure.

Fresh from The Adviser's closed-door UK Study Tour, host Annie Kane returns to the mic alongside senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian to break down the latest macro shifts, association strategies, and executive moves shaping the broking channel.

This week, they discuss:

• Key takeaways from the UK mortgage market and the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) national conference.
• Why hotter-than-expected September quarter CPI figures have pushed all four major banks to forecast another rate hike next week.
• Why economist Warren Hogan warns the terminal cash rate could reach 5.35 per cent.

And much more!

As affordability and serviceability pressures challenge prospective home buyers and investors, lenders are tweaking their offerings to help borrowers enter the market.

In this episode of In Focus, sponsored by Granite Home Loans, co-founder and director Bridget Sakr and national sales manager Kit Wong unpack how the lender's new 40-Year Extended Home Loan aims to improve access to credit for owner-occupiers and investors, with flexible loan terms and features designed to meet different borrowing needs.

Tune in to hear:

• How the 40-year loan aims to help owner-occupiers overcome affordability and serviceability hurdles.
• What the extended term offers property investors, including interest-only repayments of up to 10 years.
• What brokers need to consider when assessing eligibility, serviceability, and exit strategies.

And much more!

What pushes a retail banker of 10 years to leave the branch and launch an independent brokerage from scratch? For Nick Lissikatos, it came down to being sick and tired of telling clients "no".

After a decade at Commonwealth Bank of Australia and St George Bank, the new broker and director of Sydney-based Trelos Finance made the jump to broking, going from casting a wide net across multimillion-dollar development sites to mastering a focused core of first home buyers and mum-and-dad investors.

Here, he chats to host Charlie Tchetchenian, senior journalist at The Adviser, to break down how he's built his brokerage over the past three years, his digital-first approach to client communication, and why he believes new operators should invest in outsourcing admin and credit analysis long before they reach breaking point.

Tune in to find out:

• How he built up a steady pipeline through educational social content and direct outreach.
• Why he chose a boutique aggregator over a major brand.
• His perspective on first-party lender competition and blanket clawback policies.

And much more!

Refinancing is accounting for a growing share of broker lending at one aggregation group, while the latest figures point to shifting conditions across the mortgage market.

In this episode of What's Making Headlines, The Adviser's senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian and commercial content writer Ben Squires unpack the latest lending figures and what they mean for brokers, aggregators, and the wider industry.

They also discuss:

• Criticism of lender cashback tactics from the FBAA.
• The Coalition's proposed reset of ASIC and APRA's regulatory approach.
• What the MFAA's Global Insights Report reveals about Australia's broking model.

And much more!

What does it take to transition from a major bank background into building a high-performing solo brokerage writing over $120 million a year?

In this episode of Elite Broker, host Charlie Tchetchenian catches up with Tony Xia, director of Sydney-based brokerage The Mortgage Agency, to discuss his 11-year journey in the broking industry, how he built a streamlined residential lending business, and why he works a strict four-day week without sacrificing massive growth.

Tune in to find out:

• How he grew his settlement volume by 37 per cent while only increasing his personal workload by 5–10 per cent.
• Why 95 per cent of his business comes from residential lending and non-professional referrals.
• How leveraging sales tracker CRM workflows and dedicated support staff protects his client experience.

And much more!

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC's) long-awaited review into the best interests duty (BID) landed this week, prompting plenty of discussion across the mortgage broking industry.

In this episode of What's Making Headlines, The Adviser's senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian and commercial content writer Ben Squires unpack the review and the immediate response from brokers, aggregators, and industry bodies.

This week, they also discuss:

• Mortgage and borrower demand, alongside the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) latest minutes.
• Industry pushback against a proposed 1,000 per cent increase in brokers' Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) levy.
• A new appointment for an industry stalwart.

And much more!

From starting out on the retail shop floor to spending years as CEO of iconic Australian brands Sportsgirl and Sussan, Colleen Callander has built a career in leadership while helping others build their own through her mentorship platform, Mentor Me Women.

Ahead of her keynote at the Women in Finance Summit 2026, the transformational leader joins host Annie Kane to discuss her approach to leadership, career progression, and building authentic confidence.

Tune in to find out:

• How she rose from folding denim as a 16-year-old to becoming CEO of major national brands.
• Why leading with empathy and kindness serves as a true leadership superpower rather than a weakness.
• Her practical approach to overcoming imposter syndrome and cultivating genuine confidence.

And much more!

Retention tactics came under renewed scrutiny this week, with Macquarie Equity Research's latest broker survey revealing concerns that some lenders are holding back their strongest retention offers until a discharge is lodged.

In this week's episode of What's Making Headlines, The Adviser's senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian and commercial content writer Ben Squires examine the findings and explore how borrower retention has become a major source of friction between lenders and the broker channel.

The team also unpacks the latest APRA ADI statistics and other industry developments, including a new lender joining the federal government's Help to Buy scheme.

This week, they discuss:

• New research showing prospective buyers increasingly want support from brokers.
• A non-bank lender's projections for commercial broker market share.
• What the RBA's latest Financial Stability Review reveals about the market.

And much more!

Private credit can provide flexibility for borrowers, but getting the right outcome requires careful structuring, clear communication, and a strong focus on the exit strategy.

In this episode of In Focus, sponsored by Greenlink Capital, CEO Kiro Georgy and chief investment officer Rory Gazarian explore the evolving private credit market, including what brokers need to know to approach this lending segment with confidence and what investors should consider when assessing private credit as an asset class.

They also unpack Greenlink's approach and explain why the quality of due diligence behind each deal is critical to ensuring returns are appropriately matched to risk.

Tune in to hear:

• Where private credit can provide an alternative to traditional bank lending and how it is emerging as an asset class for investors.
• How the lender assesses risk, structures multiple exit strategies, and undertakes due diligence on each deal.
• Why transparency, reliability, and accountability are central to Greenlink's proposition.

And much more!

What makes a successful property investor turn into a high-volume broker? For Jack Williams, founder of Insightful Capital, maxing out his own borrowing capacity was the ultimate catalyst to master the financial system and become a broker.

Having transitioned from a background in plumbing, electrical trades, and corporate project management three years ago, Williams has built a fully remote, investor-focused brokerage writing hundreds of loans a year.

In this edition of New Broker, host Annie Kane discovers how he built his business from day one, why he bucked industry trends by charging a fee for service, and how he's now transitioning off the tools to coach a high-performing team of brokers.

Tune in to find out:

• How he has standardised systems, processes, and remote operations early on.
• Why he charges a fee for service.
• The hiring strategy that saw him recruit top-producing brokers.

And much more!