What's Making Headlines – ASIC's best interests review, clawback changes, and aggregator movements

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.