ebook - how to choose the right mortgage broker 15

How to Choose aMORTGAGE BROKERAn Insider’s Guide

FEATURINGTHE “MUST HAVE”5 TOP QUALITIES

Getting Setto Invest

BONUS CHAPTER

CONTENTSIntroduction

Quality 1A Great Communicator

Quality 2 Qualified & Recognised

Quality 3 Has Social Proof

Quality 4 Has a Network of SME’s [subject matter experts]

Quality 5 Choice

But wait? What about the rate?

Conclusion

Questions To Ask Your Mortgage Broker

Bonus Chapter Getting Set to Invest

About the Author

Recommended Resources

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How to choose a Mortgage Broker

An Insider’s Guide 2

INTRODUCTIONUpfront I need to tell you that I am biased about this subject. I’ve spent over 10 years in this industry as a big and small bank employee and now as a mortgage broker. I genuinely believe in the value and quality of the Mortgage and Finance Industry. It turns out that nearly half of all home loans in Australia, that is 53.7%*, are initiated by mortgage brokers (also known as credit advisors). So 1 in 2 Australians must agree with me.

A good mortgage broker will provide an expert opinion on all things lending. And as you continue on your path with lending and financial growth, they will form part of your financial professionals’ team.

But, if you are considering using a mortgage broker, how do you know which one to choose? You only have to Google ‘mortgage broker’ to be bombarded with options, products and even banks’ advertising. How do you know which one has your best interests at heart and who they are actually working for?

*CoreLogic Business, Quarter Jan-Mar 2016

3An Insider’s Guide

That’s where this guide can help. You are going to learn the top 5 essential qualities that a good mortgage broker should possess so that you can know what you’re looking for and who to allow on your team. I’ve seen, firsthand, mortgage brokers who are excellent at what they do; they are committed professional business owners who genuinely care about their customers and have all these five qualities. To be honest the majority of brokers are this way. But unfortunately I’ve also seen brokers who perhaps don’t approach their business in the same way, and this experience extends to bankers or lenders within bank branches.

By the way, all of the information contained within this book can be used to assess your current provider/bank and point you in the right direction if you wish to find a new one—one who will be batting for your side. This includes bank staff and mobile bank lenders.

I wrote this guide to help you navigate through the options available and also to offer some of my ‘insider’ knowledge to help along the way.

4

WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?

Current owners who are looking for a new, or their next, loan

People who have a good idea of their goals for saving

Someone who has been through a home loan application process before and are looking to make it easier this time around

People looking for professional advice and service

Working in the finance industry over the last ten years has given me some great inside knowledge and insight. I have worked with some of Australia’s largest financial institutions in both NSW and QLD, together with speciality lenders in both mortgage lending and financial planning industries.

These days I am a mortgage broker. I can clearly see from my time working with financial institutions, and now being self-employed, that there is a definite list of what I would advise friends and family to look for when selecting a broker that was right for them. This guide is written from that perspective, that is, it provides the information I would want the people closest to me to know.

Kind Regards, Samantha Bright



Before we start, I want to address the most commonly asked question…Quite simply, a mortgage broker is working for you to help you achieve your desired outcome. Their expertise and experience is to help present all the available options and recommend the best ones for your situation. The right brokers are able to give a variety of choice and should not be involved in other parts of your transaction. There is more about this in Quality 5 Choice.

Using the information in your hands now, rest assured you will find yourself dealing with the best in the industry. All your options will be assessed and included in recommendations or discarded due to their not meeting your criteria. And the best part is this can be achieved without you having to take time out of your busy schedule or getting a certificate in financial services to be able to assess the options correctly!

WHO IS A BROKER WORKING FOR?

ME OR THE BANK?

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WHO PAYS THE BROKER?

A broker is typically paid by the lender that funded your mortgage. For some specialist transactions there may be also a charge for the broker’s service to you. This will be outlined upfront and must occur before any part of the process can start. Any upfront fees should be disclosed in full under the National Consumer Credit Protection act. More information about there here.

The commission the bank pays the broker does not mean that the loan costs you more or that it is more expensive than you getting the loan yourself. Quite the opposite. The lender is acknowledging that they didn’t have the overheads, like staff, a retail building and electricity to pay to attract your business, and they therefore pay the broker for referring you. They know that without the broker’s research and recommendation they may have never met you as a customer.


http://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/credit/credit-general-conduct-obligations/national-credit-code/

SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH

MORTGAGE BROKER TO CHOOSE

FOR YOU?

Well, read on as I share with you the attributes of a good, bona fide mortgage broker who will be looking out for YOUR best interests.

At the end of the book I’ve also included a Bonus Chapter on putting yourself in a position to invest, which is particularly useful if you are at the start of your investment journey.


QUALITY 1A Great Communicator

Who are the types of people you trust easily and like working with?

Chances are they would be the ones that are great communicators, and in particular, listeners.

You may be in two minds now. Perhaps to you this trait may seem a relatively obvious skill or on the surface you don’t consider it important at all. But trust me, your mortgage broker’s ability to listen to what you, the customer, are trying or wanting to achieve is an absolute must. Likewise, knowing the right questions to ask you to get the right information to work on your behalf is crucial. It’s why I have this at the number one spot.

There is a multitude of different lenders and products in the market place. It can be quite easy to get completely lost on your journey regarding which one is right for you. Have you seen the ad where the guy has been up all night comparing hotel deals and by morning he is completely loopy? Well, this


could be you trying to find your own lending solution. You can avoid this with a good broker who will be able to understand your particular situation and work through recommendations that suit you.

By getting a really clear picture of you, your financial situation and what your goals are with the transaction, through good communication a good broker will be able to filter through the endless lists of products and credit criteria. Their recommendations will then be based on the lenders and products that suit you, and not just for today, but to fit with your future financial goals as well.

This is the crux of the service that a mortgage professional provides. By finding the right one and trusting them as your expert you can rest assured that all the relevant options have been explored and that their credit advice has been specifically tailored for your needs.

A good communicator will be able to explain the home loan process in detail to you in everyday language that you understand, without using jargon. They will also be completely transparent about the timeframes and any limitations.

Having a broker that is a great listener is important. And you should also feel comfortable discussing your personal financial information with them.



This brings us to ‘trust’. If you feel that your needs are being listened to and the broker knows the right questions to ask, you will build trust with your mortgage broker.

Having a good rapport with someone enables you to build trust and be able to discuss these items openly and honestly, knowing that your personal information will only be dealt with in line with the strictest guidelines.

Note: It is also good to know that mortgage brokers are bound by the Privacy Act, which they take very seriously.

With a good mortgage broker, you should never feel that you’ve been left in the dark or unsure of the current state of your application or dealings. In my business I have a rule: If a customer needs to contact us to find out what is going on, our systems have failed. A customer should feel that they know exactly what is happening with their finance application, what to expect next and when—and in the way that is convenient for them to communicate. Your preferred form of communication should be discussed from the start. For example, you may prefer texts to a phone call, or maybe email is the best way to update you. A good broker will ask and adapt to what your needs require.

Think about this: Who else amongst your closest family and friends know…

• how much you earn (exactly)• how much you owe (yes, that means the credit card too) • and what you pay monthly for everything?



Having support staff, software and communication systems means your broker has invested in their business and in turn will provide a high standard of service. It also ensures that the loan process is being conducted in a timely way. But the most important part is it makes sure that your broker is available to you throughout the process to address any concerns or unforeseen changes.

KEY TIPSA good mortgage broker:

listens and knows the right questions to ask

doesn’t use jargon

is transparent

makes you feel comfortable


QUALITY 2Qualified & Recognised

BELONGS TO AN INDUSTRY BODY

Association = Credibility. To qualify as a member of an industry association stringent ongoing criteria must be met.

Membership to an industry body proves that a mortgage broker has taken the time, energy and money needed to meet their minimum requirements. Most people are familiar with organisations like CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and FPA (Financial Planning Association), which your accountant or financial advisor might belong to.

Being a member of an industry association signifies that a member has met a particular standard of education, qualifications and industry experience. It also denotes that the member is agreeing to act and conduct their business by a certain industry standard and is willing to ensure they stay compliant to that standard.


For you this means that the broker you are dealing with has done the required learning and has been putting that knowledge to use for a few years. All this will help them to guide you to the best possible product and outcome for your personal situation. They’ll also be able to see any pitfalls ahead and be able to navigate around them or make suggestions as to how to move you into the best position to avoid them completely.

The most prominent industry body for mortgage brokers is the MFAA. This stands for Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia.


A MFAA Accredited Finance Broker

• Minimum education requirements over and above NCCP minimums

• Police and background checks have ensured they are a ’fit and proper person’ to conduct a finance-based business

• Holds the appropriate CIO dispute resolution membership (Credit and Investments Ombudsman formerly called COSL—Credit Ombudsman Service Ltd). This means they have a clear process if you raise a complaint and an external body membership to assist you if the complaint is not addressed).

• Possesses minimum public liability insurances.

• Must adhere to and uphold the MFAA Code of Practice. This is available on their website.

• Is subject to annual renewal checks to ensure continued compliance

• Is required to keep learning up to date with a minimum yearly standard over and above NCCP (National Credit Code requirements)

The MFAA website (www.mfaa.com.au) has a full list of all current members. It will also list any expelled and dis-allowed members and the reasons surrounding their exclusion. There are some good reference points and information for consumers on this site as well.



http://www.mfaa.com.au

QUALIFICATIONS

The minimum education requirement for a mortgage broker is a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking and the minimum experience is two years. Whilst the education criteria are mandatory, the experience part is not. Brokers that are new to the industry are allowed to operate only under the supervision or a qualified mentor until they have two years’ experience.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Why two years? This assumes that the broker has successfully sourced, lodged and settled a reasonable amount of home loan applications so that they are able to operate on their own. This should have covered a variety of different financial situation and lenders.

The more experienced broker (over two years) the more likely they will be to have seen many different financial strategies for customers and will be able to steer you in the right direction based on their past dealings with people similar to yourself. It is important to note that brokers are licenced to give credit advice and there are many ways to approach the same situation with varying outcomes. So experience is key to knowing the right option to take.



is a member of the MFAA

holds at least the minimum required qualifications

has two years’ industry experience


QUALITY 3Has Social Proof

Picture this: You are in an unfamiliar town and you are looking to take ‘someone you want to impress’ to a nice dinner out. You noticed on the drive in that the main street has several restaurants with many different cuisines, which all sound wonderful. How do you choose which one to dine in?

In our age of digital communication with apps, review sites and so on, you can hop onto your smart phone and look up the restaurants one by one. You can easily access their menus and price points, and the most important is the rating or comments left by recent diners.

If you are old school, a quick walk down the main street will tell you which ones are full and ‘buzzing’ and which are completely empty of patrons. It’s a smart choice to go with the restaurant with the best reviews or the one where you might have to wait for a table if you want to impress your date—and get a great meal to boot!A broker who has had several years of industry experience should have a good database of customers and a few successful


loans under their belt. IF they have been doing the right things for these clients, they will also have a collection of positive client feedback, testimonials and referrals from their customers. Usually these will be easy to find as they are displayed on social media accounts, in advertising or on the company website. This is commonly known as social proof; that is, proof that they are credible and have a good track record. Make sure you check their website, Facebook page and LinkedIn at the very least.

If these aren’t readily available, ask for them. It may be uncomfortable but you need to. Just like you would check out the restaurant before walking in, either online or in person, to judge the quality of your prospective meal, you must test the quality of your broker to ensure they are the right one for you.

The other kudos to look out for is special industry recognition. Ask whether they hold any industry awards or nominations.

But especially if there isn’t any social proof available that speaks volumes about the type of business that broker is running. My advice: Get outta there!


has satisfied customers

and can prove it



QUALITY 4Has a Network of SME’s[subject matter experts]

Finance is only one piece of your wealth puzzle. A mortgage broker should be only one of the team of professionals you use to help navigate your way. Your accountant, financial advisor and solicitor are all members of your “Financial Professionals’ Team”.

Realistically, getting your finance sorted may be just the first step in your investment journey. Once this can be ticked off the list, you might begin your property search or need advice on how other assets perform. Maybe you will sell and buy a property or other assets at the same time.

Over their years of operating within the finance industry a good broker will have developed a network of professionals that work in related industries. This will usually include accountants, financial advisers, real estate agents and insurance brokers.


A referral to one of these professionals from your mortgage broker will usually have a better outcome than you looking for someone on your own. There is a saying that ‘you are only as good as your last referral’, meaning that if the person you are referred to by your broker doesn’t have the same high standards as he or she does, that will reflect badly on the broker. If I referred a customer onto one of my network, I would cringe if the following conversation took place.

“Sam has been wonderful, but that accountant she referred to us has not even bothered to return my call.”

You can see that the poor service from the accountant would end up reflecting on me. This is why good brokers will only be referring you to others within their network who they trust and know will look after you.


The added benefit of working with others within your broker’s network is the lending process can be streamlined and made very simple for you. If you are self-employed, instead of you chasing your accountant for financials that the bank requires, your broker can source this information directly, thus saving you time and hassle. This is only done with your permission so as not to breach the privacy laws in place.

Of course, the right broker will be able to facilitate this type of service even if your professional is outside of their network. Part of the service of a good broker is to be the conduit between agents, accountants and so on. Mortgage brokers are usually the only ones working to a timeframe—finance dates—so it’s in their best interest to have everyone in sync.


has a network of related professionals

it is transparent about the referral process



QUALITY 5Choice

Choice can mean many things, but let’s get right to the heart of what I’m talking about. There is two main points.

NOT AN ASSOCIATE OF THE FINANCIAL

INSTITUTION

In earlier parts of this book I have written about the absolute plethora of options available in today’s mortgage marketplace. A broker’s key role is to guide you, using their experience and knowledge, towards what you want to achieve with your finances. To do that successfully a mortgage broker must have access to a wide variety of products and lenders (relative to you and your criteria).


If a broker can only recommend one brand (or bank), you are only ever going to get the products they (the bank) can offer. And, you guessed it, if that range doesn’t include the product or feature you require you can’t have it and will be offered second best. Legislation only requires that brokers do not recommend products that are ‘unsuitable’. Second best isn’t unsuitable; it’s just not the best product for you.

A good broker will narrow down all the options into usually the best ones that meet your needs. Depending on the circumstances, this will usually include more than one lender. Their past experience and their customers’ feedback will help them explain the differences between each and the pros and cons. If a broker is not independent of the lender (that is, they work for them) this does impact on their ability to offer you a true choice.

A good broker is working for you and not a bank.

SEPARATE TO THE TRANSACTION

The second part of having choice is, in my opinion, that the broker should only be providing finance and credit advice. What does that mean? If your broker is also the agent or person selling/recommending you buy a particular property, they also have another interest in the transaction other than just finding you the right loan, for the transaction to take place.



The broker should be performing the role of credit advisor and that role only. This is what mortgage brokers are trained and licenced to do.

One person cannot be an expert in all areas. You are much better off having a team of professionals, each an expert in their own area, rather than relying on one source of information.

When your broker is offering a genuine choice based on what is right for you:

• you are getting the best advice about your application and finance requirements, and

• the broker has your absolute best interests as their No. 1 priority.


uses a variety of lenders and products

is performing the sole tasks of providing finance and credit advice

makes recommendations that consider all suitable choices



BUT WAIT?What about the rate?You will notice that nowhere in this book have I mentioned ‘finding you the best rate’ as an important trait of a good mortgage broker. Now don’t get me wrong; rate is absolutely on the list of priorities for a good broker. However, the thing to bear in mind is that rate is not king.

You could hop on the internet and find a lender with the absolute cheapest rate available, but by using rate as your starting point, you will be sacrificing some of your other requirements. This means that the cheapest rate may not be the best product for you. You may not even fit the lender’s credit criteria as cheap rates are often offered to a particular ‘type’ of customer that the bank is wanting to attract.


Sometimes the cheapest rate ends up costing you more in the long run as you don’t have the options in the product that were required. This includes offset accounts, redraw facilities and packages that offer low or no fees on other products such as credit cards.

Maybe you are only going to keep the property for two years or are already planning to sell. This would impact on any finance you obtain now using that property as security. Focussing solely on rate could see you incur unnecessary break costs or unwind fees.

COMPARISON RATES

When reviewing your lending options it can be very easy to be instantly attracted to the product with the lowest interest rate. Low = Good, right? Wrong!

A comparison rate is a way of being able to tell the true cost of a loan. It will clearly show what the total cost of that loan would be, versus purely focussing on the rate.

It is crucial that whenever a broker is recommending a product to you, that they are taking into account the comparison rate and be able to explain to you easily how the loan measures up.



KEY TIPS

If the broker is solely focused on rate, it may be time to move on

Supplies information about comparison rates

For Example,

Lender A has an interest rate of 3.99%. The loan has an annual fee of $345.

Lender B has an interest rate of 4.05% with no going fees.

Both lenders are offering the same features and benefits and both have the options you are looking for.

The comparison rate will factor in the cost of the annual fee and produce an accurate cost.

Based on that, in the above example the cheapest rate will actually cost you more over the life of the loan, simply because of the annual fee.



CONCLUSIONI am a passionate supporter of the Mortgage Industry and sincerely believe that the majority of brokers are honest, sincere hardworking people. However, once starting my own business and seeing firsthand some less-than-fantastic situations, I know without a doubt that the information contained in this book will save you time and money. And who isn’t happy about that?

Mortgage broking is a proven, valuable service, and one in two Australians has already chosen a broker over a bank. But, as with all professionals, sorting the good from the bad can be difficult. In most cases, a mortgage is a 30-year commitment—one that you should not enter into lightly and without the help of an expert. Just make sure it’s the Right Experts’ help.

Using the information in this guide as a template I am confident that you will find the right person for you. To help you in this, please feel free to utilise my Mortgage Broker Checklist below the next time you interview a broker for your Financial Professionals’ Team.

And read my bonus chapter “Get Set to Invest”.


Questions To AskYOUR MORTGAGE BROKER

I have compiled a check list of questions I would ask any broker I was looking to work with. You should feel comfortable to ask these and also to move on if you feel that their answers are not in line with what you are after.

• How long have you been working as a mortgage broker?

• Are you an MFAA Accredited Finance Broker?

• How many clients do you work with?

• What are your areas of specialisation?

• Do you receive any incentives for referring or recommending products, property or services?

• Do you have any client testimonials or customers I can contact for feedback on your service?

• Have you been nominated or participated in any industry awards or recognition programs?


Investing in property can be daunting, particularly knowing where to start or what your next move should be. I’ve compiled this list from the view that you’ve already decided that property is the asset class for you.

These are the simple steps you need to take to move forward with your first or next property purchase. They may seem tedious as it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘emotion’ of buying property, but these steps will ensure you are letting your head do the buying and not your heart!

Following these steps will ensure you make an informed decision about your next purchase.

ASSESS YOUR CURRENT POSITION

Where is your starting point? Well, first you are going to need a deposit or ‘funds to complete’ the purchase. The most popular forms of deposit are either you have property and want to

Getting Set to InvestBONUS CHAPTER


use the equity you’ve built in it to buy or you have savings/cash reserves to buy. Depending on whether you already own property and where your deposit is coming from, these days you may be able to borrow the whole purchase amount and costs for a new investment property.

You will also need to identify what type of monthly income you can contribute comfortably to the property, without putting stress on your finances. This can also be referred to as identifying your monthly surplus cash.

Using a budgeting tool is the quickest way to define this. You can use something as simple as a spreadsheet to calculate your expenses or there are some great apps on the market for the technology savvy. One site with great information provided by the Australian Government is www.moneysmart.com.au

Get in touch with your accountant to make sure you are aware of any potential tax savings or benefits with your new property purchase.


https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/

KNOW YOUR BORROWING POWER

How much would a bank lend you? This is one of the most asked questions in my industry. Borrowing power calculators are searched over 33,000 times a month on Google in Australia.

You can google a generic calculator to work out what a bank might lend you, but this is not going to be a specific answer. My advice would be to use what this guide has taught you and make contact with a mortgage broker to do an in-depth assessment of your situation.

GET FINANCE IN ORDER (PRE-APPROVALS)

Once you know what you can borrow, the next step is to put together an application to your chosen lender. This will ensure they have fully analysed your current position and have sought any additional approvals from Lenders Mortgage Insurance (if needed).

A finance pre-approval usually lasts up to 90 days and gives you the confidence to move forward with a purchase when you find it. It will also identify any potential issues and allow you to get a Plan B in place if necessary.

All of this is quite hard to do while keeping within finance timeframes. It will save you time to have it all done upfront.



MAKE A PLAN

What do you want to achieve with this investment? Is it capital growth or maybe great rental returns? Or you could be aiming at achieving both. Work out what fits with your particular plan for investing and how that fits with your finance approval.

This is the time to start thinking about:

• whether you can afford the suburb you have in mind

• if you need to widen or narrow your target property criteria

• if the property type (house/unit) still fits your original plan.

This is also an excellent time to review other parts of your financial health. If you are looking at borrowing to buy this property, does your life insurance need to be adjusted to cover the bigger debt? And when was the last time your wills were done or reviewed?


DO YOUR RESEARCH

Now that you’ve worked out what you can afford, what you are targeting and where, it’s time to actually do the market research to ensure it measures up.

A valuable resource for this initial research is www.realestate.com.au. You can search what is on the market for sale and what is being rented. It will also give you a snapshot of the vacancy rates in a particular suburb.

Remember, what a property is listed for and what a property sells for can be two difference prices. Realestate.com.au does have some sold prices, but the data is limited. You can buy a suburb report from the site to give you more information.

Honestly, though, nothing beats drawing up a list of properties that fit your criteria from the web and then attending the open homes yourself. Sitting behind a keyboard looking at professional photos is one thing, but actually getting inside the property is another.


What looks nice on the web may prove to have a living room too small for the average lounge, which will not prove popular with renters. Properties described as ‘private’ may have tricky access or no parking, which again could limit your market.

Remember: you are not going to live in this property and you should not be looking at it in this way. You are looking at these properties ‘through a tenant’s eyes’.

SET SOME RULES

Setting rules or boundaries is crucial at this stage. For the most part real estate agents are professional sales people. Don’t be swayed by the smooth approach or looking at properties outside your set budget.

This is an investment strategy and it relies purely on the numbers you created back at the ‘make a plan’ step. An increase in purchase price will definitely alter that plan.


Don’t be pressured into making an offer on the spot. If you feel weak, let the agent know you need to consult ‘your business partner’ who in this case is your investment plan. If the numbers don’t fit DON’T DO IT.

BECOME THE SUBURB EXPERT

Part of the process has involved listing, eliminating and accepting the areas in which you’d like to buy. Once you have refined that list, done some research and been to some open homes, my advice would be to become the expert in that area for that type of property.

The agent who is selling the property will have a variety of different price points and types of homes for sale. But whilst they may know the suburb really well, they would not be an expert in your price range.


Get to know the suburb secrets; for example, units on the left hand side of the street are more attractive to renters than the right side because of the bay breezes or the train line can only be heard on the first half of the street and not the end, which is preferable.

Check in with a rental manager in one of the local agents and find out what renters in your price point prefer.

EXECUTION

If you’ve followed these steps precisely, you’re in a great position to move forward with your investment.

Just to summarise:

• You know what you can afford.

• You have pre-approval in place.

• You’ve made a plan about what you want and why.

• You’ve done your market research.

• You are well versed in the area and what renters want.



Now’s the time to pull the trigger, so to speak. I would make a short list of maybe three properties and list them in order of preference. Speak to your broker and get a detailed property report on each one so you know the history of the property. Then put an offer to the agent in writing (if it’s in writing they are obliged to present it to the vendor).

Why three properties? This will ensure you are not emotionally attached to each one when it comes to offer and negotiation stage.

If one isn’t accepted and you are not prepared to go any higher, you can simply move onto the next one. If all three aren’t accepted, you will need to go back to re-assess your plan to ensure that you have the correct expectations of the area and the market.

These steps should take the confusion out of buying your next investment property. Having a clear path will save you time and making good, informed decisions will definitely save you money.


When it comes to insider knowledge of the finance industry, Samantha Bright’s experience takes some beating. A decade of experience selling loan products for Australia’s big banks, training brokers in the highly specialised area of Self Managed Super Fund Loans, gave Samantha the certainty that the world of finance needs to be made more accessible to regular Australians. She established Thrive Investment Finance to cut through industry jargon and empower clients with the understanding to take charge of their own financial future.

With specialist MFAA accreditation in SMSF lending held by less than three percent of brokers, Samantha has put property investment and general investment opportunities within reach of her clients. As well as advising brokers seeking deeper SMSF expertise for their clients, Samantha helps people from all walks of life: office workers, tradespeople, public servants, nurses, teachers, small business owners.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


In contrast to the standardised service of major financial institutions, Thrive offers an approachable, boutique service that places the customer’s own situation at the centre of any advice. As a result of this approach, Samantha was selected as a finalist in the Better Business Awards, as well as the recipient of a MFAA (Mortgage & Finance Association Australia) Excellence Award.

A strong believer in investing back in the community, Samantha has been involved in The Smith Family’s ITrack program, mentoring young teens to encourage continued education attendance. She was also a committee member of the Women’s Legal Service Queensland’s premier annual fundraising event, “Dancing CEOs”. The event is designed to raise money to support victims of domestic and family violence. The 2015 event raised over $73,000.

In addition to running her own finance business Samantha facilitates two networking groups. The first is exclusively for female Mortgage Brokers in Brisbane. This is designed to be a group where each broker can share openly about her business and draw on the groups expertise and experience (for further information visit Source.Empower.Connect on Meetup).

The second group Busy Women’s Network was created for the



http://www.meetup.com/Source-Empower-Connect-Women-in-Finance/events/225170800/

http://www.meetup.com/BusyWomenNetworkBrisbane/

same purpose but is open to any female business owner in Brisbane.

Samantha is a married mother of three teenagers and lives in Brisbane. On the weekend you’ll normally find her enjoying Brisbane’s relaxed bayside lifestyle with her family and her beloved Mini-Schnauzer, Lola.

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AS SEEN IN

RecommendedRESOURCES

BOOKS

MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS

What Every Property Investor Needs to Know - Michael Yardney

How to Achieve Property Success - Margaret Lomas

Think and Grow Rich with Property - Stuart Zadel

Cashflow Quadrant - Roberty Kiyosaki

Australian Property Investor

Smart Property Investor

Money Magazine

Your Investment Property Magazine

Financial Review – Property


Post: PO Box 5600 Manly QLD 4179

Phone: (07) 3103 1450Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @thriveinvestorFacebook: Thrive Investment Finance

www.thriveinvestmentfinance.com.au

Samantha Bright


https://twitter.com/thriveinvestor

https://www.facebook.com/Thrive-Investment-Finance-602518923155680/

http://www.thriveinvestmentfinance.com.au

ebook - how to choose the right mortgage broker 15

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