Representatives from the mortgage broking industry have met with the Australian Bankers’ Association to discuss proposed remuneration reforms.
The ABA, which instigated the highly contentious Sedgwick review, met with the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA), the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) and the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) on Friday, and held a discussion forum with key industry participants including bank and non-bank lenders, aggregators and brokers to progress reform.
The forum, held on Friday, 9 June in Sydney, was recognised by participants as an opportunity for the industry to understand the key issues in response to ASIC’s proposals for mortgage broking; the potential impact to aggregators and lenders; and the overlap with the Sedgwick review.
While the ABA has given little information about what was discussed, the association’s executive director of retail policy Diane Tate said the meeting was “an important step” for the industry to work together on options for an industry-based response to calls for changes in the mortgage industry.
“We have heard these calls to change incentives and governance arrangements and we look forward to working with the industry, in consultation with the government and subject to all competition law obligations, on reforms to support good customer outcomes,” she said.
The FBAA’s Peter White said the forum was “a unique step forward” for the third-party channel.
MFAA chief executive Mike Felton said the discussions are a “crucial step” in the process of determining how the industry responds to the challenges of addressing ASIC’s proposals on broker remuneration, ensuring the sustainability of the industry going forward.
“This meeting demonstrates that our industry is serious about self-regulation and has the maturity to work together across different stakeholder groups to effect the required change and ensure customer outcomes continue to remain front of mind,” Mr Felton said.
Both the FBAA and MFAA were scathing in their reponse to the Sedgwick review, which included a number of proposed changes to the way brokers are paid.
Following the release of the report, Mr Felton said the association was “frustrated” by Sedgwick’s proposals, which he said were essentially recommending a consolidation of power to lenders, giving them complete oversight of mortgage brokers.
“This would lead to a reduction in independence, would do little to enhance competition and tip an already precarious power balance further towards the big four and away from consumers’ interests,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Mr White said the release of the ABA-funded Sedgwick review was making recommendations to banks, which “seem to be taking it as gospel”, and influencing regulators before any decision has been made by ASIC, Treasury or the minister.
“The banks and the ABA unquestionably must stop this attempted regulatory manipulation through the Sedgwick report and allow the works of ASIC and Treasury, and then the minister, to make the appropriate determinations without manipulation driven by self-interest, greed and poor consumer and industry outcomes,” he said.
The FBAA, MFAA and ABA will hold further discussions in the coming months, with all participants committing to work in consultation with Treasury and government stakeholders on an industry-led response.
