Industry body draws on conversations with 1,100-plus people to help brokers spot client vulnerability and know where their role ends
Mortgage brokers have a new reference guide for handling financial abuse, coercive control and client vulnerability with the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) new When Finance Gets Personal: A reference guide for mortgage and finance brokers.
It draws on conversations with more than 1,100 people across the association's 2026 Women in Finance Broking Series in five Australian cities, and it sets out what brokers should and should not do when a finance conversation turns personal.
The free resource was developed with contributions from Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), Full Stop Australia and Bankwest, and is available to download from the MFAA website. It is built around a three-step framework: Recognise. Respond. Refer.
MFAA chief executive Anja Pannek (pictured, right) said the guide reflects the depth of the relationships brokers now hold with their clients.
"Mortgage and finance brokers work with people through some of the biggest moments in their lives, from buying a home or building a business to navigating separation, hardship or significant changes in their financial circumstances.
"With mortgage brokers now facilitating a record 81.6% of new residential home loans, there are hundreds of thousands of individual client relationships behind that figure.
"Our members told us they wanted practical guidance to help them feel more confident navigating these conversations while understanding the boundaries of their role.”
How can brokers recognise financial abuse?
The guide defines financial abuse as controlling, exploiting or sabotaging another person's access to money or economic resources. In a lending context, it can show up as:
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restricted access to accounts
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forced or hidden debt
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one person controlling an application
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financial damage that continues after separation
The guide stresses that indicators are reasons to pay attention, not evidence of abuse. Examples include one person consistently answering for the other, last-minute changes to applicants or ownership, and unusual urgency to proceed.
Melanie Kafka (pictured, left), MFAA executive for member experience and partnerships, explained how the guide grew directly out of the Women in Finance Broking series.
"We knew we were bringing some difficult and deeply personal topics into the room, and we wanted to approach them in a way that was practical, relevant and human," Kafka said.
"What stayed with me was how willing our members were to engage. People stayed behind to ask questions, share experiences and talk about situations involving clients, friends, family and sometimes themselves.
"One of the clearest messages from the series was that brokers don't need to be counsellors or have all the answers. Sometimes it can be about recognising when something may not be right, listening without judgement and knowing where someone can find specialist support."
The sessions featured Danielle Walt, director of policy and campaigns at FCA, and Georgia Bice, partnerships and engagement lead at Full Stop Australia. Bice previously worked as a mortgage broker.
The guide also lists support services, including:
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1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732
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Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578
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the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007
