Credit Guide and Privacy Policy

Credit Guide

About us

Credit assistance is provided by Ross McFarlane, Credit Representative number 526725, authorised under Australian Associated Advisers Pty Ltd (trading as Keylend), Australian Credit Licence 392169. We are members of the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA).

What we do

We help you find and apply for a home or investment loan from our panel of lenders, suggest loan products and structures suited to your goals, and manage your application through to settlement. We do not provide personal tax, legal, or financial-product advice.

Our Best Interests Duty

As a mortgage broker we are bound by a legal Best Interests Duty under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act. We must act in your best interests and prioritise your interests when recommending a loan, a standard that lender staff selling their own products are not held to.

How we are paid

For most home loans our service is free to you, and we are paid a commission by the lender. Full details, including typical commission ranges, are in our Fee and Commission Disclosure. Before you proceed, you will receive written documents disclosing the recommended loan, the reasons for the recommendation, and any fees or commissions payable.

If something goes wrong

If you are unhappy with our service, our Complaints and Dispute Resolution process explains how to raise it with us and, if needed, escalate to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) free of charge.

Privacy Policy

What we collect

To assess and arrange credit we collect personal information such as your name, contact details, identification, employment and income, assets, liabilities, living expenses, and, where relevant, credit history.

Why we collect it

We use your information to assess your objectives and needs, prepare and submit loan applications, comply with our legal obligations, and, only with your consent, send you information we think is relevant.

Who we share it with

We may disclose your information to lenders and their agents, our licensee and aggregator, mortgage insurers, valuers, credit reporting bodies, and service providers who help us operate, always limited to what is needed to provide our services. We do not sell your personal information.

Credit reporting

Where a lender obtains a credit report as part of your application, that is handled under the Privacy Act and the lender’s own credit reporting policy, which will be made available to you.

Storing and protecting your data

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access, and to keep it accurate and up to date.

Access, correction, and marketing

You can request access to, or correction of, the personal information we hold about you, and you can opt out of marketing at any time, by contacting us at ross@howtohomeloan.com.au.

Privacy complaints

If you have a privacy concern, contact us first. If it is not resolved, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.