Credit Guide

1. About This Guide

This Credit Guide is an important document that provides you with key information about the credit assistance services offered by The Mortgage Group Pty Ltd trading as ALG Australian Lending Group (Australian Credit Licence 505575). It is designed to help you understand who we are, how we operate, how we are remunerated, and what your rights are when dealing with us.

Under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (Cth) (“the Act”), we are required to provide you with this Credit Guide before we provide you with credit assistance. Please read it carefully and ask us if you have any questions.

2. About Australian Lending Group

The Mortgage Group Pty Ltd trading as ALG Australian Lending Group is a finance and mortgage brokerage based in Brisbane, Queensland. We assist individuals and businesses across Australia to access suitable finance solutions, including home loans, car loans, personal loans, business loans, commercial property finance, and equipment finance.

We hold Australian Credit Licence 505575 and are a credit representative of Finance and Systems Technology Pty Ltd (ACN 092 660 912, Credit Representative Number 392527). Our brokers are accredited members of the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) and adhere to the highest standards of professional conduct and compliance.

3. Our Services

We provide credit assistance by helping you find and apply for finance products that are suitable for your needs and circumstances. Our services include, but are not limited to:

• Assessing your financial situation and objectives to understand your borrowing needs.
• Comparing loan products from a panel of over 100 lenders to identify options that are likely to meet your requirements.
• Providing you with clear recommendations and explaining the key features, costs, and risks of each recommended product.
• Preparing and submitting your loan application to the selected lender.
• Liaising with the lender, solicitors, conveyancers, and other parties throughout the application and settlement process.
• Conducting periodic reviews of your existing loans to ensure they continue to meet your needs and remain competitive.

We act in your best interests when providing credit assistance for regulated credit contracts. For commercial or business lending that falls outside the National Credit Code, we still apply best-practice principles to ensure you receive suitable and competitive finance options.

4. How We Are Paid

Our primary source of remuneration is commissions paid to us by the lender when your loan settles. This means that in most cases, our service is provided to you at no direct cost. The commissions we receive do not increase the interest rate or fees on your loan - they are paid by the lender from their own revenue.

Commissions typically comprise two components:

• Upfront commission: a one-off payment made by the lender when the loan settles, usually calculated as a percentage of the loan amount (typically between 0.50% and 0.70% for home loans, inclusive of GST).
• Trail commission: an ongoing payment made by the lender for the life of the loan, usually calculated as a percentage of the outstanding loan balance (typically between 0.15% and 0.25% per annum for home loans, inclusive of GST).

The exact commission amounts vary depending on the lender and product. We are required to disclose the commission details specific to your loan in a separate document prior to the loan being submitted.

Our brokers may also receive referral fees or non-monetary benefits from time to time. Any material conflicts of interest will be disclosed to you in writing before we provide a recommendation.

5. Fees You May Be Charged

In most circumstances, we do not charge a fee directly to you for our credit assistance services. Our remuneration is derived from lender commissions as described above.

However, in certain situations such as complex commercial transactions, private lending, or scenarios where a lender does not pay a broker commission, we may charge a broker fee. If a fee applies, we will:

• Inform you of the fee amount (or how it will be calculated) before you agree to proceed.
• Provide you with a written fee agreement for your review and signature.
• Only charge the fee once the loan has settled, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

In addition to any broker fees, you may be charged fees by the lender directly. These may include application fees, establishment fees, valuation fees, settlement fees, ongoing account-keeping fees, early repayment fees, and discharge fees. These lender fees will be disclosed in the lender's loan contract and pre-contractual documentation, which we will help you review and understand.

6. Our Obligations

When providing credit assistance for regulated credit contracts, we are legally required to:

• Act in your best interests: under the Best Interests Duty, we must act in your best interests when providing credit assistance for consumer credit contracts. This means prioritising your needs and objectives over our own financial interests.
• Responsible lending: we must make reasonable inquiries about your financial situation, verify the information you provide, and make a preliminary assessment that the credit contract is not unsuitable for you. A credit contract will be considered unsuitable if it does not meet your requirements and objectives, or if you would be unable to comply with your financial obligations under the contract without substantial hardship.
• Provide this Credit Guide: before we provide credit assistance, as required by the Act.
• Provide a Preliminary Assessment: on request, we will provide you with a copy of the preliminary assessment we made about whether the proposed credit contract is not unsuitable for you.

7. Your Rights

You have a number of important rights when dealing with us:

• You have the right to receive a copy of this Credit Guide before we provide you with credit assistance.
• You have the right to request a copy of our preliminary assessment of whether the credit contract is not unsuitable for you, up to seven years after the date of the assessment.
• You have the right to make a complaint if you are dissatisfied with our services (see Section 7 below for our complaints process).
• You have the right to access and correct the personal information we hold about you, as outlined in our Privacy Policy.

Internal Dispute Resolution: if you have a complaint about our services, we encourage you to contact us first so we can attempt to resolve the issue directly. You can lodge a complaint by phoning 07 3337 7680 or emailing info@australianlendinggroup.com.au. We will acknowledge your complaint within five business days and aim to resolve it within 30 calendar days.

8. External Dispute Resolution

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of our internal dispute resolution process, or if we have not resolved your complaint within 30 days, you have the right to refer the matter to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA provides a free and independent dispute resolution service for financial services complaints.

9. Privacy

We collect, use, and disclose your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is available on our website. We are committed to protecting the confidentiality and security of your personal and financial information, and we comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

By engaging our services, you consent to us collecting and using your personal information for the purposes described in our Privacy Policy, including obtaining your credit report and sharing information with lenders and other parties as necessary to process your loan application.

10. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Credit Guide or the services we provide, please do not hesitate to contact us: