Notes
What's moving, and what it changes.
Short reads on Australian business lending news, written for the person borrowing. Sources named, dates attached, no recommendations.
Non-bank lenders get a code of practice. What it means for borrowers
AFIA's Finance Industry Code of Practice took effect on 1 October, setting hardship, scam and AI standards for non-bank lenders that sign up.
2 October 2026 · via Australian BrokerCash rate hits 4.60%, and business borrowing capacity shrinks
The RBA's fourth hike of the year takes the cash rate to 4.60%. Here's what a higher cost of capital concretely changes for Australian business borrowers.
30 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerRBA lifts cash rate to 4.60%, highest since 2011
The Reserve Bank raised the cash rate to 4.60% and left the door open to more, citing entrenched inflation risks. Here's what it means for business borrowers.
30 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerCash rate hits 4.60% as inflation runs above target
The RBA's fourth hike of 2026 lifts the cash rate to a 15-year high while CPI climbs to 4.0%. What it means for business borrowers.
28 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerThe RBA's September meeting and the borrowing-capacity squeeze
With the cash rate at 4.35% and the Big Four tipping another 25bp hike, here's what a September move would mean for business borrowers.
25 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerBig Four align on a September hike to 4.60%
Australia's major banks now tip a 25bp RBA hike this September, which would lift the cash rate to 4.60% and trim business borrowing capacity.
25 September 2026 · via Australian Broker18 lenders lift fixed rates in September as an RBA hike looms
Macquarie and 17 other lenders repriced fixed home loans in September, with all four majors tipping a cash rate rise to 4.60%. Here is what it changes for borrowers.
23 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerSelf-employed borrowers: 2.2 million, and most skip brokers
Bluestone research finds only 10% of self-employed Australians used a mortgage broker, despite most paying for professional advice. What it means for borrowers with non-standard income.
23 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerFour banks tip a September hike to 4.6%
All four major banks now expect the RBA to lift the cash rate to 4.6% in September, with borrowing capacity tightening as spending flatlines.
21 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerRBA signals hikes not cuts: 93% odds priced for September
Governor Bullock warns inflation may stay higher for longer, with markets pricing a 93% chance of a rate hike at the September meeting. What it means for business borrowing costs.
18 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerPrivate credit's $200bn moment: what borrowers should note
A developer collapse and an ANZ warning have put private credit under the microscope. Here's what the debate means for businesses borrowing outside the banks.
18 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerPrivate credit hits $200bn. What borrowers should ask.
An ANZ warning and a $3bn developer collapse have put private credit under scrutiny. Here's what it changes for businesses borrowing outside the banks.
16 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerFixed rates are already moving up while variable holds
Five lenders lifted 115 fixed rates last week as the big four now forecast hikes later this year, per Canstar. What the split between fixed and variable tells business borrowers.
16 September 2026 · via Dynamic BusinessFarmer confidence rebounds, and so do investment plans
Rabobank's Rural Confidence Survey lifted to -19% from a 2006-low -48%, and 28% of farmers now plan to increase capital spending over the next year.
14 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerMetro prices record $1.2bn ABS at 96bps: what it means
Metro Finance upsized its largest-ever securitisation to $1.2bn with senior notes at 96bps, signalling more funding capacity behind an active asset finance lender.
11 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerMarkets swing to a coin-flip on a September hike
Futures now price a 54% chance of an RBA rate rise in September, and all Big Four banks expect another hike this year. Here's what that means for business borrowers.
9 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerThe Big Four now all forecast another rate hike this year
Westpac's shift means every major bank expects the RBA to lift the cash rate again in 2026, with November the consensus. What that means for business borrowers.
9 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerLenders cut rates to poach borrowers as an RBA hike looms
Australian lenders are discounting variable and fixed rates to win rivals' customers even as fresh data hints at a possible RBA hike this month.
7 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerLiberty upsizes SME securitisation to $1bn as demand runs hot
Liberty's 88th term deal grew 67% past launch to $1bn, lifting its SME securitisation book to $8.8bn. What tight wholesale pricing means for SME borrowers.
7 September 2026 · via SmartCompany FinanceCBA trims merchant fee to 0.99% as surcharge ban lands
CBA drops its flat-rate merchant service fee to 0.99% from October 1, as the national surcharging ban takes effect. What it means for a business absorbing card costs.
4 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerASIC misconduct data: unlicensed lending tops the list
ASIC logged 9,807 misconduct reports in the first half of 2026, with unlicensed lending and unregistered schemes the largest subcategory. What it means for business borrowers.
4 September 2026 · via Australian BrokerAPRA hits ING with capital add-on over liquidity errors
APRA imposed new licence conditions and a $50m capital add-on on ING after years of overstated liquidity figures. Here's what it means for broker-driven business borrowers.
28 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerTwo big banks now tip a hike. What that costs borrowers.
NAB and ANZ have abandoned rate-cut forecasts and now expect the RBA to hike, with cumulative repayment costs mounting for variable borrowers.
28 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerThree of the Big Four now forecast a rate hike this year
ANZ, NAB and CBA now expect a 25bp cash rate rise before year's end after a hotter-than-expected July CPI. What a hike would mean for business borrowing costs.
24 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerFinStreet crosses $1bn as banks tighten and non-banks fill the gap
A Sydney non-bank hits $1 billion in cumulative settlements, a data point on where business borrowers are finding credit as banks tighten standards.
21 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerJobless rate ticks to 4.5%, and the cash rate sits still
Unemployment edged up to 4.5% in July, reinforcing the case that the RBA's cash rate has peaked at 4.35% for now, while officials keep the door open to more hikes.
21 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerAFG's commercial settlements climb 19% as brokers scale
AFG's FY26 result shows asset and commercial finance settlements up 19% to $4.3 billion, and a broker channel that now writes most of Australia's home loans.
19 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerViridian folds broking arm into one brand, ties it to advice
Viridian Financial Group has merged its mortgage broking operations into a single brand, Viridian Lending, deepening the link between broking and financial advice.
19 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerAFG adds white-label bridging finance via Bridgit
AFG has launched a white-label bridging loan with fintech Bridgit, aimed at upgraders and downsizers caught between buying and selling.
14 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerLMG adds Bluestone as its seventh non-bank lender
LMG Lending adds Bluestone Home Loans from September, its fourth non-bank partner in four months, aimed at self-employed and complex-income borrowers.
14 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerAussie adds AI asset finance panel via LoanOptions.ai deal
Aussie's 1,350+ brokers get a referral pathway to a 90+ lender asset finance panel through LoanOptions.ai, here's what it means for business borrowers.
12 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerRBA holds cash rate at 4.35% as inflation eases slowly
The Reserve Bank left the cash rate unchanged at 4.35% while it waits for earlier hikes to work through the economy. Here's what the hold means for business borrowers.
12 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerRBA holds at 4.35%, hikes still on the table
The RBA held the cash rate at 4.35% for a second meeting but declined to rule out further rises. What that means for business borrowers.
10 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerMutual bank hardship rules tighten: 21-day response deadline
A review of the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice sets binding hardship timeframes and new rules on automated decisions, affecting mutual lenders active in the broker channel.
10 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerANZ tips an RBA hold, with a hawkish caveat
ANZ expects the RBA to hold the cash rate at 4.35% in August and through year-end, but construction-sector inflation keeps a hike on the table.
7 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerLa Trobe hits $25bn as non-bank commercial lending lifts
La Trobe Financial's assets under management reached $25 billion, with the non-bank reporting an uplift in construction and commercial lending. What it signals for business borrowers.
5 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerAUSTRAC pauses AML compliance clock for commercial brokers
AUSTRAC is reviewing whether new AML/CTF reforms capture traditional commercial finance broking, and says no compliance action is required in the meantime.
5 August 2026 · via Australian Broker44 lenders now under 6%, as Macquarie trims by 0.05%
Macquarie's targeted 0.05% cut adds to a run of out-of-cycle variable moves, but the RBA is expected to hold and core inflation stays sticky.
2 August 2026 · via Dynamic BusinessSmall business sales slow to 6.5% as rate rises bite
Xero data shows small business sales growth easing in the June quarter, with discretionary sectors hit hardest and hiring the first thing to slow.
2 August 2026 · via Australian BrokerBusiness lending grows while home loans soften: the split market
NAB and non-bank lenders report rising small business lending even as other credit segments cool. What the divergence means for SME borrowers.