Monthly Archives: November 2019

MFAA Released A Marketing Guide For Brokers

By Shane | News

A broker’s association in Australia, the MFAA (Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia) has launched a Social Media Marketing Guide intended to help its brokers to take advantage of their online brand presence and better engage with their customers and attract new prospects.  

The Finance Brokers 101 Guide to Social Media was developed based on broker feedback. It was developed to help their members overcome the challenges of branding among the social media platforms, and on how to create relevant content. Real-life examples were given with a couple of advice from fellow award-winning brokers.  

Stephen Hale, the MFAA’s head of marketing and communications, has stated that the guide aims to help brokers “overcome the pain points of establishing and maintaining a presence on social media, and provide actionable tactics that help brokers to implement low- cost marketing solutions for their business.”

 “Great social media strategies are now a mandatory requirement to grow your business, so it is important to know your target audience and to get the foundations right from the start, Personal branding is one of the best tools you have to distinguish yourself from your competitors and show potential customers and referrers what you have to offer,” Mr. Hale added.

This Marketing Guide is also designed to help brokers understand the differences between each social media platform, how to target particular niches such as first home buyers or investors, and how to create relevant content for each marketing channel. It is important for brokers as it will keep them up to date with the social media trends to serve the different market segments.

“Social media should be a platform to educate or entertain, not sell. It is important to create relevant educational posts that are of value to get traction from your target market. This guide can help brokers learn how to create valuable social media material and information intended to build relationships rather than generating leads,” Mr. Hale concluded.

Is The Downfall Of Credit Cards Era Happening In Australia Soon?

By Shane | News

The Evolution Of Payment Methods

Payment methods for goods and services have been evolving over the years. Going back to the old days where the barter system is used as a method of exchange before the use of money was introduced. Then after several years, Credit Cards was introduced followed by Debit Cards. Up to now, people still make use of Debit and Credit Cards. However, a new method of payment has been launched- Online and Mobile Payments. While more and more people use mobile phones in almost everything they do, this new mode of payment has been “the thing” in this generation.

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Government Urged To Take Action For Elderly Financial Abuse

By Shane | News

The ABA (Australian Banking Association) is calling on governments across Australia to establish new laws to protect people from Elder Financial Abuse, as new research shows that 87% of Australians believe that they can do more at a government level to eradicate this form of abuse.

The ABA launched a campaign to Stop Elder Financial Abuse with the support of Bauer Media to fight against elder financial abuse with a new campaign reporting that 57% of Australians are concerned that someone they know will be the victim of Elder Financial Abuse.

The Stop Elder Financial Abuse campaign, which is backed by a petition, calls on governments across the country to take a stand that would protect people and provide support from this kind of abuse as well as establish a National Power of Attorney (POA) register to confirm if POA documents are legitimate and current and assign a safe place to report elder financial abuse.  

According to the ABA, 1 in 10 older Australians experience elder abuse in any given year.

The ABA is now inviting on groups, major organizations, and individuals to take part in addressing this major issue.

There are stories from bank staffs that there have been situations wherein they sometimes attempt to prevent when they see money being drained out from the accounts of the pensioners. They think that something is happening behind those transactions as the money is being used for items that are not in line with the elder’s needs and wants. Their pensions are being used for holiday getaways or expensive jewelry. However, the victim is unwilling or does not take any action to report what is really happening.

Russell Westacott, the CEO of Seniors Rights Service, has expressed his support on the new campaign. He stated that at least 2 to 3 elders every day are a victim of this abuse. Most of them take the blame that they let it happen and are often used by their son, daughter, or grandchild.

The Launching Of Financial Abuse Training For Brokers

The Stop Elder Financial Abuse campaign relies on the work that the ABA has been using to lessen Elder Financial Abuse.  This follows the ABA’s update of their Banking Code of Practice to introduce a higher standard of customer care when dealing with individuals and small-business customers.  

The Broker and Banking industries have agreed on a standard procedure to identify the signs of financial abuse in a co-borrower arrangement. Started on the 1st day of July, those in the mortgage market are obliged to take extra care with clients who may be vulnerable. It includes age-related impairment, cognitive impairment, elder abuse, family or domestic violence, financial abuse, mental illness, serious illness, and any other personal or financial situation causing significant disadvantage.

While disability, dependence on others, and dementia can represent vulnerability for older people, it is the combination of other factors, such as poor-quality relationships or low social support, that can increase the risk of Elder Financial Abuse.