Pepper Money is reshaping its white label partnerships with AFG and Mortgage Choice.
Pepper Money, a major non‑bank lender, has revealed that expanded offerings are now live, allowing brokers using Australian Finance Group (AFG) Options and Mortgage Choice Ignite to write commercial loans and eligible self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) facilities alongside existing residential white label products.
Pepper said the move came amid “significant change” in the SMSF lending landscape, with the federal government deciding in late June to ban limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBA), closing off geared residential property purchases in super.
The lender said that it was leaning into that shift by investing in specialist solutions that supported commercial SMSF lending and customers with grandfathered residential SMSF loans.
Mathew Rehayem, Pepper Money’s head of white label and strategic partnerships, said the expansion built on longstanding relationships with Australian Finance Group (AFG) and Mortgage Choice.
“This is about evolving our existing white label partnerships to give brokers access to more lending solutions through the aggregator brands and platforms they already use every day,” he said.
Rehayem said that Pepper intended to be on the front foot as the SMSF rule changes reshape demand.
“The specialist lending landscape is evolving, and brokers need lending partners that understand where opportunities continue to exist,” he said.
“While the proposed changes are reshaping residential SMSF lending, brokers will continue to support customers with existing residential SMSF lending and commercial SMSF opportunities.
“Our role is to provide our aggregator partners and their brokers with the practical lending solutions and confidence they need as the market evolves.”
He said that Pepper’s size and distribution reach would allow the lender to support more complex lending needs at scale.
“By leveraging our scale and deep broker relationships, we’re able to deliver white label solutions that empower our partners to grow their businesses while helping more customers access the helpful loan options they need,” Rehayem said.
Aggregators lean into diversification
Mortgage Choice positioned the expanded Ignite suite as part of a broader shift towards more diversified broker businesses.
General manager distribution Aaron Slater said expectations on brokers had moved beyond straightforward home loans.
“Diversification has evolved from being a nice to have to a genuine necessity for brokers. Consumers aren’t just expecting brokers to support their residential lending needs,” he said.
“The expanded Mortgage Choice Ignite offering ensures that our brokers have even more lender and product options to meet market demand and find the right solution for their customers.”
AFG, meanwhile, presented the enhanced AFG home and commercial loans options (AFGHL Options) brand as the next stage in supporting more sophisticated borrowing structures.
AFG general manager – white label Hayden Cush said the changes reflected where the aggregator believed client demand was heading.
“The next stage of growth for brokers is moving beyond residential loans. Customers are looking at more sophisticated property, business and investment structures, and brokers who can support those conversations will be better placed to grow with them,” he said.
“Expanding AFGHL Options gives our brokers access to a broader commercial suite at a time when demand for flexible commercial and SMSF commercial lending is expected to increase.”
AFG said that the announcement came as brokers were increasingly looking to broaden their businesses and support customers whose borrowing needs stretched beyond standard home lending.
He said that the government’s ban on residential SMSF borrowing was likely to push more trustees towards commercial lending products and alternative asset classes such as commercial property.
[Related: Industry warns SMSF resi ban will choke new supply]
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