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Mortgage Australia Group has added So Money to its lender panel, broadening the range of client scenarios its brokers can engage with, particularly where mainstream lenders have limited appetite.
The move comes as credit policies tighten and lenders continue to refine their risk frameworks.
"As lending conditions evolve and credit policies tighten, brokers are increasingly working with clients who fall outside standard lending frameworks," said So Money founder Zachary Su.
Su pointed to a shift in how brokers need to think about their client base. "This shift is driving greater demand for alternative lending approaches that can address more complex scenarios," he said.
For brokers, that gap between what clients need and what traditional lenders will consider has become an increasingly common professional challenge -- and one that the panel addition is designed to help address.
MAG has built a substantial footprint in Australian broking, winning the AFG National Champion Broking Group Award three times in the past five years, facilitating over $30 billion in loan applications, and supporting more than 40,000 clients. Its platform is designed to help brokers work through complex client situations while keeping the focus on outcomes and business growth.
The inclusion of So Money expands what brokers can do within that platform. "The addition of So Money to the MAG panel provides an additional pathway for brokers to structure solutions across a wider range of client scenarios," Su said, "while remaining aligned with responsible lending and regulatory requirements."
Su was clear that the expanded panel is a response to real and growing market need. "As lending policies shift, brokers are increasingly required to think beyond standard solutions," he said.
All lending remains subject to eligibility criteria, credit assessment, lender approval, and Target Market Determination requirements -- but within those parameters, brokers now have additional pathways to consider.
The practical value of the So Money inclusion comes into focus when you look at the specific client segments it is designed to support.
Refinance clients with servicing limitations are one of the more common pain points. Some borrowers carry a strong repayment history but cannot satisfy standard income-based serviceability calculations. Su explained that certain refinance solutions may consider repayment conduct and credit profile alongside other factors. "This may provide brokers with additional pathways to retain or restructure existing clients who may otherwise have limited refinance options," he said.
Self-employed and non-standard income borrowers represent another growing segment. Variable income, overseas income, or non-traditional employment structures can make standard documentation requirements difficult to meet. Su noted the scale of the opportunity. "This may assist brokers in engaging a large and growing segment of self-employed clients who are not always well-served by traditional models," he said.
SMSF lending requires careful alignment with both credit policy and superannuation regulation. Through So Money, brokers may be able to access lending options for both residential and commercial SMSF strategies. "SMSF continues to be an active investment channel, and access to suitable lending structures may support more tailored client strategies," Su said.
Short-term and bridging needs round out the picture. Business clients managing transaction timing or capital events sometimes need interim funding structures with a clearly defined exit strategy. Su pointed to the time-sensitive nature of these scenarios. "This may allow brokers to participate in time-sensitive opportunities where structure and timing are important considerations," he said.
The So Money panel addition reflects something broader happening in the broking profession. Clients are arriving with more varied financial profiles than they did a decade ago, and the gap between what standard lenders will consider and what borrowers actually need has widened. Brokers who can access a wider range of solutions are better placed to retain clients, provide genuine value, and grow their businesses.
MAG's panel expansion is a practical response to that reality, giving brokers an additional set of options across refinance, self-employed, SMSF, and short-term lending as a structured part of the aggregator's offering. For brokers who regularly encounter clients outside the standard framework, that is a meaningful addition to the toolkit.
Disclaimer:
This information is general in nature and does not constitute credit advice. All lending is subject to eligibility criteria, credit assessment and lender approval. Brokers should review the relevant Target Market Determination (TMD) to ensure suitability.
This article was produced in partnership with So Money
