Meet James Power | Franchise Principal

Franchise Principal and Senior Mortgage Broker

My unique multi-disciplinary background across financial planning, chartered accounting and banking, coupled with over 25 years’ experience across financial services and being an active property investor myself, enables me to understand complex scenarios better than most.

I know the industry is full of jargon, so I pride myself on being able to communicate with you in a way that makes the complex sound simple. Your time is valuable, so let me ease the burden so you can spend your time doing what matters most.

And we will never treat you as just another number. In fact, we don’t benchmark our success on the number of loans we get through. We benchmark our success on the satisfaction of our clients, the level of repeat business and the level of referrals. There is no better honour than having our clients refer us to their loved ones. 

I am passionate about helping people to build their wealth through property. And I would be honoured to assist you. Give me a call on 1300 194 750 to discuss your own goals.

More about James:

Qualifications

• MFAA Accredited Finance Broker
• SMSF Specialist Advisor™ (SSA®)
• Chartered Accountant (CA)
• Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®)
• Prior member of The Australian Financial Review Smart Investor Masterclass recognising the top 50 financial advisers in Australia

Q&A with James:

When you’re not working, what do you like doing outside of the office?

When I’m not talking about property, I love spending time with my beautiful wife and our sporty 6 year old son, whose weekends are spent playing rugby union, AFL, taekwondo, cricket and swimming. I still play field hockey in the Sydney League Hockey competition. We are keen foodies (due to my Chinese Malaysian heritage), and closely follow the NRL (Go Panthers!)

Why should someone deal with you rather than deal directly with a bank?

Post Royal Commission (from 1 January 2021), Mortgage Brokers have had to comply with the ‘Best Interests Duty’, which is a statutory obligation for mortgage brokers to act in the best interests of consumers (best interests duty), and to prioritise consumer’s best interests when providing credit advice (conflict priority rule). Banks do not have such a duty to act in the best interests of consumers, and often the interests of their shareholders take precedent over consumers. Put simply, mortgage brokers provide you with advice and peace of mind while banks sell you their products.

What support do you offer your clients?

My team includes support staff to ensure your loan application progresses as smoothly as possible, and ensuring settlement occurs as planned with any potential speedhumps navigated and dealt with. We have access to a network of professionals such as solicitors, conveyancers, buyers agents, accountants and financial planners to make the process less stressful. Post settlement, we maintain contact with you to ensure your loan continues to meet your circumstances and to answer any questions or deal with any issues you may encounter.

What types of loans and clients do you work with the most?

I have two main groups of clients. The first group is ‘first home buyers’, helping them determine the best strategy for them to purchase their first property; to take advantage of Government or other lender incentives (such as no LMI for some professionals); and to structure their loan in a way to provide flexibility for future purchases (upgrading, investment property or both). The second group is investors and self-managed superannuation funds, as they appreciate my financial planning background, structuring advice and intricate knowledge of how the loan structure can materially impact the success of their wealth creation strategy. I am one of the very few mortgage brokers in Australia who has earned the ‘SMSF Specialist Advisor™’ designation, so you know both you and your SMSF are in safe hands.

Do you charge a fee for your services?

In almost every scenario, you will not be charged a fee, as I am paid an upfront commission through the lender, which is fully disclosed to you before you commit to the loan. As I am also paid a trail commission, I am responsible for the servicing of your loan on an on-going basis.