Public 
Disclosure

Hunter Dean is a team member of the The Lending Group, the below is from their website

 

Please read the information set out below carefully. It contains important information about us and will help you to decide if we are the right Financial Advice Provider for you.

Licensing Information

The Lending Department Limited (FSP166964) (The Lending Department, we, us, our) holds a licence issued by the Financial Markets Authority to provide financial advice.  The Financial Markets Authority has not imposed any specific conditions on the licence issued to The Lending Department Limited.

Duties Information

The Lending Department and our advisers have duties under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 relating to the way that we give advice. Specifically, we are required to do the following:

  • Give priority to your interests.
  • Exercise care, diligence, and skill.
  • Meet standards of competence, knowledge and skill set by the Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services.
  • Meet standards of ethical behaviour, conduct and client care set by the Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services.
 

Nature and scope of the services that we provide

 

We offer the following financial adviser services:

  • Mortgage lending advice:  Financial advice in relation to commercial lending and lending secured against owner occupied and investment properties offered by bank and non-bank lenders.
  • Asset lending advice: Financial advice in relation to lending secured against an asset other than real estate (e.g. a car, boat etc) offered by bank and non-bank lenders.
  • Business/commercial lending advice: Financial advice in relation to unsecured business lending offered by bank and non-bank lenders.

We only provide financial advice in relation to products offered by bank and non-bank lenders that we have established terms of business with.  These arrangements do not give rise to any contractual requirement or obligation to place any level of business with these lenders.  Instead, they reflect a mutual understanding that we may place business with these lenders.

The bank lenders that we have established terms of business with are AIA, ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Heartland Bank, Kiwibank, SBS Bank, The Co-Operative Bank, TSB, and Westpac Bank.

We can provide details of the non-bank lenders that we have established terms of business with upon request.

How we get paid for the services that we provide

Set out below is important information on the commission and fees that we will earn in connection with providing advice to you.  We will set out in writing the specific commission and fees that we will receive prior to you agreeing to proceed with our advice.

 
 
 

Conflicts of interest, commissions and other incentives

 

Conflicts of Interest

  • We don’t have any conflicts of interest that exist or that are likely to arise which would influence the advice that we provide to you.  If this changes, we will contact you and advise you of the nature and scope of any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Commissions and incentives

  • We receive commission and fees from the lenders that we place business with.  The commission and fees that we receive, are set out above under “How we get paid for the services that we provide”.  At the time of providing advice to you, we will also set out the specific commission and fees that we will receive in connection with our advice.

Management of conflicts of interest

We take the following steps to manage actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest (referred to as “conflicts of interest”):

  • Advisers are not incentivised to promote one lender over another.
  • We follow an advice process that ensures that our recommendations are made on the basis of each client’s circumstances, goals, and risk appetite.
  • We have a Conflicts of Interest Policy which sets out how we identify conflicts of interest and how we ensure that these conflicts of interest are appropriately managed so that we prioritise our client’s interests at all times.
  • We require all persons within The Lending Department, including our financial advisers, to receive training on the identification and management of conflicts of interest.

Complaints

 

If you are not satisfied with our services or our advice, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing us at complaints@theld.co.nz.

Within 48 hours of receiving your complaint, we will be in contact with you and will either propose a solution to your complaint or we will provide you with a summary of next steps.  If we aren’t able to resolve your complaint immediately, we will investigate and resolve your complaint in accordance with our internal complaints process. We aim to resolve complaints within 10 working days of receiving them.  If we can’t resolve a complaint within this timeframe, we will contact you and let you know that we require more time to investigate and resolve your complaint.

Following the completion of our internal complaints process, if you are not happy with our proposed resolution or our handling of your complaint, you can escalate your complaint to Financial Services Complaints Limited (FSCL).  FSCL is an independent dispute resolution scheme.  FSCL will, on receiving a complaint, investigate and resolve the complaint free of charge. More information about FSCL and their dispute resolution process can be found at http://www.fscl.org.nz/ .

You can contact FSCL by emailing complaints@fscl.org.nz, or by calling 0800 347 257 (free phone). You can also write to them at PO Box 5967, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145.

PERSONAL CLIENT STORIES:

Your mortgage is your biggest yearly cost, so why wouldn’t you talk to an unbiased expert about what is best for you? Contact me today.

Considerations to explore:

This isn’t how it works in practice. The bigger picture is that brokers are essentially an outsourced service for banks, helping them manage clients, which means banks save significant costs by working with brokers.

Some banks offer brokers better rates than those available to direct clients, and many are open to negotiating rates based on what’s currently being offered in the market.

So, can you negotiate on your own? Absolutely. But brokers are experts in negotiation—we do it every day, and we’re up-to-date on the latest offers from various banks, since I receive weekly updates on their best rates.

Let's Talk

Your mortgage is your biggest yearly cost, so why wouldn’t you talk to an unbiased expert about what is best for you?


Brokers are selling advice and knowledge, not loans. The banks sell loans, we advise you which banks loans are the best suited to you!

Honestly, I believe the only way to build a lasting, referral-based business is by putting clients first and serving them well every single time.


Some banks pay a one-time upfront commission, while others offer a "trail" commission that’s paid over time, but generally, all the banks pay similar commission so it makes no difference to me which bank you chose!

If you're planning to negotiate directly with your bank, I recommend highlighting why you're a valuable customer—such as your years with the bank and your good account history—and see what they offer. Once they respond, if you find better rates elsewhere, go back and push for a better deal, mentioning the more competitive rates other lenders are providing.


Keep in mind that banks will also consider how easy it is for you to switch, including whether other parts of your home loan are locked in at lower rates and if you're within the cash back clawback period (typically within 3 years, when you may need to repay part or all of any cash contribution they gave you). These factors can increase your switching costs, which might limit how much your current bank is willing to negotiate.


Good luck! If you'd like help with the process, I’m happy to assist.

Note: The above is general guidance and not financial advice.