LoanHaus Handbook
LoanHaus

Your onboarding & day-to-day reference for the full LoanHaus process — from first lead to settled loan. Use the search bar or the menu on the left to jump straight to what you need.

40+
Bank & non-bank lenders
7
Week induction program
<1hr
Target pre-approval time
Part One

Welcome & Culture

Welcome to LoanHaus

Welcome to the LoanHaus team — we're excited to have you onboard. At LoanHaus, we believe finance is more than just numbers and approvals — it's about helping people achieve their goals and create opportunities.

We pride ourselves on being approachable, informed, invested and genuine in every interaction. Our mission is to simplify the borrowing process, protect our clients' best interests and provide an exceptional customer experience.

Company overview

LoanHaus (Car Loan Hunter Pty Ltd, ACL 526759) is an Australian finance brokerage specialising in consumer car loans, commercial lending, cashflow loans and insurance. We're based at 20 Morehead Street, Lambton NSW, and work with a panel of 40+ bank and non-bank lenders to find clients the best rate and repayment for their situation.

Our Brand Values

Deliver Outstanding Customer Service

We go above and beyond to make every client's experience simple, supported and stress-free, from first contact through to settlement.

Integrity

We do what's right for the customer and the business, even when no one's watching, and we're honest and transparent in every interaction.

Team and Culture

We support each other, share knowledge freely and work together toward the same goals, because a strong team creates a strong business.

Continuous Improvement

We're never satisfied with "good enough" — we look for better ways to work, learn from every deal, and grow as individuals and as a business.

Accountability

We own our work and our outcomes, follow through on what we say we'll do, and take responsibility when things don't go to plan.

Consistency

We deliver the same high standard of service every time, for every customer, regardless of deal size or how busy we are.

Communication

We keep customers, referral partners and each other informed clearly and proactively, without jargon or delay.

Office Expectations & Procedures

Lead management

  • Respond to all new leads as quickly as possible — target response time within 1 hour of receipt.
  • Ensure every customer receives a professional, friendly and proactive experience from first contact through to settlement.
  • Follow the LoanHaus Lead Management Process, including all call, SMS and email follow-up requirements (see Part 4).

CRM notes & file management

Maintain accurate and detailed CRM notes on every application. Begin all notes with a clear summary of the customer profile and application outcome. Record all key information including:

  • Medicare dependants
  • Equifax enquiries
  • Undisclosed liabilities
  • Defaults or adverse credit history
  • Credit score concerns
  • First-time borrower status
  • High LVR applications
  • Older asset purchases
  • Strong profile highlights
  • Any other notable factors that may influence lender selection or approval outcomes

Ensure all conversations, lender discussions, policy exceptions and customer explanations are documented thoroughly.

Responsible lending & compliance

  • Follow all responsible lending and compliance obligations at all times.
  • Ensure all recommendations are suitable for the customer's objectives, requirements and financial situation.
  • Escalate any compliance concerns immediately.

File management standards

All customer files must be maintained in a consistent and organised manner — see the full file set-up process under Part 5.

Teamwork & communication

  • Support fellow team members whenever required.
  • Communicate proactively and professionally with brokers, support staff, lenders and referral partners.
  • Raise issues early rather than allowing delays or problems to develop.

Leave & Rosters

Weekend roster expectations

Team members rostered on call are expected to be available Saturday & Sunday, 9:00am – 5:00pm. Employees who work a rostered weekend receive one Rostered Day Off (RDO) the following Friday — or the RDO may be banked and a normal workday completed, subject to approval.

Saturday: respond to new leads, take finance applications, follow up outstanding customers, process and submit applications where required.
Sunday: monitor and respond to new leads, assist customers requiring urgent support, progress outstanding applications and settlements where necessary.

Additional hours & overtime

If you stay back to take a lead, submit an application, finalise a settlement, or resolve an urgent customer matter, you may adjust your start time the following day with approval from management, provided business operations are not impacted.

Annual leave procedure

  • Enter your leave dates into the team roster.
  • Email Sandra advising of the requested leave dates as soon as possible.
  • Management approval is required where more than one team member is absent at the same time, the leave request exceeds one day, or the request is within the next 2 weeks.
  • Send a reminder to Sandra during the week prior to your leave commencing.
  • Ensure all applications, customer files and follow-up tasks are appropriately handed over before commencing leave.

Personal / carer's leave procedure

Unlike annual leave, personal/carer's leave often can't be planned ahead — so the priority is letting Sandra know as early as possible so arrangements can be made for the day.

  • Let Sandra know as soon as you're aware you'll need to take leave — don't wait until your shift is due to start.
  • Before 8:00am or after 6:00pm — send a text rather than calling.
  • Between 8:00am and 6:00pm — a phone call is preferred so Sandra can ask questions and make arrangements straight away; if she doesn't answer, follow up with a text.
  • Where possible, flag any customer follow-ups or urgent tasks that will need covering while you're away.

Phone, Communication & Lead Follow-Up Standards

Customer communication

Answer all calls warmly, professionally and as promptly as possible. Keep customers informed throughout every stage of the application — as a minimum, customers should receive an update daily while their application is active. Avoid industry jargon and explain finance concepts in simple, easy-to-understand language.

Referral partner communication

Referral partners should be updated at every key stage of the application, with a minimum of one update per day on active applications.

Lead follow-up standards

All new leads must be followed using the LoanHaus contact strategy. If no contact has been established after Day 4, the lead may be closed in accordance with the LoanHaus Lead Management Process.

DayCall attemptsOther follow-up
Day 13 call attemptsSMS and email follow-up where appropriate
Day 22 call attemptsSMS follow-up
Day 31 call attemptSMS follow-up
Day 41 final call attemptFinal SMS follow-up
Part Two

Your First Weeks

New Employee Onboarding Checklist

Getting set up

0 / 0

Fintelligence Accreditation Requirements

As part of getting accredited through our aggregator, Fintelligence, you'll need to gather some supporting documents and complete two forms early on — these can take a little while to come through, so it's worth starting as soon as possible.

Mandatory supporting documents

  • Police report (less than 3 months old)
  • Equifax credit report (less than 3 months old)
  • Photo ID — driver's licence front & back, or passport
  • Work history / resume (employers, roles and timeline)

Forms to complete

  • Fintelligence Loan Writer Information Form (personal details, supporting documentation and a declaration)
  • Fintelligence Broker Accreditation Requirements Form (nominating which lenders and insurers you need accreditation with)

Both are kept as reference documents — see Part 7.

Your First 30 Days

30-day focus areas

0 / 0

7-Week Induction Program

This is the structured induction program new team members work through with Sandra over their first seven weeks. Weeks 6 and 7 include some broader business elements (supplier relationships, coaching, KPI setting) more relevant to a leadership-track role — Sandra will tailor these where they don't apply to your position.

WeekFocus areas
1LoanHaus structure & roles; understanding our values; compliance documents (privacy form, credit guide/quote, credit proposal, preliminary assessment); the training register; commencing lender & insurer accreditations; taking applications through Ambition; file notes; the workflow & applications register; navigating Paperport; lender guidelines; weekly review with Sandra.
2Lender commission plans; thoroughly checking bank statements (undisclosed debts, dishonours, overdrawn accounts, unusual deposits/debits, gambling, BNPL spending, payday loans); reading credit reports, RHI and hardship markers; completing a consumer loan application unassisted; requesting supporting documents; preliminary assessments; credit proposals; lender APIs; weekly review.
3One-on-one lender BDM training; further lender commission plans; submitting applications through lender systems; drafting and saving insurance/warranty PDS emails for future reference; lender LVR guidelines; insurance products (read at least one PDS per week — proficiency across all products sold expected within 13 weeks); further lender guidelines; training register; weekly review.
4Lender capacity guidelines (overtime, salary sacrifice, spousal income treatment by lender); customer service and Google reviews; one-on-one lender and insurer BDM training; training register; weekly review.
5Reviewing lender guidelines for efficiency; understanding KPIs and Gross Profit targets; weekly review.
6*Meeting key suppliers; weekly coaching of staff; setting KPIs around sales targets and company goals; weekly review.
7*Working independently and continuing to build knowledge; upselling and cross-selling; weekly review.
*Weeks 6–7 include leadership-track elements — see note above.

At LoanHaus, we're committed to creating an environment where our team feels supported, encouraged and empowered to grow. We believe strong culture creates strong customer outcomes.

Part Three

Systems & Tools

Core Systems

Ambition (CRM)

The primary system for managing leads, applications, documents, options letters, contracts and settlements. Every application must be logged and kept up to date in Ambition. For assistance, contact Fintelligence on 03 9036 6397.

Shared Drive (Paperport)

Customer files, supporting documents and compliance records are stored here, following the file and document naming conventions in Parts 1 & 5.

3CX

The office phone system — see the quick reference below.

WhatsApp

Used for team communication groups and multiple referral partners — download it on your personal device and computer, and keep notifications on during work hours.

Lender portals

You'll deal with a variety of different systems for each lender.

Outlook

Used frequently for managing leads, applications and lender updates — everything received via email must be saved into the relevant file.

3CX Phone System Quick Reference

Your 3CX login details are sent by email when your account is set up — use them to log into the Web Client (e.g. https://mycompany.3cx.com/webclient/) with your extension and password, or to set up the iOS/Android/Windows apps by scanning the QR code or opening the attachment in that email.

Making, receiving & transferring calls

Click an extension or search a name/number to call. Toggle the phone icon to route the call to your smartphone, deskphone or web client. To transfer: click "Transfer" (blind — enter the extension and hang up) or "Att. Transfer" (announce the call first, then click "Transfer").

Managing your status

Click the dropdown next to your avatar to set status and an optional message. Green = available, yellow = on a call, red = busy (calls divert to voicemail).

Voicemail

Dial your voicemail number, enter your PIN and press #, then press * to play messages — or use "Voicemail" in the Web Client or app. To set your greeting by phone: dial voicemail, enter PIN, press #, then 9, 8, 0 to record, # to end and 0 to save. From the Web Client: Settings > Greetings.

Deskphone

Dial and hit send, or select a contact from the Web Client — the call triggers on your deskphone if that's selected in the phone toggle. For a blind transfer, press "Transfer", dial the extension, then hang up.

Scheduling a conference

Click "Schedule Conference", add a subject, notes and time, then "Create Meeting" and add participants — they'll receive an invite with dial-in details.

Full details are in the 3CX Quick Reference Guide — see Part 7.

Internal AI Tools

LoanHaus has a small suite of internal AI-powered tools to support brokers day-to-day. All are LoanHaus-branded and accessed via the shared drive — no separate login is required unless noted. All AI chats are accessed within Claude.

Lender Knowledge Chat

Covers doc prep and settlement requirements across ~28 lenders.

Best-Rate Finder

Helps identify the most competitive lender for consumer car and asset loans across the full panel.

Commercial Lender Policy Tools

A set of chat tools covering commercial lender policy (AFS, TAF, Angle Finance, Pepper Money Asset Finance, Resimac and others).

Doc Prep & Settlement Assistant

An interactive tool for checking what's required to generate documents and settle with each lender.

A note on tool access: Some internal AI tools use an API key to function. Never share, forward or paste this key anywhere outside the tool itself — treat it the same as a password. If you're ever unsure how to access a tool, check with Sandra rather than looking for the key in shared files.
Part Four

The LoanHaus Sales & Application Process

This is the core, end-to-end process for handling a customer from first enquiry through to settlement. It's mandatory to understand this process in full — it's the foundation of everything else you'll do as a broker at LoanHaus.

First priority is always leads

A settlement doesn't happen without a lead. Call as early as possible before people get to work or start their busy day — 7am to 8pm is fine.

"Strike while the iron is hot." Be the first person to call — make an impression so you're the last person they want to speak to. People don't make just one online enquiry, so making a strong first impression is what gets you the conversation.

The 6 Hot Buttons

These are our core selling points. Memorise them — they're used throughout every stage of the sales process to reinforce our value to the customer.

  • We can have you pre-approved in less than 1 hour
  • We have fixed interest rates starting from [current advertised rate]
  • We guarantee you get the lowest rate and lowest repayment
  • We have direct relationships with over 40 specialised bank and non-bank lenders
  • Our pre-approval process costs you nothing and commits you to nothing
  • We protect your credit score by matching you with the best lender the first time

Know Your Customer — The 4 Customer Traits

Identifying a customer's trait early helps you communicate with them the right way and use the right Hot Buttons.

Information Gatherer

First-time borrowers, never used a broker or transacted online, haven't found the asset yet, clean credit and cautious.

Put their mind at ease — flood them with helpful information (loan terms available, balloon options, secured/unsecured, additional repayments, insurance options) using all 6 Hot Buttons.

Comparer

Has found the asset, left a deposit, has a current car loan, or has an existing quote to compare against.

Confirm exactly what they're comparing to (rate, repayment, fees) and emphasise speed, our guarantee, and our rates.

Cheapest

Wants only our best advertised rate and won't easily settle for anything else.

Ask why they believe they'd qualify for such a low rate and be clear the rate depends on the strength of their profile. Emphasise our lowest-rate guarantee and that the process costs nothing.

Approval

Has defaults or has been declined elsewhere.

Don't set a false rate expectation — reassure them we're their best chance of getting approved, and emphasise our lender panel and that the process costs nothing.

Overcoming the rate objection

When a customer pushes back on rate, a simple analogy works well:

"You want a new kitchen for your home — Bunnings has a display kitchen advertised for $5k. They send someone out to measure your kitchen space, and it turns out your kitchen will be more like $10k because you want a big island bench, longer cupboards etc.

Car loans aren't one-size-fits-all, so we need to know some details so we can give you the best deal — a bit like measuring up your kitchen, we measure up your financial profile. This commits you to nothing — we just collect your details and run a soft-touch credit check, not an enquiry on file, and then I'll be able to provide firm rates and repayments."

If it's useful, you can explain what puts a customer in the top tier — ticking most or all of: property owner, 3+ years in residence, 3+ years in current employment, a new car, and a car loan-to-value ratio under 90%. Meeting this criteria will generally get the best advertised rate.

"The last thing we want to do is waste anyone's time, and our business is built on reputation — we don't have a business if customers don't come back to us! That's why we have the Best Deal Assurance, which you'll find on the website.

If there's anything further I can provide that will make you feel more comfortable in who you're dealing with, please let me know — I'd be more than happy to send it through to ensure complete transparency in how we operate."

Step-by-Step Sales Process

1

Pre-Qualify the Customer

Confirm the asset, whether it's being purchased through a dealer or privately, and loan amount (deposit/trade). If they've already found a car and left a deposit, get the full detail of any dealer finance quote. Confirm residential status, employment, recent finance enquiries and past credit issues, and the repayment they want to stay under.

Manage expectations from here — use the repayment calculator in Ambition. Example: "$20,000 over 5 years at $80/week gives an interest rate of 1.23% — unfortunately no lender is offering that rate at the moment, but we could look at extending the term to 7 years if that works better for you."

Calculating repayments on the office financial calculator

Once you have the loan amount (incl. vehicle, fees etc.), term and interest rate: enter the loan amount and press CHS then PV; enter the loan term in months and press N; enter the interest rate and press g then i, then PMT. This gives the monthly repayment without the monthly account fee — add $10 to include it. To clear, press CLX, g CLX, f CLX.

To confirm a repayment instead: enter the loan amount, press CHS then PV; enter the term and press N; enter the repayment amount, press PMT, then i (shows "running" then a monthly rate) — enter 12 and press × for the annual rate.

"LoanHaus is an expert asset finance provider specialising in car and asset finance. We currently have direct accreditations with over 40 specialised bank and non-bank lenders — including all the big 4 banks — which allows us to offer you a specialised loan product at wholesale rates not available on the open market.

Unlike a home loan, a car loan isn't a one-size-fits-all product and everyone is assessed on their own individual merits — but it's our job to get you the lowest rate and repayment possible.

Getting pre-approved is essentially an information-gathering process — I take your details over the phone and request a few supporting documents, and I can generally have you pre-approved within an hour. This process costs you nothing and commits you to nothing.

We also have a best deal assurance, where we guarantee to get you the lowest rate and lowest repayment possible, while protecting your credit score by matching you with the best lender the first time."

Send the customer a link to the Privacy Consent & Credit Guide via their personal loan portal, where they can digitally authorise and upload their driver's licence and supporting documents, and confirm when they'll be able to action this.

2

Request Supporting Documentation

Use Ambition to request the required documents (it automatically requests the Privacy Form and Credit Guide acknowledgment). Contact the customer to confirm they've received the request and follow up daily on outstanding paperwork.

For a standard consumer application, you'll generally request: driver licence front & back, Medicare card, selfie ID holding licence, payslip 1 and payslip 2 — and the partner's most recent payslip if there's a partner offset.

3

Submit to Lender of Best Fit

Before submitting the application or running a credit check you must have, as an absolute minimum: a clear driver's licence, signed Privacy & Credit Guide, and payslips. Review the strengths and weaknesses of the file to identify the lender of best fit.

Wedge call

About 1 hour after conditioning is received, it's a good opportunity to check in — and a chance to ask if there's anything on the application they may not have mentioned.

"Hi, just touching base to let you know your application has been escalated to a senior assessor. Sit tight while this happens — it's really important you don't make any other enquiries, and I'll let you know as soon as I have more information."

4

Pre-Approval Call

Congratulate the customer on their approval and control the conversation by giving them the information they need before they ask. Explain the loan is pre-approved in principle (subject to the vehicle being suitable). Where needed, give a guide only on rate and repayment — never a firm quote — and remind them to sign any sales contract "subject to suitable finance".

Key outcomes: congratulate them, motivate them to come back to you once they find a car, avoid negative language, remind them further applications could harm their credit score and current approval, and reiterate our best-rate guarantee.

Ask if they've found a car — if not, offer to help, including referring them to a vehicle broker. Explain the next step is requesting a tax invoice (dealer sale) or private sale documents.

5

Request Tax Invoice / Private Sale Information

Dealer sale: contact the dealer's salesperson directly for the tax invoice. Dealerships are often our biggest competition and may be reluctant to release it — if this happens, call the customer and explain the dealer may be stalling because they don't want the customer comparing offers, and the customer has the right to compare quotes. We cannot accept an invoice sent by the customer — it must come directly from the dealer.

Private sale: check the lender's requirements — usually the current registration certificate, the seller's driver's licence, the top portion of a bank statement to confirm payment details, a roadworthy certificate or inspection (lender-dependent), and a payout letter if there's finance owing. Prepare a Private Sale Invoice in Ambition for the seller to sign.

6

Trial Close & Options Letter

This step only begins once the finalised tax invoice is in hand and confirmed accurate with the customer. It's typically three calls:

Call 1 — Trial close: "Just so I know your requirements haven't changed, can you confirm the repayment you want to keep under so I can structure the loan to suit you and save you the most amount of interest." Confirm their answer back to them clearly.

Call 2 — Confirm figures: enthusiastically confirm the final rate and repayment before sending the options letter, e.g. "Good news — I've got the final figures ready. It's come back at $X per week including all fees and charges, with a rate of X%. How's that sound?" Don't send the options letter until the customer confirms they're happy.

Call 3 — Walk through options: explain the different levels of protection available, and why increasing protection can reduce the interest rate. Ask the customer to select an option and return the signed letter promptly.

7

Prepare the Contract and Send to Customer

Prepare loan contracts and ancillary documents in accordance with the lender's checklist, organised in Ambition into Loan Documents and Supporting Documents. Confirm the customer has time to print, sign and return the documents before sending.

8

Settle Loan

Check signed documents for accuracy and clarity as soon as they're returned — contact the customer immediately if anything is missing or incorrect. Refer to the lender's own settlement checklist for the required paperwork and order.

9

Notify Dealer & Client of Settlement

Once the loan has settled, phone and email both the dealer/seller and the customer to confirm settlement (the customer confirmation is sent via Ambition).

10

Tidy File and Close

Complete the audit checklist in Ambition to finalise the file.

Explaining the Options Letter — Insurance & Warranty Products

Frame this as part of your job as a finance professional — explaining the risks involved in taking on finance, and the options available to protect the customer, their credit rating and their family. Start from the unprotected repayment (just the finance on the car with no cover), then work up through what each option adds.

ProductWhat it does
Unemployment CoverMakes the car repayments for up to 4 months if the customer is made redundant or loses their job through no fault of their own. Can be used multiple times over the loan; never needs to be back-paid.
Injury & Illness CoverMakes repayments while the customer is unable to work due to injury or illness. If they can't return to work for the full loan term, the remaining balance is paid out and they keep the car debt-free. Can be used multiple times.
Trauma CoverIf diagnosed with a terminal illness, or in the event of a heart attack or stroke, the loan balance is finalised and the customer keeps the car debt-free.
Life CoverIf the customer passes away, the loan is paid out in full and their family keeps the car debt-free.
Extended Warranty & Roadside AssistExtends manufacturer warranty coverage beyond its original term, unlimited claims, no per-claim limit, transferable if the customer sells the car. Typically bundled with 24/7 roadside assistance.
Tyre & Rim CoverCovers damage to tyres and rims (punctures, blowouts, potholes, kerb damage) — usually for the first 12 months.
Total Loss / GAP CoverCovers the shortfall between what a standard insurer pays out for a total loss and the amount still owing on the loan — plus typically a contribution toward the next car's on-road costs and short-term hire car cover.
Bring it back to a simple weekly cost comparison — e.g. "the fully protected option only adds an extra $X per week; is there something in your week-to-week spending that costs about that much but matters less than protecting your credit rating and your family?" Always keep the framing honest and grounded in the customer's actual circumstances — never imply a discount or rate will disappear if they don't decide immediately.

Online Lead Conversion Process

Online leads need an especially fast, structured response. The goal is first contact within 5 minutes of the lead coming in.

If the customer answers

  • Create the customer profile in Ambition and call immediately.
  • Introduce yourself warmly and briefly outline how you help by comparing multiple lenders.
  • Take the application, and explain why it's important to pause other finance enquiries.
  • Confirm when they can sign the privacy document and upload documents — set a follow-up task and send a reminder text at the agreed time.
  • Next morning: call to confirm they've received the email, address hesitations, reassure no hard enquiry has been made.
  • Day after: call again on outstanding documents; if no answer, send a follow-up text.

If the customer doesn't answer

  • Leave a voicemail and send an immediate email ("Sorry We Missed You!") and SMS.
  • Call again 1 hour later; if still no answer, leave a second voicemail and SMS.
  • Call again roughly 2 hours later; if no answer, send the Fast Track Application link via SMS.
  • Next day: call first thing, send a Day 2 SMS reminder, schedule a further follow-up later that day.

Once documents are back

Evaluate the documentation promptly, workshop the best lender options for the client's profile, and clearly communicate the recommended options back to the client to finalise the decision quickly.

Tips for increasing conversion

  • Be genuinely personable and helpful — use empathy and show understanding of the client's needs.
  • Clearly explain how our tailored lender comparisons can beat "headline" rates the customer might see online, and offer value beyond rate.
  • Highlight the benefit to their credit score and loan outcome of completing paperwork quickly.
  • Persistence matters — follow the outlined schedule and keep detailed notes in Ambition for every interaction.

Taking an Application from a Referral Partner

When a dealer or referral partner has passed on a customer, open the call like this:

"Hello, it's [Your Name] calling from LoanHaus. [Dealer Name] has asked me to call you regarding finance for their [vehicle description] — is this a good time to chat?

Great — so I believe you're looking for a pre-approval on [confirm car details]. The purchase price the dealership has given us is $[X] — is that correct? Are you looking to finance the whole amount, or will you be putting down a cash deposit or trading in a vehicle? Do you have a preferred repayment you'd like to stay under?"

If the figure the customer wants comes back unrealistic, explain clearly:

"After putting your preferred repayment into our system, the rate is coming back as X% — which, as you'd know in our market, is near impossible to get. Would you be open to either lengthening the loan term, increasing your repayments, or putting down a deposit to reduce the loan amount?"

From there, work through the full application in order:

  • Applicant information — full name as per licence. If under a visa, confirm which visa and expiry date (cannot assist if less than 12 months remaining).
  • Residential — renting (sole or joint lease), boarding (name and phone number of who they board with), or mortgaged (joint or sole). Collect 3 years' history. Ask about investment properties and rental income.
  • Employment — full-time, part-time or casual, and where the company is based. Collect 3 years' history.
  • Income — any additional income, and whether a partner receives an income (providing a partner's income helps offset shared expenses — it doesn't make it a joint loan).
  • Assets — savings (note if under $100 across accounts — can be a flag for some lenders), other vehicles owned, recreational items, household contents value, other assets.
  • Liabilities — credit cards, personal loans, short-term/payday loans, and Afterpay/Zip-type accounts (some lenders treat these as a liability).
  • Living expenses — go through each category; for partnered customers get costs for both parties (e.g. 2x mobile phone, all vehicles' running costs) and ask about education or childcare costs where relevant.
  • Loan features — ask about preferences like extra repayments or no early termination fees.
  • Declaration questions — bankruptcy, unsatisfied court judgements or defaults, hardship applications in the past 2 years (skip for first-time borrowers), last finance application and outcome, what they'd cut back on to accommodate repayments, any foreseeable changes to circumstances.
Close by explaining the Privacy Consent & Credit Guide email and personal loan portal, where they can digitally authorise and upload their ID and supporting documents, and confirm when they expect to action it.
Part Five

Processing an Application

File Notes

Good file notes protect both the customer and LoanHaus, and make it easy for any teammate to pick up a file and understand exactly where it's at. Cover the following on every file:

AreaWhat to record
Customer ProfileAsset-backed or renter; length of time in residency and employment. If current job is short-term, note whether the client has been in the same role/industry previously.
Credit HistoryWhether the client has current or previous credit history, and whether it's clean or has had issues — if issues, explain why, and how long the account has been performing well since.
Objectives & RequirementsAny specific objectives — e.g. low rate, no fees, ability to repay early. If the loan repayment ends up higher than the original objective, note that you've discussed this with the client and they're happy with the terms.
Lender Rate QuotesLender name and rate/repayment for each quote given, e.g. "NOW – 13.95%, $448.56 p/mth, Latitude PL – 14.99%, $520 p/mth...". Client given option of all rates, advised of requirements per lender, and which they chose.
Lender Submission NotesWhen submitted, note the lender and application number so any teammate following up has what they need to quote the lender.
Client PreferencesIf the client chooses a particular lender, note why — e.g. quick answer, less paperwork, has dealt with that lender before.
Lender CorrespondenceCopy and paste any correspondence with a lender into the notes.
Client CorrespondenceCopy and paste any correspondence with the client that happens outside Ambition into the notes.
Defaults & Repayment HistoryExplain any default, paused repayment, or late repayment history shown on the credit file. Note the outcome of any recent credit file enquiries.
Loan OptionsFor any loan signed digitally, note that you've run through the terms with the client — the options letter is useful here since it outlines the different payment options the client selected.

Setting Up the Customer File

Creating a new folder in the shared drive

  • Open the driver's licence and go to the correct shared file location (CLH or SJFS).
  • Search for an existing file using: Last name, First Middle (as written on the licence).
  • If no existing file exists, create a new folder titled: Last name, First Middle.
  • For a joint loan, create the folder in applicant one's name first, e.g. "Smith & Jones, John Middle & Sam Middle".

Saving documents

  • Save the Privacy consent form, Credit Guide & Quote, and Conditioning sign-off (if applicable).
  • Open and check each document is clear and fully visible — reject and re-request any that aren't.
  • Title documents using standard names: Driver Licence Front, Driver Licence Back, Medicare Card, Selfie ID, Payslip [payment date, e.g. 01.01], Rates Notice.
  • Bank statements go in a "Bank Statements" sub-folder, saved as-is without renaming.
  • Title any additional documents appropriately.

Tidying and cross-checking the application

  • Confirm full name is spelt correctly, and DOB and address match the licence — fill in licence number, expiry, employer ABN, phone, address etc.
  • Note any discrepancies.
  • Cross-check Equifax against the Ambition application — note any enquiries in the last 6 months, or any adverse or undisclosed liabilities.
  • Complete PAYG and income/credit file analysis.
  • Form an overall understanding of the profile and what to look out for with lenders — check the lender guidelines to see who will do the profile.
  • Check interest rate charts in the shared drive and rate-quote the most competitive options — note these on the file.

Reviewing the Credit File

If you're still waiting on documents by the following morning, follow up with a phone call — and if there's no answer, send the follow-up conditioning SMS.

Once privacy and documents are back, create the Paperport folder, save all documents (including privacy consent and conditioning), and start with the licence — confirm the name is spelt correctly and the address is current (get proof of address if not). Input the licence details and run a credit check.

What to check on the credit file

Enquiries

How many, when was the last one, any payday lenders? Note multiple enquiries in a short period, payday lender enquiries, and excessive enquiries within the last 5 years.

Accounts

Any previous or current finance? Undisclosed accounts? Any late payments (shown as a number 1–6, indicating months in arrears)?

Credit score

Reflects how strong the credit file is. Most lenders use the comprehensive score, ~40% use One Score, remainder use the 1.1/negative score (manual check only). Use the Consumer Guidelines spreadsheet to see which score each lender uses.

Save a copy of the credit file into the customer's Paperport folder.

Confirming Employment & Income

Open payslips alongside the PAYG calculator and calculate income. If the YTD and pay period figures are drastically different, query this with the client — lenders will take the lower figure unless there's a reasonable explanation to workshop with the lender for the higher one.

Update income and employer details in Ambition. Use the income and credit file analysis to confirm capacity, going off the higher of HEM or customer-declared expenses. If customer-declared is significantly higher than HEM and capacity is tight, discuss a budget with the client. For anything else, discuss with Sandra.

Completing an employment verification

  • Contact the employee's HR/payroll team — if that's not possible, speak with their manager or company director.
  • Get the full name and title of the person you're speaking with.
  • Establish the client's employment status, start date, income, and whether their employment is ongoing (not on a fixed contract).
  • If payroll won't divulge information over the phone, offer to email/fax the signed privacy form with the list of questions.
  • If the income doesn't match what the applicant stated, find out why — a change of job role, new payroll system, pay rise, change of ownership, or moving from a recruitment agency to being employed directly. Get the date the change took effect.
  • If income has changed, you'll need a letter of employment confirming the change (or the last payslip before the change, if it was just a payroll/ownership change).

A letter of employment must include: start date, occupation, employment status, net income, and the date of any income increase. It must be on company letterhead including the ABN, signed and dated by the employer, with a contact number.

Compliance Check in Ambition

This is a more detailed, Ambition-specific pass to run before a file is finalised:

  • Confirm the purchase price and deposits in Ambition match the tax invoice.
  • Documents tab > Signed Documents > Customer Signature — confirm the Privacy Consent form and Credit Guide & Quote are both present and dated prior to loan submission.
  • Lender Submission Credit Proposal — if the deal came from a referral partner, check the bottom of page 2 to confirm the referral fee has been declared to the dealer/referrer.
  • Preliminary Assessment — confirm the proposed repayment is less than the preferred repayment declared in Ambition's financial details (with a file note explaining why if higher), and that the assessment shows a surplus.
  • Equifax credit check — confirm the applicant's current address is listed; that open liabilities are listed on the application with matching balances (or noted if not); and that any credit enquiries have a file note or are listed as a liability.
  • Medicare — cross-reference the Medicare card against marital status and children quoted — if it differs, check for a file note explaining why.
  • Bank statements — if held on file, cross-reference general living expenses against what's quoted in the Expenses section.
  • Income — confirm there's a PAYG summary on file showing the lower of YTD or pay-period average, with a file note if the Ambition figure differs. If a non-signing spouse has a payslip, confirm there's a PAYG for them too.
  • Compliance docs (consumer loans only) — confirm the signed Ambition application form and objectives declaration are on file. Rename the file type to "Compliance" to move it into Internal Documents, then rename the file to "Compliance docs".
  • Insurance Certificate of Currency — confirm it's on file and notes the financier as the credit provider.
  • Final Loan Summary — confirm the loan repayment matches the contract and is under the client's objective (with a file note if higher), and that the interest rate and Net Amount Financed both match the contract.
Audit documents you should have on file: PAYG for applicant and spouse, income & credit file analysis report, signed loan contract, compliance docs (consumer loans only), insurance Certificate of Currency, lender submission credit proposal, Equifax report, Credit Guide & Quote, and Privacy Consent.

Running Lender Comparisons

The main components to weigh when selecting a lender:

  • A) Credit score — if one score is strong while others aren't, look for lenders who score off that one (e.g. Allied, Branded and ACL take the Veda 1.1 score).
  • B) Adverse credit — late payments in the last 3 months, defaults (outstanding or paid), court judgements, bankruptcy.
  • C) Number of enquiries — prime lenders generally won't like anything beyond 3rd string. Any payday lender enquiries, and how recent?
  • D) Length of employment — full-time, part-time or casual, and how long — is there continuity?
  • E) The vehicle — age, desired term (age can affect available term), and LVR — a high LVR may still be possible with a reasonable exception explanation.
  • F) Capacity — if partner income is needed to offset GLE/rent/mortgage, which lenders allow this split?
  • G) Loan features — fast turnaround needs (e.g. under 24 hours — Autopay), no early termination fees, or specific loan terms (some lenders only offer 3, 5 or 7 years).
  • H) Bank statements (if available) — wage advances, days in negative, dishonoured payments, account clearing.
There will be complex cases outside usual lending criteria that need closer workshopping with lenders directly — use the consumer lending guidelines whenever in doubt. Even on a straightforward deal, if you're unsure about something, it's always worth calling the lender's BDM before submitting.
Part Six

The Loan Process: Submission to Settlement

The full end-to-end checklist from submission through to settlement, broken into four stages. Tick items off as you work through a file.

Submission → Settlement Checklist

1. Submission

0 / 0

2. Approval

0 / 0

3. Document Preparation

0 / 0

4. Settlement

0 / 0

Application Self-Audit Checklist

This is a final compliance check — run through it once a file has been through submission, approval, document preparation and settlement, to make sure nothing's been missed.

Application processing stage

0 / 0

Settlement processing stage

0 / 0
Part Seven

Reference Documents & Further Resources

The following are kept as separate, regularly-updated reference documents rather than reproduced here in full — they're too detailed and too frequently updated to sit inside a static manual. New employees should be given access to these alongside this handbook.

DocumentWhat it coversWhere to find it
Lender AccreditationsThe full list of lenders LoanHaus works with, how to get accredited with each, who's responsible, and links to each lender portal.Accreditations.docx — shared drive
Lender Doc Prep & Settlement RequirementsA lender-by-lender breakdown of exactly what's needed to generate documents and settle a deal.Contract & Settlement Processes.docx — shared drive, and the Doc Prep & Settlement Assistant tool
AI Lender Guidelines ToolSearchable lender policy guidelines, editable by admins.Shared drive — HTML tool
Fintelligence Loan Writer Information FormPersonal details, supporting documentation and declaration required for Fintelligence accreditation.Fintelligence Loan Writer Information Form.pdf — shared drive
Fintelligence Broker Accreditation Requirements FormNominating which consumer lenders, commercial lenders and insurers you need accreditation with.Fintelligence Broker Accreditation Requirements Form.pdf — shared drive
Comms RegisterFull steps for recording settled deals, completing the monthly settlement report, and setting up a new register each year.Paperport > Sandra_backup > Comms Register
Income / Credit File / LVR / Bank Statement Report TemplateThe working template used to record income & expenses, credit file details, vehicle valuation and bank statement checks for each application.Shared drive
3CX Quick Reference GuideFull quick-reference guide for the 3CX phone system — apps, deskphone, voicemail, conferencing.Shared drive — 3CX_reference_guide.pdf, and 3cx.com/user-manual
Doc Preparation — Lender Requirements & ProcessLender-by-lender, click-through steps for generating documents and progressing settlement in each lender's own system.DOC_PREPARATION_-_LENDER_REQUIREMENTS_AND_PROCESS.xlsx — shared drive
These should be kept up to date as lender panels, requirements and contacts change — check with Sandra if anything looks out of date.