Brett McKeon

Australian Finance Group is hardly a household name, so it may surprise some readers to learn it is one of the top players in the home loans market.

THE rapid growth in housing lending has been great news for Australian Finance Group, which has a hand in nearly 10 per cent of all new housing loans across the country.

With interest rates at their lowest levels in 20 years, the Australian mortgage market has never been healthier. But as rates have begun to climb this year, the number of new loan approvals is diminishing.

Western Australia has 23 nominees in the field of 108 competing for the Ernst & Young Australian Entrepreneur of the Year 2006.

Competition in the housing loans market is being bolstered by a revival of wholesale funding, with Australian Finance Group re-launching its securitisation business and Police & Nurses Credit Society launching its first-ever issue of mortgage-backed secur

AFG spent close to $1 million preparing to list on the ASX in 2007, but held off as the financial storm clouds gathered on the horizon.Within months the world was in the grip of the biggest economic crisis since The Great Depression.

The head of West Perth-headquartered AFG has moved to quash rumours regarding the possible sale of the mortgage broker by offering a $10,000 reward for a successful defamation case against the person responsible for the "damaging gossip".

WA financial services company AFG has grown over 20 years to become a major player in the national home loans market and aims to get bigger.

Mortgage broking wholesaler Australian Finance Group is set for a record run into Christmas, with expectations its new loan applications will soar beyond $5 billion as early as this month.

Mortgage broker AFG has reached a milestone with a loan book of $100 billion.

Shareholders in Australian Finance Group are planning a major sell-down of their stakes in the Perth-based mortgage provider as part of a $140 million initial public offering launched today.

Australian Finance Group has beaten its forecasts and lodged a net profit of $19.3 million, with the Perth-based company solidifying its status as the nation’s biggest mortgage company.

SPECIAL REPORT: Livestock exporter Wellard has had a rocky start to life as a listed company after completing Western Australia’s second-largest capital raising of 2015, and the state’s sixth-largest initial public offerings of all time. Wellard’s $299 million IPO was one of the few high points of 2015, when a lack of mining deals led a sharp slide in overall capital raising activity.

Mortgage broking wholesaler Australian Finance Group has continued its growth run with an increase in profit for the six months to December.

Mortgage broking wholesaler Australian Finance Group has upgraded its profit outlook for the 2016 financial year on the back of continued growth.

Changes at Amana Living’s helm highlight the different circumstances facing each sector of the economy.

Australian Finance Group chief executive Brett McKeon will step aside after 23 years at the helm of the mortgage broker, after leading the company from its founding to an IPO in 2015 and winning the 2006 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for WA.