After the central bank hiked rates to an 18-year high this week, everyone is asking: Where do we go from here?

Join host Annie Kane and senior journalist Charlie Tchetchenian as they review the biggest news of the week across mortgages and finance broking. They break down the rationale behind the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) move to increase the cash rate to 4.85 per cent, the industry's reaction to it, and why the central bank is less optimistic for the economy in the years ahead.

They also examine the fastest national home price decline in 40 years, the marked shift in proprietary lending at the major banks, and how agentic AI is transforming broker productivity at Lendi Group.

This week, they discuss:

• Why the RBA pushed the cash rate to 4.85 per cent.
• What the RBA, the market, and economists expect will happen next.
• Why Westpac and NAB are pushing further into proprietary lending.

And much more!

From new business owners to established operators, sole traders can face barriers accessing finance for essential business vehicles and equipment.

In this episode of In Focus, Latitude Financial Services head of broker – NSW/ACT & WA Amy Stachow and broker capability manager Nina Griffith discuss the lender's new commercial motor loan, the opportunities it presents for sole traders and how brokers can identify potential business within their existing client base.

Tune in to hear:

• Which vehicles and specialist equipment the loan can finance.
• How brokers can identify commercial opportunities within their existing client base.
• How low-doc options and flexible eligibility criteria support borrowers without traditional asset backing or extensive financial records.

And much more!

Are mortgage brokers sitting on a goldmine of data they don't even realise they have? With artificial intelligence rapidly moving from a tech buzzword into everyday broking operations, knowing where to start without losing the vital personal touch can make or break a modern brokerage.

The Adviser's commercial content writer Ben Squires speaks with Russell Easter, director at Digital Brief and featured speaker at the upcoming Finance360 roadshow, to break down how brokers can streamline routine administration, unlock repeat business from existing databases, and stay front of mind with clients.

From setting proactive post-settlement touchpoints to understanding why large language models follow the same fundamental rules as classic search engines, this discussion cuts through the hype to focus on practical, actionable digital strategy for growing firms.

Tune in to find out:

• How brokers can use simple client data like dates of birth to uncover new lending opportunities
• Why maintaining human trust and diligent proofing matters when deploying generative content
• How to get ranked in AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini using search engine optimisation principles

And much more!