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Australia’s flagship broking roadshow lands at a pivotal moment: competition is intensifying across residential, commercial and specialist finance, customer acquisition is dominated by a handful of digital gateways, and AI adoption is moving from curiosity to capability. The Better Business Summit 2026 puts practical AI and scale mechanics on stage—most notably through demonstrations led by Bluewire Media’s marketing and AI coach Adam Franklin—signalling where growth-minded brokerages will invest next. With Australia’s AI ecosystem still wrestling with commercialisation gaps, the event doubles as a readiness check for leaders who want to turn point solutions into repeatable ROI. Here’s what matters, what to build, and how to win.

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• Yes

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Australia’s flagship broking roadshow lands at a pivotal moment: competition is intensifying across residential, commercial and specialist finance, customer acquisition is dominated by a handful of digital gateways, and AI adoption is moving from curiosity to capability. The Better Business Summit 2026 puts practical AI and scale mechanics on stage—most notably through demonstrations led by Bluewire Media’s marketing and AI coach Adam Franklin—signalling where growth-minded brokerages will invest next. With Australia’s AI ecosystem still wrestling with commercialisation gaps, the event doubles as a readiness check for leaders who want to turn point solutions into repeatable ROI. Here’s what matters, what to build, and how to win.

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Australia’s flagship broking roadshow lands at a pivotal moment: competition is intensifying across residential, commercial and specialist finance, customer acquisition is dominated by a handful of digital gateways, and AI adoption is moving from curiosity to capability. The Better Business Summit 2026 puts practical AI and scale mechanics on stage—most notably through demonstrations led by Bluewire Media’s marketing and AI coach Adam Franklin—signalling where growth-minded brokerages will invest next. With Australia’s AI ecosystem still wrestling with commercialisation gaps, the event doubles as a readiness check for leaders who want to turn point solutions into repeatable ROI. Here’s what matters, what to build, and how to win.

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ANZ has tightened credit settings for home loans where the borrowing entity is a company — a narrow policy change with broad commercial consequences. It signals a shift in risk appetite across mortgages that intersect with business structures, following similar moves by competitors. Expect higher friction, slower approvals and a capital reallocation towards lower-risk segments. For agile lenders and borrowers, however, this is an opportunity to differentiate on data, governance and execution.

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ANZ has tightened credit settings for home loans where the borrowing entity is a company — a narrow policy change with broad commercial consequences. It signals a shift in risk appetite across mortgages that intersect with business structures, following similar moves by competitors. Expect higher friction, slower approvals and a capital reallocation towards lower-risk segments. For agile lenders and borrowers, however, this is an opportunity to differentiate on data, governance and execution.

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ANZ has tightened credit settings for home loans where the borrowing entity is a company — a narrow policy change with broad commercial consequences. It signals a shift in risk appetite across mortgages that intersect with business structures, following similar moves by competitors. Expect higher friction, slower approvals and a capital reallocation towards lower-risk segments. For agile lenders and borrowers, however, this is an opportunity to differentiate on data, governance and execution.

" ["publish_date"]=> string(19) "2026-01-14 22:10:45" ["image"]=> string(131) "https://res.cloudinary.com/momentum-media-group-pty-ltd/image/upload/v1768867346/pexels-leyvaine-davids-1224798-34083204_rdirhv.jpg" ["image_alt"]=> string(112) "ANZ’s company-borrower mortgage clampdown: a risk reset with wide spillovers for SMEs, investors and non-banks" } [2]=> object(stdClass)#927 (38) { ["type_alias"]=> string(19) "com_content.article" ["content_item_id"]=> int(19898) ["core_content_id"]=> int(6469) ["match_count"]=> int(1) ["tag_date"]=> string(19) "2026-01-19 23:58:43" ["core_title"]=> string(107) "Higher-for-longer, on purpose: How Australian CFOs are resetting playbooks after the RBA’s hawkish signal" ["core_params"]=> object(Joomla\Registry\Registry)#1716 (3) { ["data":protected]=> object(stdClass)#1781 (28) { ["article_layout"]=> string(0) "" ["show_title"]=> string(0) "" ["link_titles"]=> string(0) "" ["show_tags"]=> string(0) "" ["show_intro"]=> string(0) "" ["info_block_position"]=> string(0) "" ["info_block_show_title"]=> string(0) "" ["show_category"]=> string(0) "" ["link_category"]=> string(0) "" ["show_parent_category"]=> string(0) "" ["link_parent_category"]=> string(0) "" ["show_author"]=> string(0) "" ["link_author"]=> string(0) "" ["show_create_date"]=> string(0) "" ["show_modify_date"]=> string(0) "" ["show_publish_date"]=> string(0) "" ["show_item_navigation"]=> string(0) "" ["show_hits"]=> string(0) "" ["show_noauth"]=> string(0) "" ["urls_position"]=> string(0) "" ["alternative_readmore"]=> string(0) "" ["article_page_title"]=> string(0) "" ["show_publishing_options"]=> string(0) "" ["show_article_options"]=> string(0) "" ["show_urls_images_backend"]=> string(0) "" ["show_urls_images_frontend"]=> string(0) "" ["readingDiff"]=> string(1) "3" ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["initialized":protected]=> bool(true) ["separator":protected]=> string(1) "." } ["core_alias"]=> string(102) "higher-for-longer-on-purpose-how-australian-cfos-are-resetting-playbooks-after-the-rbas-hawkish-signal" ["core_body"]=> string(573) "

The Reserve Bank’s deputy governor has firmly pushed back on near-term rate cut hopes, despite softer headline inflation. For executives, that’s not a macro footnote; it’s a new operating baseline. This case study maps how leading finance teams are recasting capital allocation, pricing, and liquidity under a ‘higher-for-longer’ regime—backed by scenario math, treasury tactics, and governance. It also shows where early movers are creating competitive advantage while others wait for a cut that may take longer than markets expect.

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• Yes

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The Reserve Bank’s deputy governor has firmly pushed back on near-term rate cut hopes, despite softer headline inflation. For executives, that’s not a macro footnote; it’s a new operating baseline. This case study maps how leading finance teams are recasting capital allocation, pricing, and liquidity under a ‘higher-for-longer’ regime—backed by scenario math, treasury tactics, and governance. It also shows where early movers are creating competitive advantage while others wait for a cut that may take longer than markets expect.

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The Reserve Bank’s deputy governor has firmly pushed back on near-term rate cut hopes, despite softer headline inflation. For executives, that’s not a macro footnote; it’s a new operating baseline. This case study maps how leading finance teams are recasting capital allocation, pricing, and liquidity under a ‘higher-for-longer’ regime—backed by scenario math, treasury tactics, and governance. It also shows where early movers are creating competitive advantage while others wait for a cut that may take longer than markets expect.

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Headline inflation easing is good optics; balance sheets feel something different. With year‑on‑year CPI down to 3.4% in November from 3.8%, hopes for rate relief are rising — but policymakers remain wary and markets are split. The practical question for executives isn’t whether rates move next month, but how to price, fund, and invest through a sticky services cycle and a cautious Reserve Bank. Here’s the playbook leaders are using to protect margins and seize advantage while the rate‑rise spectre lingers.

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• Yes

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Headline inflation easing is good optics; balance sheets feel something different. With year‑on‑year CPI down to 3.4% in November from 3.8%, hopes for rate relief are rising — but policymakers remain wary and markets are split. The practical question for executives isn’t whether rates move next month, but how to price, fund, and invest through a sticky services cycle and a cautious Reserve Bank. Here’s the playbook leaders are using to protect margins and seize advantage while the rate‑rise spectre lingers.

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Headline inflation easing is good optics; balance sheets feel something different. With year‑on‑year CPI down to 3.4% in November from 3.8%, hopes for rate relief are rising — but policymakers remain wary and markets are split. The practical question for executives isn’t whether rates move next month, but how to price, fund, and invest through a sticky services cycle and a cautious Reserve Bank. Here’s the playbook leaders are using to protect margins and seize advantage while the rate‑rise spectre lingers.

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Australian borrowers are breathing a little easier, with mortgage stress at its lowest point since early 2023. The reprieve narrows near‑term credit risk and steadies household spending, but underlying fragilities remain as arrears edge up and rates could still move. Smart leaders will use the breathing room to reprice risk, tune capital allocation, and build analytics muscle before the cycle turns.

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Australian borrowers are breathing a little easier, with mortgage stress at its lowest point since early 2023. The reprieve narrows near‑term credit risk and steadies household spending, but underlying fragilities remain as arrears edge up and rates could still move. Smart leaders will use the breathing room to reprice risk, tune capital allocation, and build analytics muscle before the cycle turns.

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Australian borrowers are breathing a little easier, with mortgage stress at its lowest point since early 2023. The reprieve narrows near‑term credit risk and steadies household spending, but underlying fragilities remain as arrears edge up and rates could still move. Smart leaders will use the breathing room to reprice risk, tune capital allocation, and build analytics muscle before the cycle turns.

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Australia’s headline CPI edged down to 3.4% year-on-year in November, from 3.8%, easing immediate pressure but not eliminating the risk of further tightening. With services inflation sticky and labour-market signals mixed, policy remains data-dependent. The strategic play for executives: run dual scenarios for a prolonged plateau versus a late-cycle hike while selectively unlocking investments that boost productivity and pricing power. The winners will reallocate capital with discipline and speed before the next policy inflection.

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Australia’s headline CPI edged down to 3.4% year-on-year in November, from 3.8%, easing immediate pressure but not eliminating the risk of further tightening. With services inflation sticky and labour-market signals mixed, policy remains data-dependent. The strategic play for executives: run dual scenarios for a prolonged plateau versus a late-cycle hike while selectively unlocking investments that boost productivity and pricing power. The winners will reallocate capital with discipline and speed before the next policy inflection.

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Australia’s headline CPI edged down to 3.4% year-on-year in November, from 3.8%, easing immediate pressure but not eliminating the risk of further tightening. With services inflation sticky and labour-market signals mixed, policy remains data-dependent. The strategic play for executives: run dual scenarios for a prolonged plateau versus a late-cycle hike while selectively unlocking investments that boost productivity and pricing power. The winners will reallocate capital with discipline and speed before the next policy inflection.

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