When your scenario needs a lender with a different credit model.
- Funding available within 2 business days on short-term facilities
- Loans from $20K to $10M, secured against residential or commercial property
- Business owners, company directors, and borrowers whose scenario sits outside standard policy
- Complex structures, unusual security, and recently changed income considered
- No-doc and low-doc or alt-doc options (BAS, bank statements or an accountant's letter instead of tax returns), assessed on security and a credible exit
Non-bank lenders are funded and regulated differently to banks, which lets them assess a file differently. Instead of a standardised credit policy applied uniformly, they can weigh the security, the exit, and the trading account, and make a judgement on a scenario that does not fit a template. That flexibility is priced: non-bank rates sit above bank rates, and the trade-off is usually documentation and speed against cost. Settled With Joe arranges non-bank commercial lending across a large panel, and Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly and quickly what is achievable, and will show you any bank option alongside the non-bank one.
Who we can help access finance
- Self-employed borrowers and ABN holders who cannot produce two years of tax returns but have a strong trading account.
- Businesses that need funding this week, where a standard assessment timeline does not fit the deadline.
- Borrowers with an ATO debt, past defaults, or arrears that sit outside standard credit policy.
- Owners with strong property equity but complex or recently changed income.
- Developers and builders needing reduced presale requirements or a higher loan to cost.
- Buyers of specialised property that mainstream lenders will not fund at a workable loan-to-value ratio (LVR), the loan as a share of the property's value.
- Businesses in industries that standard credit policy treats cautiously despite trading well.
- Anyone who has been told their scenario does not fit, and wants to know which lenders assess differently.
How Non-Bank Lending Works
Non-bank lenders raise their funding from wholesale markets, institutional investors, or their own balance sheet rather than from retail deposits. Because they are not authorised deposit-taking institutions they operate under a different regulatory framework, which is what gives them room to assess a file on its merits. In practice that means shorter assessment timelines, more weight on the security and the exit, genuine low-doc and alt-doc pathways, and appetite for property types and industries that sit outside mainstream policy. Loans are documented and usually secured. Joseph Farhat and his team review your scenario, match it to the right lender from the 90+ panel, and manage the application through to settlement.
What Non-Bank Lenders Assess
- The security: property type, location, and equity available carry more weight than they do in a standard bank assessment.
- The exit: how the facility gets repaid, whether that is a sale, a refinance to a bank, or the completion of a project. A credible exit can carry a file that would otherwise struggle.
- Trading account conduct: recent bank statements showing consistent deposits often matter more than historical financials.
- The story: why the scenario looks the way it does. A difficult year with a clear explanation is assessed very differently to an unexplained pattern.
- Documentation available: full financials open up the sharpest non-bank pricing. BAS, bank statements, or an accountant declaration open up alt-doc and low-doc pathways at a higher rate.
- Serviceability, tested with buffers appropriate to the product rather than a single standardised assessment rate.
- Timeframe: many non-bank lenders price and structure specifically for speed, and will tell you early whether your deadline is realistic.
The Non-Bank Lending Process: What to Expect
- Talk to Joseph Farhat and his team about the scenario, the security, and the timeframe. You will get an honest read on what is achievable, with any bank option shown alongside the non-bank one.
- Provide the basics: recent business bank statements, details of the security and any existing debt, and whatever financials you have. Full financials are often not required.
- We match your scenario to the lenders on the panel whose credit model actually fits it, rather than testing it against several. Every application is recorded as an enquiry on your credit file, so this step matters.
- The lender assesses the file and issues an approval setting out the rate, term, LVR, fees, and any conditions. We go through it with you, including the total cost and the exit, before you sign anything.
- Settlement takes place and the facility begins. Where the plan is to refinance to a bank once the position is stronger, we set that up as a deliberate next step rather than leaving you on a non-bank rate indefinitely.
Indicative Finance Options
| Lender Type | Indicative Rate | Max LVR | Typical Loan Range | Loan Term | Speed to Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | From ~6.75% p.a. | Up to 80% | $100K to $10M | 1 to 30 years | 3 to 8 weeks |
| Non-Bank Lenders | From ~8.5% p.a. | Up to 75% | $20K to $10M | 3 months to 30 years | Within 2 business days |
| Private Finance | From ~1.1% per month | Up to 70% | $100K to $10M | 1 to 24 months | Available for unique scenarios |
Indicative figures only. Actual rates and terms depend on your project, financial position, property location, and lender assessment at the time of application. Rates are subject to change.
A note on private finance
Private finance sits beyond the non-bank market. It is funded by individuals, family offices, and small mortgage funds rather than institutions, and it is used for genuinely unique scenarios: very short timeframes, unusual security, or structures that no institutional lender will consider. Rates are quoted monthly and sit well above non-bank pricing, and terms are short. It is factual market context rather than a recommendation. For unique scenarios where bank and non-bank lenders are not the right fit, we can introduce you to private finance options. Joseph Farhat and his team will always look at bank and non-bank solutions first.
Why borrowers choose Settled With Joe for non-bank lending
We represent you, not the lender
Joseph Farhat and his team act in your interest from the first conversation through to settlement.
Non-bank is not one market
policies differ enormously between lenders, and the right match is what turns a difficult scenario into a straightforward approval.
We show you bank options too
non-bank funding costs more, so where a bank will fund the file, you will see that option alongside the non-bank one.
One conversation, not five applications
scenarios that sit outside standard policy are the ones where a string of credit enquiries on your file matters most.
90+ lenders on one panel
bank, non-bank, and specialist, assessed together rather than one at a time.
We plan the exit from the start
where the intention is to refinance to a bank once the position is stronger, that becomes a deliberate step rather than an afterthought.
No judgement
a tax debt, a default, or a year that went badly is a circumstance to work with, not something to explain away.
Private finance for unique scenarios
where bank and non-bank lenders are not the right fit, we can introduce you to private finance options.
Usually no direct cost to you
as a broker we are typically paid by the lender on settlement.
An honest answer early
tell us the deadline and the difficulty, and we will tell you what is realistically achievable.
Frequently asked questions
What is a non-bank lender?
A non-bank lender provides loans but does not hold an authorised deposit-taking institution licence, so it does not fund itself from retail deposits. Funding comes instead from wholesale markets, institutional investors, or its own balance sheet. Because it operates under a different regulatory framework, it can apply its own credit assessment rather than a standardised policy. Loans are documented and usually secured, and many non-bank lenders are large, long-established businesses.
Why would I use a non-bank lender instead of a bank?
Usually for one of three reasons: documentation, speed, or a scenario that sits outside standard credit policy. Non-bank lenders offer genuine low-doc and alt-doc pathways, can assess and settle materially faster, and will consider security types, industries, and credit histories that mainstream policy treats cautiously. The trade-off is cost, since non-bank rates sit above bank rates. If a bank will fund you at a sharper rate on a timeline that works, we will show you that option alongside the non-bank one.
What does non-bank lending cost?
Non-bank commercial rates commonly start from around 8.5% per annum, against roughly 6.75% for equivalent bank lending. Beyond the rate, expect establishment fees, valuation and legal costs, and on some products a line fee or an early repayment cost. The right comparison is not the rate alone but the total cost over the period you actually intend to hold the facility, especially where the plan is to refinance to a bank later. Joseph Farhat and his team will set that out before you proceed.
How fast can a non-bank lender settle?
For straightforward scenarios with clean security, funding within 2 business days is achievable. Property-secured facilities take longer because a valuation is required, commonly one to three weeks. The binding constraint is usually the valuation and the legal work rather than the credit decision. Where you have a fixed deadline, tell us at the first conversation so the timeline can be built backwards from it.
Can I get non-bank lending with low-doc or no-doc?
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons borrowers come to this part of the market. Many non-bank lenders assess on BAS, business bank statements, or an accountant declaration rather than full financials. No-doc facilities exist on a shorter-term, lower-LVR basis where the security and exit are strong. The trade-off is consistent: less documentation means a higher rate or a lower LVR. Joseph Farhat and his team will lay out each path with the numbers so you can compare.
Do you work with borrowers with bad credit?
Yes, we do. Defaults, arrears, judgments, or a director with a mark on their personal file do not rule you out, and it is not something we will make you feel awkward about. This part of the market weighs the security, the exit, and recent trading alongside the credit file, and several lenders on our panel will price for the risk rather than decline it. Telling us early lets us approach the right lender first instead of adding enquiries to your file.
Is non-bank lending safe and regulated?
Non-bank lenders that offer consumer loans must hold an Australian Credit Licence. Business-purpose lending is regulated differently, and some commercial lenders are not licensed for consumer credit. They are not prudentially regulated by APRA, the banking regulator, because they do not take deposits. Read every loan contract carefully, and Joseph Farhat and his team will take you through the terms before you sign. Settled With Joe is a credit representative of a licensed aggregator and works within that framework.
Can I move to a bank later?
That is often the plan, and it is worth setting up deliberately rather than hoping. A non-bank facility used to settle quickly, clear a tax debt, or bridge a difficult period puts you in a position to refinance to a bank once the financials, the lodgements, or the credit file have recovered. We will tell you at the outset what needs to change before a bank will look at the file, and set the term of the non-bank facility with that in mind.
Why work with Settled With Joe to arrange non-bank lending?
Because non-bank is not one market, it is dozens of lenders with genuinely different credit models, and matching a scenario to the right one is the entire job. Most of the people we help here are self-employed business owners, company directors, and property owners whose position does not fit a standard template: a tax debt, a difficult year, complex income, unusual security, or a deadline measured in days. Those situations are not unusual to us and there is no judgement in the conversation. What matters is the security, the exit, and how the business is actually trading now. Where a bank will also fund the file, we will show you that option alongside the non-bank one, because non-bank funding costs more. Our panel covers 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders. We are based in Sydney and work with borrowers Australia-wide. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly and early whether we can help and what is realistically achievable in your timeframe.
Do you give financial advice?
No. We do not guide you on your finances, nor give financial advice. We focus on outcomes and solutions of presenting your unique scenario to the right lender so you can access funding in a timely and compliant manner.
Do you help with non-bank lending outside Sydney?
Yes. Settled With Joe is based in Sydney and arranges non-bank commercial lending Australia-wide, covering both metro and regional areas. We work with clients in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra, as well as regional areas including Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Toowoomba. Lender appetite and LVRs can vary by location, particularly for rural and specialised security. Joseph Farhat and his team will identify which lenders on the panel are the best fit for your scenario and timeframe.
