It goes without saying that large and small businesses alike are facing unprecedented challenges in the current environment. Brokers are certainly well-versed in how to hand tough times. What we know from those times is that where there are challenges there are invariably opportunities. Sometimes it's

Words of advice for mortgage brokers and planners from an eternal optimist, TrailBlazer Finance Managing Director, Jeff Zulman I am a person who thrives on stress. This is often much to the ire of my wife and family – work and otherwise. However, there are certainly

We are a small business who serves small businesses. We were founded for that purpose and have been doing so for almost a decade, and so we recognise the importance of being agile and responsive through the cycles. We currently find ourselves in a time of

I started my year with a scary experience. Whilst ocean swimming early one morning with friends beyond the breakers, I lost my form - and then my nerve. With my friends out of sight and shouting range, I decided to make my way back to the

In our business, we often get enquiries from people who think we deal in second-hand literary books. At TrailBlazer Finance, we actually buy, sell and lend against trail books – which are not even close to story books. But these mistaken phone calls to our office

A pinball machine sits in the reception of our offices. For stress relief, I am rather partial to the occasional game. It struck me that pinball is an ideal metaphor for mortgage broking: brokers are like the ball - constantly being bumped around at the whim

The Royal Commission was charged with uncovering misconduct in the banking and wider financial services industry. The major banks were intended to be the primary target of the investigations. Instead, it seems the innocent bystander – the mortgage broker – stands accused. Not of wrongdoing, but

Within hours of the Hayne Royal commission’s final report being handed down, I was inundated with calls from clients and interested parties, all of the mortgage brokers. Although their words were different, there was a common theme: “Should I be worried? What has happened to the

The boutique financial service and niche lender, TrailBlazer Finance has just announced an innovative new product for clients looking to procure a loan to fund their businesses ongoing cashflow needs. Dubbed the “Multi-Redraw Facility”or “MRF”, this new financing option allows business clients to lock in a

In the highly competitive financial planning sector, it is critical that advisors strive for excellence if they wish to stand out as providing a top-tier service. Brilliant planners- those who offer sound advice and consistently outperform their competitors- tend to share several smart practices that contribute