Liberty Financial

Liberty's home loan range covers low rate, flexible, low deposit, low doc, fresh start and debt consolidation home loans, with investment property options as well. Its flexible home loan lets borrowers choose a fixed or variable rate, includes a 100% offset facility, and lends from $50,000 to $10 million, subject to LVR and postcode restrictions. The low deposit home loan allows borrowing of up to 95% of the property purchase price and accepts gifted deposits.

For vehicles, Liberty lists flexible, low doc, fresh start and business car loans, plus loans for new and used caravans. Its flexible car loan runs from $5,000 to $100,000 over 2 to 7 years, and applicants under 23 can borrow up to $25,000. Liberty also offers secured and unsecured personal loans from $5,000 to $80,000 over 3, 5 or 7 years.

Business borrowers can choose secured, low doc or flexible business loans of up to $2 million, or a business line of credit. The flexible business loan needs no mortgage security and runs for up to 5 years, while secured business loans run for up to 30 years. Liberty also offers residential and commercial SMSF loans.

Liberty says its home loans cater for borrowers who are self-employed, have poor credit or have a low deposit. Its low doc home loan can use alternative documents such as bank statements, BAS statements or an accountant's declaration, and lends up to 85% of the purchase price. The fresh start home loan considers paid and unpaid defaults, mortgage arrears and past bankruptcy.

Fresh start car loans are aimed at borrowers who have had defaults, bankruptcy or financial hardship, and at younger borrowers or new migrants with little or no credit history. Low doc car loans let self-employed borrowers verify income with BAS or bank statements instead of annual tax returns, including people running a new business. Start-up businesses can borrow up to $50,000, and borrowers not registered for GST up to $35,000.

To apply for a Liberty personal loan you must be over 18 and an Australian citizen or permanent resident living in Australia. You also need to be employed and earn at least $20,000 a year, and most of that income cannot come from Government benefits.

Liberty takes personal loan applications online, and says you can see a personalised rate in under two minutes without affecting your credit score. Submitting a full application leads to a full credit enquiry, which other credit providers can see.

For home, car, business, commercial and SMSF loans, Liberty asks applicants to contact a local Liberty Adviser, which it describes as a mortgage broker with access to a range of lending options. Home buyers can also use Liberty's online indicative pre-approval tool, although pre-approval does not guarantee a loan. Liberty's broker competition terms show that it also accredits brokers.

Liberty was established in 1997 in the Australian residential mortgage market, and later expanded into motor finance, commercial mortgages, personal loans, business loans, broking services and general insurance. Liberty Financial Group, which lists liberty.com.au among its group websites, is listed on the ASX under the code LFG and has its registered office in Melbourne.

The liberty.com.au footer names Liberty Financial Pty Ltd (Australian Credit Licence 286596) and its wholly owned subsidiary Liberty Network Services Pty Ltd (Australian Credit Licence 408042). Liberty's disclosure pages also state that credit is provided by Secure Funding Pty Ltd (Australian Credit Licence 388133), with both companies trading as Liberty Financial.