Australian mortgage brokers look set to play an even bigger role in 2026 as borrowers grapple with cost-of-living pressure, data security fears and confusion about financial decisions.
Wisr’s new Money on Your Mind Report, which surveyed more than 2,700 consumers and brokers, shows financial confidence is rising, but so are expectations of what good advice and service look like.
The research shows financial confidence is rising: 84% of consumers were confident going into 2026, up from 80% a year earlier, and 56% felt extremely confident. Around 77% said they made some financial progress in 2025.
But that confidence is tempered by persistent pressure on household budgets. Both consumers and brokers ranked the rising cost of living as the number one barrier to financial progress, ahead of existing debt, income not matching expenses and the cost of rent or mortgages. Many respondents said they feel like they’re doing the right things financially, but their income hasn’t kept up with expenses.
For most Australians, progress in 2026 means going back to basics.
One in three nominated building savings as their top financial goal, while one in four put clearing debts first. Brokers see strong demand for help: 93% believe Australians are looking to brokers to help them reach their personal and financial goals.
However, the report highlights a widening knowledge and complexity gap.
Wisr found 72% of consumers had avoided making financial decisions at some point because the information felt too complex.
The top roadblocks were making decisions without enough information, having too many accounts to manage and a lack of clear information. Investment options, cryptocurrency, and tax and deductions ranked among the most confusing topics.
A consumer respondent summed up the sentiment: “More financially viable access to financial advice [would make managing finances easier].”
When choosing a financial institution, trust now outranks headline pricing.
A quarter of Aussies (26%) said trust in the financial institution was the most important factor, ahead of the lowest rates and fees (19%). The report also found that “82% of consumers” and “85% of brokers” agree Australians are looking for more than just the cheapest rate.
Brokers are at the centre of that shift. Wisr reports that 61% of Aussies surveyed chose their loan provider because they were working with a broker, and more than half of those (53%) did so for broker expertise.
Technology is reshaping expectations, but not replacing humans.
Banking apps were rated the most useful money tool, yet only 3% of consumers saw AI-powered tools for finance as useful. In fact, 57% said they wouldn’t trust their financial institution to keep their data safe via AI, and nearly half reported low confidence in AI for financial assistance.
Even so, two in three brokers are already leveraging AI, and 97% said speed and efficiency will continue to grow in importance for clients.
As one broker respondent observed, “Transparency and education around the products being financed has seen a large amount of clients in the know on what products allow them different features.”
For Aussie mortgage brokers, the opportunity in 2026 is clear: combine digital efficiency with human oversight, plain-English education and a strong trust proposition to capture the growing cohort of money-on-the-mind borrowers juggling rising repayments, tighter budgets and tougher choices.
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