The non-bank lender — a division of global alternative asset management firm MA Financial — surpassed more than $500 million in settlements in November, up from $486 million in October, and the highest settlement volume the business has had in a single month ever.
"This achievement caps off a standout period of growth and continued momentum across 2025 and follows a series of significant announcements and investments in MA Money’s lending capability,” MA Money National Sales Manager Tim Lemon (pictured above) told Australian Broker.
Now, the three-year-old non-bank has its sights set on $1 billion in settlements in a single month.
But first, Lemon reflected on an incredibly strong year for the brand, capped off by November's growth. Settlement volumes rose steadily each month in 2025, starting at $224 million in January, Lemon said. "And it's continuously climbed month-on-month into the latter part of the year. That consistency in growth has been a key highlight for us."
MA Money has certainly kept busy. In November, the non-bank refreshed its product suite with alternative lending options, including the launch of MA Money More, which offers larger loan options, as well as updated alt doc commercial lending. The firm went from $3 billion in loans under management in May, to approximately $4.5 billion as of November. And in August, it rolled out ApplyOnline, streamlining the application process for brokers and boosting overall efficiency.
MA Money also hired former RedZed BDM Craig Stuart in September as its head of commercial, in anticipation of rolling out new commercial loan products, and underscoring the firm's leap from residential into specialty finance and commercial markets.
"That's huge for us. For a business so young to be able to launch from residential to bridging to commercial, it's definitely an advancement," Lemon said during an industry event at MA Money's Sydney headquarters Thursday night. "And the reason why we moved so quickly on that was broker feedback."
The executive added that the non-bank's success can also partly be attributed to the growing momentum in Australia's loan and property markets this year, including easing monetary policy, government schemes that have encouraged borrowers to enter the market, a growing number of borrowers who don’t meet traditional bank criteria and a rising appetite among small businesses to expand.
He added that at MA Money specifically, "strong broker relationships, consistent service levels and competitive pricing across our product suite" have helped.
"On the demand side, the three Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) rate reductions this year have supported customer confidence, particularly for borrowers looking to refinance, consolidate debt or purchase their next residential or commercial property," Lemon said. "We’re seeing balanced momentum across both prime and specialist segments.
"We're continuing to invest in technology, products and people to make the lending process simpler, faster and more reliable for brokers," he added.
But the opportunities aren't reserved for lenders. Lemon said mortgage and finance brokers who diversify and can help clients with multiple needs are well-positioned to capitalize on the current market momentum.
"Brokers who broaden their offering into commercial, bridging, self-managed-super funds (SMSFs), and high-net-worth lending will be best placed to capture growth in 2026," he explained. "We’re seeing increasing demand for larger, more complex transactions, especially in the prestige residential market. Our new MA Money More product, offering loans of up to $15 million, is designed specifically to support brokers working with high-net-worth clients and higher-value properties. Brokers who are already active in these segments are positioning themselves ahead of the curve, and we expect that momentum to continue."
Next year, Lemon said MA Money will double down on this year’s products and initiatives while ramping up its investment in technology. He called MA Money More "the most exciting path for us in 2026. It will give us a lot more flexibility than what we've seen in the past."
On product innovation, he said "we're really trying to double down on resi, commercial and MA Money More, trying to look for more opportunities to say yes. I know construction [solutions] are ones that everyone has talked about a lot. But I don't think our business is ready to launch a successful construction product. But for now, I think we can get really good at resi, commercial and bridging."
He added that technology will remain a major focus. "Being able to maintain that two-day SLA has been impressive with the growth. The only way we can do that again next year is really focusing on tech. So we'll be spending a lot more money on how to get more productivity from our underwriters. In return, getting you a bigger approval."
