Hobart Loans exists to help Australians understand borrowing and prepare well. To do that responsibly, we need to be clear about the limits of what we provide. This Disclaimer explains how our content should, and should not, be used.
General information only
Everything published on hobartloans.com, including articles, guides, service pages, the glossary, the FAQ, checklists, calculators, worked examples and our newsletter, is general information. So is the guidance we give through our free loan-readiness review.
General information is not tailored to you. When we write it, we do not know your income, expenses, debts, assets, credit history, goals, risk tolerance, family situation or business circumstances, and we do not take them into account. Something that is a sensible approach for one reader may be unsuitable or even harmful for another.
Before acting on anything you read on our website, you should consider whether it is appropriate for your own objectives, financial situation and needs, read the relevant product disclosure documents and key facts sheets, and, where appropriate, get advice from a qualified professional.
No financial, legal, tax or credit advice
Hobart Loans does not provide:
- Personal financial advice or financial product advice. We do not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and do not recommend specific financial products to you.
- Credit assistance. We do not suggest that you apply for, or remain in, a particular credit contract with a particular lender, and we do not help you apply.
- Legal advice. Explanations of laws such as the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (Cth) and the National Credit Code are simplified summaries. For advice about your rights or obligations, speak to a lawyer or a community legal centre.
- Tax or accounting advice. References to tax deductions, GST, BAS or business structures are general. Check with the ATO, a registered tax agent or an accountant before relying on them.
Nothing on our website should be read as a statement that you will qualify for a loan, how much you can borrow, what rate you will be offered, or that a particular product is right for you. Those questions can only be answered by a licensed lender or broker after assessing your circumstances under responsible lending obligations.
No credit licence and our referral disclosure
Hobart Loans is not a lender and does not hold an Australian Credit Licence. We do not provide credit, and we do not act on behalf of any lender.
If, after reading our content or receiving free loan-readiness guidance, you want to pursue credit, we may refer you to a business that holds an Australian Credit Licence, such as a mortgage broker, finance broker or lender. We will only do this if you ask us to and give your consent. Before any referral, we will tell you:
- who we are referring you to;
- what information we will pass on to them; and
- whether we will receive a referral fee or commission, and, where known, how much or how it is calculated.
A referral fee is paid by the business we refer you to, not by you, but you should be aware of it because it is a potential conflict of interest. You are never obliged to accept a referral, and you are free to approach any lender or broker directly. A licensee you are referred to is responsible for its own advice, products and conduct, and is required to assess whether credit is suitable for you.
See our Services page for more about what the free review does and does not include.
Accuracy and currency of information
We work hard to make our content accurate, balanced and clearly explained. Our Editorial Policy describes how we research, source, review and correct our articles. Even so, we cannot guarantee that every piece of content is complete, error-free or current at the time you read it.
Finance moves quickly. In particular:
- Interest rates change, including when the Reserve Bank of Australia changes the cash rate and when lenders reprice their products independently.
- Lending policies change, including how lenders treat different kinds of income, expenses, deposits, security and credit history.
- Laws, regulations and regulator guidance change, as do tax rules and thresholds.
- Government schemes, grants and concessions, including their eligibility criteria and caps, are introduced, amended and closed.
For this reason, we generally avoid quoting current rates or scheme caps in our articles, and we date our content. Always check current figures, terms and eligibility directly with the lender, the product issuer or the relevant government source before you make a decision. If you spot an error, please tell us by emailing [email protected] with the subject "Correction".
Calculators and examples are illustrative
Our loan calculator and any other tools on the website provide estimates only. They rely on the figures you enter and on simplifying assumptions, and they typically do not account for every fee, charge, rate change, repayment frequency, rounding method, offset or redraw feature, insurance cost or tax consequence that may apply to a real loan.
Worked examples in our articles, such as "Example: a loan at an illustrative rate of ...", are included to show how something is calculated or how a concept works. The rates and amounts in examples are illustrative. They are not offers, they are not predictions, and they are not necessarily the rates available to you.
Calculator results and examples do not indicate that you will be approved for credit or what a lender will offer you. For an accurate figure, ask the credit provider for a written quote, the comparison rate and a key facts sheet, and read the credit contract before signing.
Third-party products and links
Our content may mention lenders, brokers, financial products, government programs and other organisations, and may link to external websites. These mentions and links are for information. Unless we expressly say otherwise, they are not endorsements or recommendations, and they do not mean a product is suitable for you or is the best option available.
We do not compare every product on the market, and we do not control the content, accuracy, availability or privacy practices of third-party websites. When you leave our website, the other organisation's terms and policies apply.
Advertising and sponsorship disclosure
Hobart Loans is free to read. We fund our publication through:
- advertising and sponsorship, as described on our Advertise here page; and
- possibly referral fees or commissions from Australian Credit Licence holders, which are only received where a reader has asked for and consented to a referral, and which we always disclose before the referral.
Sponsored content is always clearly labelled as sponsored, so you can tell it apart from our independent editorial content. Advertisements are provided by the advertiser, and the advertiser is responsible for its own claims and products. The presence of an advertisement or sponsorship on a page does not mean we endorse the advertiser or that its product is right for you.
Editorial independence
Our editorial content is written and edited by Hobart Loans. Advertisers, sponsors and referral partners do not commission, review, approve or change our independent articles, and they cannot pay for favourable coverage or for negative coverage of a competitor. Commercial arrangements do not influence which products or providers we mention in our editorial content.
Where we have a conflict of interest that is relevant to an article, we disclose it. Our full approach is set out in our Editorial Policy.
Independent help and external resources
If you want independent, free information or help, these organisations are good places to start:
| Organisation | What it does | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| ASIC's Moneysmart | Free, independent government guidance on borrowing, budgeting, credit and choosing a financial adviser, including its own calculators | moneysmart.gov.au |
| Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) | Free, independent dispute resolution for complaints about financial firms that are AFCA members, such as banks, lenders, credit providers and finance brokers. Raise your complaint with the firm first | afca.org.au |
| National Debt Helpline | Free, confidential financial counselling for people struggling with debt or bills | Phone 1800 007 007 |
| Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) | Regulates credit licensees and financial services, and keeps the professional registers you can use to check whether a business holds a licence | asic.gov.au |
Before dealing with any lender or broker, you can check that it holds an Australian Credit Licence, or is an authorised credit representative, using ASIC's professional registers.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Hobart Loans is not liable for any loss or damage, whether direct or indirect, arising from your use of or reliance on our website, content, tools, newsletter or free guidance, or on any third-party website, product or service mentioned or linked on our website. This includes financial loss resulting from a decision to borrow, refinance, invest or not to do so.
Nothing in this Disclaimer excludes, restricts or modifies any guarantee, right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law or any other law that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified. Where our liability can be limited, it is limited as set out in our Terms and Conditions.
Contact us
If you have a question about this Disclaimer, want to report an error, or would like to know more about a commercial relationship, email [email protected] or use our Contact us page. For information on how we handle personal information, see our Privacy Policy.
