Should I prefer a bank or a finance broker?

Pro-broker: Brokers compare across many lenders instead of pushing one product, and they're free to the borrower since the lender pays their commission. They also know which lenders are flexible on tricky situations (self-employed, casual income, government schemes).

Pro-bank-direct: Fine if your situation is simple — steady job, standard deposit. Some people prefer avoiding broker commission structures and like dealing with someone they already have a relationship with.

Middle ground: Get quotes from both — costs nothing extra and gives you a real comparison. Also: check how many lenders are actually on a broker's panel before committing, since a small panel isn't much better than going direct.

Universal caution: Always ask for the comparison rate (not just the advertised rate) and ask about ongoing fees explicitly — both bank reps and brokers can be vague on this unless pushed.