CAFBA is the Commercial and Asset Finance Brokers Association of Australia, the national industry association for professional commercial finance brokers. It was formed in 2008 through a merger of two state bodies and now represents more than 1,000 firms and brokers nationwide.
If you write commercial, equipment or asset finance, CAFBA is the body that lobbies government on your behalf, sets membership standards for the sector and runs the education pathway into commercial broking. Here is what it does and how to use it in your business.
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How CAFBA began and what it has won
The association started in 2008 when the Victorian-based Australian Finance Association and the NSW-based Australian Equipment Finance Association merged to give commercial brokers one national voice. Its early defining fight was regulatory: when proposals emerged to extend National Consumer Credit Protection rules into business lending, CAFBA argued that commercial finance should stay outside the consumer regime. A 2013 outcome distinguished commercial finance from consumer credit, keeping small-business lending under a different framework.
The 2019 Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry reinforced that position. The final report found no market failure in the commercial broker channel and endorsed leaving small-business lending outside the NCCP Act. Those outcomes shape the compliance environment every commercial broker works in today.
What membership requires and delivers
Membership is not a logo licence. Applicants need professional indemnity insurance of at least $2 million per claim, current AFCA membership, an internal dispute resolution policy and four professional referees from lenders. Members commit to continuing professional development and industry-experience standards.
In return, members get advocacy in Canberra, input into regulatory consultations, lender relationships through affiliate members drawn from the major finance providers, and events where commercial brokers compare practice. For a broker building a commercial book, the referral network and the policy visibility are usually the strongest arguments for joining.
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Education and the pathway into commercial finance
The CAFBA Education Council, founded in 2020, developed the sector’s dedicated curriculum: a Certificate IV in Financial Services and a Diploma of Financial Services, each specialising in commercial and asset finance. The association has also been moving towards an Australian version of the international Certified Lease and Finance Professional post-nominal.
For brokers coming from residential lending, these courses are the structured way to add commercial capability, and they count towards professional development obligations. Check the current course catalogue on the CAFBA website before enrolling, because offerings and codes change.
Diversity and community programs
Since 2014 CAFBA has run a gender-diversity program addressing the under-representation of women in commercial finance, including Women and Leadership Scholarships and women’s networking groups. The association also supports younger entrants through the Commercial Lending Young Professionals initiative. Beyond the industry, members contribute to Camp Quality through CAFBA-coordinated fundraising.
Where the networking happens
Networking is where a lot of the membership value lands in practice. CAFBA events put brokers in the room with lenders, aggregators and policymakers. Its industry forums surface lender policy changes before they hit your deal flow. Members also gain collective weight: positions CAFBA takes to Treasury carry the backing of the whole commercial channel rather than one brokerage.
Using CAFBA resources in your operations
The association publishes regulatory updates that bear directly on daily work, from AML/CTF obligations affecting commercial brokers to accreditation questions. Pair those updates with your own systems for loan processing and compliance so that policy changes reach your workflows instead of stopping at the inbox.
If commercial finance is part of your plan this year, check the current CAFBA membership requirements and course catalogue online, then decide whether the advocacy and network benefits justify the fee for your business size. Brokers already writing regular asset and equipment deals usually find the membership pays for itself in lender access alone.
