½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþ

media release (19-226MR)

½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþbans Victorian mortgage broker and cancels credit licence of Advanced Choice Finance

Published

½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþhas banned Mr Ding (Tim) Yang, the director of Advanced Choice Finance Pty Ltd (ACF), a Melbourne-based mortgage brokering company, from engaging in credit activities for four years. ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþhas also cancelled the Australian Credit Licence of ACF.

In July 2012, Mr Yang’s accreditation as an approved broker with the Bank of Melbourne was terminated, and in April 2016, Advanced Choice and Mr Yang’s membership with aggregator Connective OSN Pty Ltd, were terminated.

Mr Yang was required, in annual compliance certificates lodged with ASIC, to notify ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþof those terminations. ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþfound that Mr Yang had acted dishonestly in providing false answers to ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþin the compliance certificates for ACF in January 2013 and again in January 2017. As a result, ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþfound that Mr Yang was not a fit and proper person to engage in credit activities.

‘Disclosures in our annual compliance certificates are an important mechanism by which ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþis alerted to potential issues with licensees. Providing ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþwith false information prevents ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþfrom properly administering the regulatory scheme for credit licensees.

‘½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþwill look to remove anyone from the credit industry who acts dishonestly in discharging this obligation,’ said ½ñÈÕÈÈÃÅʼþCommissioner Sean Hughes.

The cancellation of ACF’s credit licence was effective from 14 August 2019. Mr Yang’s banning is recorded on ASIC’s Banned and Disqualified Persons Register.

Mr Yang and ACF have the right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of ASIC’s decision.