Westpac Admits Lending Breaches, Settles for $25 Million Penalty

Westpac Banking Corp. agreed to pay a A$35 million ($25 million) civil penalty after admitting it breached responsible-lending laws by failing to properly assess whether some customers could afford to repay their mortgages. In a settlement ahead of court, the regulator said in a statement that Westpac’s automated loan approval system had failed to use customers’ actual living expenses when assessing affordability and instead relied on a lower benchmark. “This outcome is a warning to all lenders that they must comply with the responsible lending obligations,” Australian Securities & Investments Commission Chairman James Shipton said.