I agree with bbq. What probably would have been better IMO is if Opes Prime had offered the margin loans (that the individual investors had taken out) as security rather than the shares that they secured. They probably did not like that much though as Opes Prime probably could not have borrowed as much.
I'd be interested to know how much the ANZ knew about what they were taking as security.
I think that the mortgage broker tning is very different. Mortgage brokers introduce clients to lenders. The whole thing is transparent i.e. the client knows exactly who is lending them money and what the security is. Here most clients were probably unaware that the ANZ was involved and what the security was. in this case Opes Prime was actually involved as part of the transaction rather than being a facilitator.
I have every sympathy for individual investors though and am horrified by what was happened.
