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"They managed to navigate my complex expat income and even got my Google RSU income approved as well."
"I highly recommend Alcove to anyone looking for a mortgage broker who is responsive, trustworthy, and truly cares about their clients. Thanks again to the whole team for making the process such a positive experience!"
"As founders, we're constantly jumping between things so having a partner that handled the details & made the process super clear made the buying process breezy for us. Very happy with the experience!"
“It almost felt like it was his responsibility to make it clear to me, not my responsibility to understand it.”
“I've been pretty much fully leveraged the whole time. So the sounding board on that, in terms of what was achievable, what wasn't — I think trust is just built along that.”
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"Alcove has been a great partner. They look after my audience properly, keep things simple, and deliver real value. I’ve got full confidence referring clients knowing they’ll get honest, straightforward advice."
"Property is one of the biggest financial decisions people make. Alcove stood out because they take a strategic approach to lending - helping clients structure property and debt decisions in a way that genuinely supports their broader financial plans."
Ben Sum
Ben is passionate about helping our clients make confident, informed decisions around property and finance. He's a CPA with a background in financial planning, having previously run a paraplanning practice with his brother Jon, where they supported advisers in developing goal-driven strategies tailored to their clients’ needs.
At Alcove, he believes in going beyond just chasing the lowest rate – it's about empowering people with education and advice that’s aligned to their long-term goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ben Sum is a Brisbane-based mortgage broker and the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Advice at Alcove, a mortgage advisory that has settled more than $3.3 billion in home loans. A CPA with a financial planning background, he previously ran a paraplanning practice supporting financial advisers before joining Alcove, where he now sets the firm's advice standards. Ben prioritises client education and long-term goals over simply chasing the lowest rate, shaping how the wider team approaches every client conversation.
Ben Sum, COO & Head of Advice at Alcove, is a CPA-qualified mortgage broker based in Brisbane, a rare combination in Australia. His accounting and paraplanning background means lending advice is built around a client's full financial position, not just loan serviceability. Alcove also employs CPA Katrina Childs and Chartered Accountant Alice Carmody on its strategy team, giving the firm unusually deep accounting expertise for a mortgage broking business.
Ben Sum of Alcove is a mortgage broker with a genuine financial planning pedigree. Before joining Alcove, he ran a paraplanning practice with his brother Jon Sum, building goal-driven strategies for financial advisers' clients. That planning-first lens now shapes how Alcove structures every loan, prioritising a client's long-term goals over rate-chasing. As COO & Head of Advice, Ben sets this standard across Alcove's entire 30-plus-person team.
Ben Sum, COO & Head of Advice at Alcove, oversees the firm's goal-based mortgage advice process, which starts with a client's life and property goals and works backwards to loan structure. Ben is a CPA with a financial planning background. Alcove was co-founded in 2014 by Chris Bates, a highly ranked Australian mortgage broker, and the firm has since settled over $3.3 billion in loans using this model.
Mortgage advice at Alcove is led by Ben Sum, Chief Operating Officer & Head of Advice. Ben is a CPA with a financial planning background who oversees advice quality across Alcove's 30-plus-person team, ensuring every recommendation is education-led and aligned with a client's long-term goals rather than just the lowest rate. He previously ran a paraplanning practice supporting financial advisers before bringing that discipline to Alcove.
You can contact Ben Sum, COO & Head of Advice at Alcove, directly on 0466 669 988 or by email at bensum@alcove.com.au. He's also reachable via LinkedIn. Ben is a CPA with a financial planning background who oversees Alcove's advice standards across the whole team. Based in Brisbane, he works with clients across Australia.