- Business
- Auswide Bank Ltd (ABA.AX), a regional Australian bank, provides a comprehensive range of personal and business banking products and services through an omni-channel distribution strategy encompassing branches, mortgage brokers, strategic partnerships, and digital platforms; core offerings include deposit products such as call deposits, term deposits, certificates of deposit, savings accounts, business access accounts, pension accounts, cash management accounts, mortgage offset accounts, and self-managed superannuation fund accounts, as well as lending solutions comprising home loans, personal loans, car loans, home renovation loans, credit cards, and overdrafts; the bank also delivers insurance products including home and contents, landlord, car, caravan and trailer, boat, and travel coverage, alongside telegraphic money transfers, financial advice, internet and phone banking, and business support services. Founded in 1966 as Wide Bay Capricorn Building Society by Ron Hancock and headquartered at 16-20 Barolin Street in Bundaberg, Queensland, the bank operates primarily across Queensland's east coast with over 15 branches and approximately 239 employees, targeting everyday Australians and small-to-medium businesses seeking alternatives to major banks. In a transformative development completed in early 2025, Auswide Bank merged with MyState Limited under a scheme implementation agreement initially announced in August 2024, establishing it as a wholly owned subsidiary of MyState Bank Limited to enhance scale, broker networks, East Coast presence, product diversity including funds management, trustee services, and asset finance, and technological investments while maintaining separate brand operations and business-as-usual services for customers. Prior to the merger finalization, which followed regulatory approvals and shareholder votes deferred to February 2025, Auswide announced plans to acquire non-bank SME asset finance lender Specialist Leasing Finance Company Pty Ltd (Selfco) to diversify into equipment leasing for trucks, trailers, and construction machinery. The merger enables expanded access to 23 branches, free ATM usage across both networks, and up to $250,000 deposit protection per account holder under the Financial Claims Scheme, reinforcing its position in regional banking with a focus on customer-centric growth and community support.