About Phil
Phil Riches is CEO and Senior Mortgage Consultant at Finance on the Coast — the business Virginia Graham Riches founded in Bondi Junction in 2004. Phil joined the firm in 2010, bringing with him a comprehensive background from Westpac where he worked across a wide range of roles, from home and investment finance through to commercial banking.
That banking background is a genuine advantage. Phil understands how lenders think, how credit teams assess applications, and what will make a deal work — not just at the surface level, but in the fine print of policy. That knowledge directly benefits clients when it matters most: when the scenario is complex, the timeline is tight, or the standard approach won't work.
Phil was featured in Australian Broker magazine (July 2024) — an industry recognition that reflects his standing as one of the more thoughtful and technically capable operators in the market. He credits the firm's success to a commitment to acting genuinely in clients' best interests, building long-term referral relationships with accounting firms and financial planners, and maintaining close contact with clients through every cycle.
Specialisations
- Investment property lending and portfolio structuring
- Self-employed and complex income verification
- Commercial property and business finance
- Central Coast and Sydney property markets
- Refinancing and debt consolidation strategies
- First home buyers — strategy and structure
"The lesson from every challenging market cycle is the same: maintain close contact with your clients and always demonstrate that you're acting in their best interests. That's not a strategy — it's just what you do."
— Phil Riches, Australian Broker, July 2024
Media Recognition
Featured in Australian Broker magazine, July 2024 — "Navigating Mortgage Success with Phil Riches". The article covers Phil's background, approach to complex lending, use of technology in the broking process, and his philosophy on client relationships.