Understanding PPSR

Written by 
Bill Tsouvalas
Bill Tsouvalas is the managing director and a key company spokesperson at Savvy. As a personal finance expert, he often shares his insights on a range of topics, being featured on leading news outlets including News Corp publications such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, Fairfax Media publications such as the Australian Financial Review, the Seven Network and more. Bill has over 15 years of experience working in the finance industry and founded Savvy in 2010 with a vision to provide affordable and accessible finance options to all Australians. He has built Savvy from a small asset finance brokerage into a financial comparison website which now attracts close to 2 million Aussies per year and was included in the BRW’s Fast 100 in 2015 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. He’s passionate about helping Australians make financially savvy decisions and reviews content across the brand to ensure its accuracy. You can follow Bill on LinkedIn.
Our authors
, updated on November 25th, 2021       

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Standing for Personal Property Securities Register, the PPSR is administered by an Australian Government agency, namely, the Australian Financial Security Authority. The portal is accessible to anyone, and it provides transparency for the interest of their personal property.

The PPSR has two main roles:

  • Allowing banks (and other similar money-lending businesses) to register security interests over the property of a business or an individual
  • It provides info on the rights of property that an individual may wish to acquire for their business

For example, if you are a farmer who’s looking to acquire some second-hand equipment, you may want to look through the PPSR before accepting any deals. You will then find out if there are any third parties that have a financial interest in your equipment. The same thing can apply to a vehicle.

Personal Property and the Way Security Works Over It

Everything from work vehicles, farm or factory equipment, livestock and crops, artwork, office equipment, patents, contracts, intellectual property, shares, bank accounts and any collateral that is owned by a business or an individual is seen as personal property.

Once someone registers a security interest in a personal property, they gain rights over it. For example, if you had a business and were no longer able to pay back the line of credit to the supplier, you are entitled to forfeit ownership over some or all of your personal property, as it has been written down in the terms of the agreement.

The Need to Use PPSR

If you are the owner of a business, then you might want to consider using PPSR. It has the aim of protecting people and companies when they are attempting to purchase personal property, determining whether or not there is someone else who has a security interest in the said property. So if you have a business, keep these questions in mind:

  • Do you or your company sell well when it comes to the retention of title terms?
  • Do you lease goods, rent or hire?
  • Do you sell or buy valuable assets or second-hand goods?
  • Do you plan on raising your finances by using stock or other goods as collaterals?
  • Are you an adviser for customers that conduct these kinds of activities?

If your answer to all of these questions was “yes,” then you may discover that the PPSR is a valuable resource for you.

Using PPSR

There are two ways for you to use PPSR. The first thing you must do is to go to PPSR Australia and register there. You can create an account that you can use regularly, or you can opt for paying separately each time you plan on using the service. After that, you can benefit from two results: you either discover no interest over the property, or a security registration will be found. You will also be guided throughout the entire process in both cases.

It’s worth giving PPSR a shot since the service was created to give the customers the best deals possible.

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