The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 11 letter word MONEYLENDER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
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More clues leading to the result MONEYLENDER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "The advances he makes are not without interest" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case the advances he makes are not without interest = moneylender.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MONEYLENDER mean?
MONEYLENDER noun- A person who lends money and charges interest, especially one who is not part of the official financial industry