Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Register

6 December 2025

Home / 128

Financial Advisers Register a good place to start

  •   ASIC
  •   1 October 2015
  • 2
  •      
  •   

A note from ASIC to Cuffelinks readers

In March this year, ASIC launched the Financial Advisers Register (FAR), the first comprehensive register of people who provide personal advice on investments, superannuation and life insurance.

The Register, which now has around 22,500 appointments, makes it easier for investors, employers and ASIC to find out where a financial adviser has worked, their qualifications, training, memberships of professional bodies and what products they can advise on.

In the last six months more than 150,000 people have searched the register to find out about a financial adviser. If you haven’t had a look yet, you can search on ASIC's MoneySmart website. There is also information on MoneySmart about what questions to ask when choosing a financial adviser. If you have any questions regarding the FAR, please email [email protected].

Licensees alert

The register is a major undertaking and has relied on licensees providing up to date information on their financial advisers. During the transition period ASIC did not impose late fees for changes.

Licensees should be aware that the transitional arrangements for the Financial Advisers Register and Authorised Representatives Register ended on 30 September 2015.

From 1 October 2015, new fees and notification periods will apply:

  • Licensees will have 30 business days from the date of change to notify appointments
  • A fee of $29 will apply to update details or cease a representative
  • A $75 late fee will apply when a notification is less than one (calendar) month late
  • A $312 late fee will apply when a notification is over one (calendar) month late

Improvements to ASIC Connect

ASIC is also implementing some system improvements to ASIC Connect. From October 1 2015, licensees will be able to update all financial adviser and authorised representative details online.

This includes the ability to:

  • update addresses
  • nominate a business name
  • update names and ABNs

There are also some changes to the invoice: fees will now show a representative's name, and include the type of fee applied.

Further information about the end of transitional arrangements for the Financial Advisers Register are on www.asic.gov.au/far from 1 October 2015.

 

  •   1 October 2015
  • 2
  •      
  •   

RELATED ARTICLES

Eight steps to expect when seeking financial advice

ASIC is not soft: who's next in line for scrutiny?

Royal flush: 15 questions to ask a financial adviser now

Firstlinks is sponsored by:
banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

The growing debt burden of retiring Australians

More Australians are retiring with larger mortgages and less super. This paper explores how unlocking housing wealth can help ease the nation’s growing retirement cashflow crunch.

Warren Buffett's final lesson

I’ve long seen Buffett as a flawed genius: a great investor though a man with shortcomings. With his final letter to Berkshire shareholders, I reflect on how my views of Buffett have changed and the legacy he leaves.

LICs vs ETFs – which perform best?

With investor sentiment shifting and ETFs surging ahead, we pit Australia’s biggest LICs against their ETF rivals to see which delivers better returns over the short and long term. The results are revealing.

13 ways to save money on your tax - legally

Thoughtful tax planning is a cornerstone of successful investing. This highlights 13 legal ways that you can reduce tax, preserve capital, and enhance long-term wealth across super, property, and shares.

Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey

Retirement isn’t a clean financial arc. Income shocks, health costs and family pressures hit at random, exposing the limits of age-based planning and the myth of a predictable “retirement journey".

The housing market is heading into choppy waters

With rates on hold and housing demand strong, lenders are pushing boundaries. As risky products return, borrowers should be cautious and not let clever marketing cloud their judgment.

Latest Updates

Interviews

AFIC on the speculative ASX boom, opportunities, and LIC discounts

In an interview with Firstlinks, CEO Mark Freeman discusses how speculative ASX stocks have crushed blue chips this year, companies he likes now, and why he’s confident AFIC’s NTA discount will close.

Investment strategies

Solving the Australian equities conundrum

The ASX's performance this year has again highlighted a persistent riddle facing investors – how to approach an index reliant on a few sectors and handful of stocks. Here are some ideas on how to build a durable portfolio.

Retirement

Regulators warn super funds to lift retirement focus

Despite three years under the retirement income covenant, regulators warn a growing gap between leading and lagging super funds, driven by poor member insights and patchy outcomes measurement.

Shares

Australian equities: a tale of two markets

The ASX seems a market split in two: between the haves and have nots; or those with growth and momentum and those without. In this environment, opportunity favours those willing to look beyond the obvious.

Investment strategies

Dotcom on steroids Part II

OpenAI’s business model isn't sustainable in the long run. If markets catch on, the company could face higher borrowing costs, or worse, and that would have major spillover effects.

Investment strategies

AI’s debt binge draws European telco parallels

‘Hyperscalers’ including Google, Meta and Microsoft are fuelling an unprecedented surge in equity and debt issuance to bankroll massive AI-driven capital expenditure. History shows this isn't without risk.

Investment strategies

Leveraged single stock ETFs don't work as advertised

Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver some multiple of an underlying index or reference asset’s return over a day. Yet, they aren’t even delivering the target return on an average day as they’re meant to do.

Sponsors

Alliances

Site Map

About Firstlinks

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.