Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Register

18 October 2026

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

It’s time for LICs to die

A high-profile dividend cut and a prominent fund manager’s apology have reignited a long-running debate. If investors can access similar exposures more cheaply and efficiently elsewhere, what exactly is keeping LICs alive?

Testamentary trusts survived the trust tax. The drafting battle has just begun.

The fight over testamentary trusts looked settled. Then the draft legislation arrived. Hidden in a technical detail is a question that could force many families to rethink wills they thought were already future-proof.

Is it time to bail on Australian stocks?

For generations, Australian investors have backed banks, miners and dividends. But has that loyalty come at a cost? A look at the numbers raises an uncomfortable question about where future returns will come from.

The new capital gains tax trap for your portfolio

Investors have long accepted one portfolio rule without much question. A major tax shift could change that calculation entirely, forcing difficult trade-offs between risk, discipline and an overlooked cost lurking beneath.

How the typical Australian Family could save $844,350 in taxes

The value of a testamentary trust is not determined by wealth alone. Depending on circumstances, it can reduce the tax burden on inherited income, create efficiencies and help build intergenerational wealth.

The housing slide could become a crash

House prices are sliding across Australia, yet the most dangerous ingredient for a housing crash is still missing. If job losses surge amid growing economic risks, today's correction could become a historic property downturn.

Latest Updates

Retirement

The retirement scorecard: how many of these questions can you answer?

From the maths of retirement, estimating spending and picking the right asset allocation to survive a poor decade, here are the questions every retiree – current or future – should be able to answer for themselves.

2026 is not 1999

The US market looks eerily similar to the dot-com era with soaring AI spending and tech giants dominating returns. But one difference separates today’s boom from the dot-com bubble and it could determine what happens next.

Planning

Taxing time for trusts

Trusts are facing a shake-up, but an overhaul may not be necessary. Families can explore restructuring strategies that preserve succession and the asset protection benefits that have made these structures valuable.

Economy

Why the US economy is stronger than you might think

War, inflation and higher rates were expected to derail America. But has the market got it wrong? Three forces are driving the economy beyond expectations, revealing implications for stock prices and portfolio positioning.

Gold

How much trust is in your portfolio?

Everyone talks about diversifying assets. Far fewer think about diversifying trust. As inflation, debt and market assumptions collide, the question is whether portfolios need greater protection from unexpected outcomes.

Retirement

Retirement in reality - 7 months in

Seven months into retirement, I'm still uncovering surprises. This month was spent reflecting on the slow pace of health change, the myth of neatly scheduled part-time work and the unexpected persistence of retirement guilt.

The new geography of technology leadership

The next chapter of technology may not belong to the companies or business models many expect. As the landscape shifts, some opportunities are emerging in places that remain surprisingly overlooked by global markets.

Sponsors

Alliances

  • ASA-Logo-RGB-ActiveGreen-web.png

Site Map

About Firstlinks

© 2026 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.