Ethics, compliance and best practice templates, publications and resources

An Adviser Business Statement (ABS) template customised to a typical financial planning practice. Use this template and accompanying guidance note to produce your own tailored solution. There is no prescribed length for the ABS. However, the Financial Markets Authority (the regulator) is keen to see it in the vicinity of 7-15 pages, but this will depend on how detailed an... Read more

Package includes a disclosure statement guidance note, an example of a completed disclosure statement, and a template for you to customise a disclosure statement suitable for your specific situation. This package will save you hours of work and help avoid a regulatory breach. Read more

For AFAs. Package includes a disclosure statement guidance note, an example of a completed secondary disclosure statement, and a template for you to customise a secondary disclosure statement to meet your specific situation. This solution will save you hours of work and help avoid a regulatory breach. Read more

The Code of Professional Conduct for AFAs outlines advisers' continuing professional development (CPD) obligations. This annual guide reflects these Code obligations, providing all the necessary advice, guidance and tools for advisers to navigate through and implement the CPD requirements. This manual is the 7th in the Strategi Navigation series ensuring... Read more

Are you meeting your professional responsibilities as a financial adviser? Strategi's helpful DIY checklist is suitable for all advisers (RFAs and AFAs). Spend time running through this checklist on a regular basis. A DIY compliance overview on a regular basis could save you and your business from operating on the wrong side of the legislation, regulation and the Code, and... Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic will likely have a massive impact on many economies, businesses, societies and individuals. Most New Zealanders will be disrupted to some degree. Several lessons can be learnt from this event regarding how financial advisory businesses could: • handle future events similar to COVID-19; • improve their business continuity plan; • integrate technology... Read more

The Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 imposes statutory duties on those persons who give regulated financial advice to clients, including, to comply with the standards of ethical behaviour, conduct and client care. Businesses need to consider how they can adapt services and adequately cater to vulnerable clients’ needs. Download the full guidance note below: Read more

This guidance note provides important information to assist advisers and support staff to prepare a legally compliant Adviser Business Statement (ABS). This guidance note is based on information provided by the Financial Markets Authority published AFA ABS Guide (released in June 2011) and includes relevant information that forms part of the Standard Conditions for ... Read more

This guidance note provides important information to assist: Advisers who are authorised financial advisers (AFAs) to prepare a legally compliant primary and secondary disclosure statement complying with the Financial Advisers (Disclosure) Regulations 2010 (Regulations). Advisers who are registered (RFAs) but not authorised (or who are not QFE advisers), to prepare a... Read more

Strategi has developed a governance programme designed to assist the small advisory practice to develop a governance programme for the practice that meets director obligations, meets the FMA’s expectations and delivers an effective outcome for the business. It is recognised that there is a significant difference between the formal board structures and processes recommended in... Read more

The AFA ABS guide prepared by the FMA in June 2011 suggests authorised financial advisers (AFAs) include information in the “Remuneration and reward” section of the ABS about the proportion of overall remuneration and reward derived from various sources (for example, from each product or product provider). This guidance note explains, by giving an example, how AFAs can provide... Read more

Key purposes of financial markets legislation, such as the Financial Advisers Act 2008 (FAA) and the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (FMCA), include consumer protection and promoting the confident and informed participation of businesses, investors, and consumers (i.e. clients) in the financial markets. More protection is provided to clients/investors who are considered financially... Read more

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (the Act) came into effect on 4 April 2016, replacing the earlier Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. The Act focuses on proactively identifying and managing risks so everyone is safe and healthy. Under the Act, health and safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility – the business’, those in the business who make... Read more

This guidance note answers key questions around what a conflict of interest is, and when a director is ‘interested’. It provides guidance on identifying, declaring and managing conflicts of interest, and introduces a simple tool to record conflicts of interest. The predominance of certain companies, individuals, and opportunities in a small industry result in conflicts of... Read more

The Financial Advisers Act 2008 (FAA 2008) categorises a land investment product (for example a property syndicate or proportionate title scheme) as a category 1 product. Legislation requires people advising on category 1 products, unless operating under the umbrella of a qualifying financial entity (QFE), to be registered on the Financial Service Providers Register and authorised by the... Read more

Not all clients wish to divulge to their adviser, (due to privacy issues, time availability, specific nature of what the client wants, or an unwillingness to pay), all the information an adviser may require to provide a full advice proposition. Conversely, the adviser may not have the competency, knowledge or skill, to provide a full advice process and hence will limit the... Read more

All individuals who provide a financial service (broadly comprising of either a financial adviser service, a broking service, or keeping, investing, administering, or managing money, securities, or investment portfolios on behalf of other persons) need to be registered on the Financial Service Providers Register to provide that service. This is a requirement under the Financial Service... Read more

This guidance note addresses the issue of providing protection for a client who purchases a mortgage from a financial adviser. There are a number of views on this issue ranging from:  “I am only a mortgage adviser and the client knows that, so there is no responsibility or requirement for me to do anything relating to insurance for the mortgage amount”, to... Read more

Authorised financial advisers have record keeping obligations under the Code. To effectively meet these obligations, best practice standards suggest every financial planning business should have a long-term file retention and preservation policy. This guidance note provides information on how advisers can meet their record keeping obligations in an efficient and cost effective manner... Read more

Adviser authorisation is usually granted for a period of five years so make sure you know your authorisation expiry date. If you are an AFA and want to continue providing advice, you will need to apply before that date, to renew your authorisation. Under section 58 of the Financial Advisers Act 2008 (FAA), existing AFAs can renew their authorisation for a further five years. If... Read more