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Licensing, registration and authorisation for you and your business

Whether you need help getting licence-ready, applying for a licence, or ensuring you and your business meet your licence obligations, Strategi is here to help.

Decide what you most want help with, or let us look after the entire licensing and ongoing compliance process for you. From helping advisers through the licensing (authorisation) process, to developing the required policies, procedures, controls, Strategi has applying for a Financial Markets Conduct Act licence covered.

How and when are the rules changing?

The rules for advisers and firms are changing – find out how the changes will affect you.

Main elements of the new regime for financial advice

Who needs to be licensed, authorised or registered?

What are the current rules? Are you and your company compliant?

Do I need to be licensed, registered or authorised?

How do I register as a financial adviser?

Online registration as an RFA and application fees.

How to register as a financial adviser

How do I apply for authorisation?

Assistance for advisers applying for authorised financial adviser (AFA) status.

How to apply for authorisation

FMCA licensing assistance

Help with obtaining your DIMS, MIS, Derivatives Issuer and other licences.

FMCA licensing assistance

Establishing a QFE

Strategi can help your business become a qualifying financial entity.

Establishing a qualifying financial entity

Templates, publications and resources

Licensing templates, manuals, guidance notes and other resources.

Licensing publications and resources

Frequently asked questions

Got a licensing, registration or authorisation problem but don’t know what to ask?

Frequently asked questions about licensing, registration and authorisation

Search all licensing

Publications & resources

Adviser Business Statement template

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

Publications & resources

AFA primary disclosure statement template

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

Publications & resources

AFA secondary disclosure statement template

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

Courses

Building a compliance culture within an organisation

Aim: To describe how a compliance culture can be developed within an organisation. Outcome: Completion of this module will enable market service licensees to understand: What a culture of compliance is; The attributes of a culture of compliance; The 'Three Cs' of compliance (communication, confirmation, correction); The signs of a culture of... Read more

Services

Business in a Box: an integrated solution for financial advice businesses

Business in a Box (BIB) is a suite of tools to help build and ensure the efficiency of a financial advice business. It is a flexible solution, scaleable to business size. All tools work together to provide a fully integrated solution, or alternatively a ‘pick-and-mix’ approach can be taken where businesses simply select the tools they need. The BIB toolbox The BIB... Read more

Courses

Compliance officer courses

The demand for trained compliance officers will expand exponentially over the next 18 months as: Financial advisory businesses move to become a financial advice providers (FAPs) and will need to have a full-time, or part-time, in-house compliance officer if the business size warrants it; Existing FMCA-licensed entities are asked to demonstrate how their compliance staff have... Read more

Do I need to be licensed, registered or authorised?

Registration for individuals 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... Read more

Services

Establishing a qualifying financial entity

Strategi is uniquely positioned and experienced to assist organisations to become a qualifying financial entity (QFE), providing an end-to-end solution including advising on registration, selection of a DRS, construction of an ABS, development of additional documentation and processes, plus staff/adviser training. The entire process could take three to six months... Read more

Publications & resources

FAP Toolkit: Are you ready to take the next step?

As the transition period for the new financial advice regime looms closer, many advisers are considering their options – should they become a financial advice provider (FAP), join a FAP, or even leave the industry altogether? Each option has a number of factors to be considered and questions that need to be answered before advisers can make an informed decision, and the right decision for... Read more

Services

FMCA licensing assistance

Strategi has developed significant expertise in assisting licence applicants to apply for their FMCA licence particularly in regard to DIMS, MIS, and Derivatives Issuer. We can work directly with applicants, or in conjunction with the applicant's other advisers to provide components of a licence application. Strategi can assist adviser businesses, QFEs and networks prepare their... Read more

Frequently asked questions

Below are the questions Strategi is most frequently asked. Use the 'Keywords' or 'Topic' filters to limit the FAQ results to a particular area of interest. Alternatively, to search our whole website for any pages containing specific text or topics, use the site search box at the top right of the page. Read more

Frequently asked questions about licensing, registration and authorisation

The most commonly asked questions in relation to licensing, registration and authorisation are answered below. You may search by keyword, or for questions not limited to licensing, registration and authorisation see all frequently asked questions. Read more

Publications & resources

Guidance Note: Adviser Business Statement

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

Publications & resources

Guidance Note: Adviser Disclosure Statements (Primary and Secondary for AFAs, and RFAs)

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

Publications & resources

Guidance Note: Developing and maintaining a governance programme for small financial advice businesses

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

Publications & resources

Guidance Note: Identifying and managing director conflicts of interest

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

Publications & resources

Guidance note: Online steps to apply for registration and authorisation

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

Publications & resources

Guidance Note: Renewal of AFA authorisation

It has now been around five years since the authorisation regime for financial advisers was introduced. Adviser authorisation is usually granted for a period of five years and so many of those early authorisations are now coming up for renewal. Check your authorisation expiry date. If you are an AFA and would like to continue providing advice, you may need to apply soon to renew your... Read more

Training solutions from Strategi Institute Read more

Find or enrol in a course

NZ Certificate Level 5

Continuing professional development

Advancing your career

Online learning with Radar

Corporate education solutions

Templates, publications and resources

Frequently asked questions

Ethics, compliance and professional practice Read more

How to become compliant

Stay compliant with Strategi Navigator

Our compliance services

Templates, publications and resources

Frequently asked questions