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AFSL Fundamentals

It's code red as an office professional struggles to manage and classify five complaints and deal with the complainants as ASIC expect

Code Red: Five IDR Complaints and How to Classify Them

August 14, 2026

How should you code an IDR complaint for ASIC reporting? Five practical examples show how to classify products, complaint issues and outcomes under ASIC’s updated IDR data reporting handbook.
An adviser swimming in his vault of money to reassure himself that his business is adequately capitalised.

ASIC RG 166: Financial Requirements for AFS Licensees

August 11, 2026

Understand ASIC RG 166 financial requirements for AFS licensees, including cash needs, solvency, NTA, financial monitoring and the evidence needed to demonstrate ongoing compliance.
A financial services professional calmly and skillfully managing complaints from clients

ASIC RG 271: Internal Dispute Resolution and Complaints Handling

August 11, 2026

ASIC RG 271 starts with recognising a complaint. Learn what counts as a complaint, key IDR timeframes, reporting obligations and the controls AFS licensees need to identify, record and manage complaints effectively.
Two advice professionals support each other and discuss the solution to the advice licensing problem.

The FSC Fixed Its Advice Licensing Plan. But It Still Lets Management Off the Hook

August 6, 2026

The FSC's revised White Paper represents a significant improvement on its original advice licensing proposals, abandoning size-based licensing in favour of stronger supervision. This analysis argues that lasting reform depends not on larger compliance teams or additional regulation, but on genuine management accountability, independent governance reviews and evidence that compliance systems operate effectively in practice.

What Is Compliance Documentation? A Practical Guide for Licensees

July 14, 2026

Compliance documentation is more than a collection of policies; it is the operational framework that enables AFSL and ACL licensees to demonstrate their compliance. This practical guide explains the roles of different documents, and shows why regulators are interested not just in what your documents say, but what your business can prove.

Are You Ready to be Self-Licensed?

July 10, 2026

Applying for an AFSL isn’t just an administrative process. It’s a practical test of whether your business is ready to operate as a regulated financial services Licensee. This guide explains how to prepare for the AFSL application process, what ASIC is likely to assess, and how to build the compliance infrastructure needed to support the application and operate after the licence is granted.

What Are the Requirements for an AFSL? A Practical Guide for Prospective Licensees

July 1, 2026

Applying for an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) requires more than completing an application. Learn the AFSL requirements, including organisational competence, Responsible Managers, financial resources, compliance arrangements and ASIC's expectations for prospective licensees.
Responsible Manager reviewing evidence of organisational competence

Demonstrating Organisational Competence: Beyond Responsible Managers

June 26, 2026

Organisational competence requires more than appointing experienced Responsible Managers. This guide explains how AFSL holders can map competence to their authorisations, manage key-person risk, maintain capability through change and demonstrate that their competence framework remains effective.
Two wrestlers facing off to represent an ACL versus AFSL comparison

ACL vs AFSL: Which Licence Do You Need?

June 12, 2026

Understand the difference between an Australian Credit Licence and an Australian Financial Services Licence, when each applies, and when a business may need authority under both regimes.
Rider overseeing a herd of cats as a metaphor for authorised representative supervision

How to Supervise Authorised Representatives: A Practical Guide for AFSL Licensees

June 12, 2026

A practical guide for AFSL licensees on building a risk-based authorised representative supervision framework that connects monitoring, complaints, breaches, escalation, remediation and governance reporting.

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