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Articles

Governance & Leadership

ASIC Corporate Plan 2026–27 illustrated by a smiling, imposing businessman in a suit standing at an office entrance

Easier To Deal With. Harder To Avoid.

August 31, 2026

ASIC wants to be easier to deal with for businesses trying to comply — and harder to avoid for those causing harm. Here’s what ASIC’s 2026–27 Corporate Plan means for boards, Responsible Managers and compliance teams.
Determined financial adviser with a suitcase tries to leave while an impassive grey-suited licensee blocks the stairs.

Adviser exits aren’t delayed by compliance. They’re delayed by control.

August 27, 2026

Leaving a financial advice licensee should be straightforward. Too often, ambiguity around compliance, client communications, records and authorisation gives the incumbent licensee leverage. Here’s how advisers can recognise it, reduce dependencies and prepare before they resign.
A compliance dashboard presenting great metrics that actual misrepresent reality

AI Can Improve Monitoring. It Can’t Perform Governance.

August 9, 2026

AI can help licensees review more advice, identify patterns and detect emerging risks earlier. But better monitoring does not automatically mean better governance. Responsible Managers still need to interpret the evidence, challenge assumptions and decide what happens next.
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.
Humanoid robot presenting an award to a financial services professional while other suited professionals stand restrained in the background, illustrating how AI increasingly rewards recognised public authority over invisible expertise.

How financial services firms can build authority without creating advice risk

July 20, 2026

AI is making public authority commercially valuable, but financial services firms cannot treat visibility as a free-for-all. Licensees need communication governance that separates education from regulated advice, supports adviser expertise and produces evidence of effective supervision.

The Compliance Measurement Trap

July 13, 2026

Licensees collect more compliance data than ever, but more measurement does not necessarily mean better oversight. The real challenge is turning dashboards, reviews and incidents into governance intelligence that identifies material risk, tests control effectiveness and changes decisions.

Risky Advice Strategies: How Licensees Should Control High-Consequence Advice

July 1, 2026

High-consequence advice strategies aren’t inherently inappropriate—but they demand stronger governance. Learn how AFSLs can apply proportionate controls, pre-vetting, enhanced evidence and risk-based supervision to SMSFs, gearing, insurance replacement, retirement income strategies and other complex advice while demonstrating client suitability and best interests.

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.

A Sea Change in Regulatory Expectations: Why AFSLs Must Build Evidence, Not Documents

June 30, 2026

Regulators are placing increasing emphasis on evidence rather than documentation. Discover why modern AFSL compliance depends on demonstrating effective governance, monitoring and remediation—not simply having policies and procedures—and what this means for ASIC readiness.

Rethinking Compliance

June 4, 2026

Compliance education often teaches people to follow rules. The problem is that organisations can comply in form while failing in substance. A risk-based approach focuses on the outcomes regulation is intended to achieve.

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