ASIC imposes additional licence conditions on SMSF Advisers Network

ASIC has imposed additional conditions on the Australian financial services (AFS) licence of SMSF Advisers Network Pty Ltd (SAN).

According to ASIC: "This follows a surveillance which ASIC commenced because of a significant increase in adviser numbers at SAN in a relatively short period of time.

"As part of the surveillance, ASIC reviewed a number of SAN’s client files.

"This review identified concerns including that some of SAN’s advisers had failed to demonstrate compliance with the best interest duty and related obligations.

"ASIC found that the statement of advice (SOA) documents relied heavily on templated wording and many of the client files lacked evidence to support the advisers’ recommendations that clients establish a SMSF."

As a result, ASIC was concerned that SAN had inadequate supervision processes in place. 

The additional licence conditions require:

SAN must engage an independent expert to review and test the compliance of advice provided by SAN’s advisers and to assess whether SAN has appropriate supervision mechanisms in place to ensure that its advisers are meeting the best interest duty and related obligations.

Where shortfalls in supervision arrangements are identified, the independent expert will make recommendations to address the deficiencies.