Financial Services Guide

Transcription

1 Financial Services Guide Issued March 2014 (Version 3.1) Financial Services legislation requires that anyone providing advice be licensed. I have chosen to become licensed through SMSF Advice. They provide licensing and support services to SMSF specialists such as myself. SMSF Advice is part of the AMP Group and has approved the distribution of this FSG. Details of my licence holder SMSF Advice Limited ABN Australian Financial Services Licensee Level 22, 33 Alfred Street, Sydney, NSW Important It is important that you take the time to read this Financial Services Guide (FSG) because it contains important information to help you decide whether to use our services. It contains information about: The initial and ongoing advice we provide; Our service offer and advice fees; Who to contact if you have a complaint. If you need any clarification about this guide, please don t hesitate to contact us. About Us SMSF & Estate Planning Solutions Pty Ltd Trading as SMSF Strategic Advisors ABN SMSF & Estate Planning Solutions Pty Ltd is authorised to provide financial services on behalf of SMSF Advice Limited (SMSF Advice) Unit 2 23 Scott Street Cairns QLD 4870 Phone: (07) Fax: rita@smsfsa.com.au Web: Financial Services Guide Page 1

2 I am Rita Zappulla (ASIC number ), an authorised representative of SMSF Advice. Education and Qualifications FCA, B Comm CASMSF CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Experience Rita has over 20 years experience in advising private clients in relation to a range of business and personal financial issues. She spent 10 years in a variety of service disciplines with one of the Big Four accounting firms. Rita moved into Financial Planning full time in She has subsequently specialised in selfmanaged superannuation funds and estate planning advice; she has advised clients extensively in both these areas. This blend of experience has provided Rita with a well-rounded understanding of business structures and the Australian tax and superannuation laws, allowing her to guide clients in the achievement of both business and financial goals. Memberships Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants CFP Member of the FPA Registered Tax agent Advice I can provide you with strategic advice as well as arrange the types of financial products listed below. Strategies Guidance on budgeting and goal setting Savings and wealth creation strategies Investment planning Superannuation planning Setting an investment strategy for self-managed super funds Pre-retirement planning Retirement planning Estate planning considerations Centrelink planning Risk and insurance analysis Business succession planning Salary packaging advice Gearing strategies Products Cash management trusts Retirement income streams Direct fixed interest Retail & wholesale managed investment schemes Socially responsible investments Hedge funds Master trust products Superannuation products Personal and group insurance Business succession insurance Limited investment guarantees Margin lending facilities Self-managed super funds Direct shares Financial Services Guide Page 2

3 Approved product list To implement our advice, we will only recommend quality products and services that are suitable for you. SMSF Advice maintains a broad approved products and services list that has been researched by a number of external research houses as well as our in-house research team. The approved list includes products issued by AMP companies. A diversified selection of approved fund managers is accessible through investment products on the list. SMSF Advice periodically reviews the products on the approved list to ensure that they remain competitive with similar products which address similar client needs and objectives. I may recommend products, platforms and portfolio administration services (PAS) promoted or issued by AMP companies if appropriate to your needs. Recommending these products may entitle me to receive additional benefits as disclosed in the other benefits section of this FSG. Generally, we recommend products and portfolio administration services (PAS) which are on the approved list provided they are appropriate to your needs. However, we may, subject to SMSF Advice s approval, recommend other products and PASs where it is appropriate for you. Recommending products and PASs may entitle us and SMSF Advice to receive additional benefits as disclosed in the other benefits section of this FSG. A copy of the approved list of products and services can be supplied to you upon request. Please refer to your adviser s profile for a list of strategies and products they can recommend. Transaction services If you do not require advice from me, but you would like me to help you complete a particular transaction for the products I am able to recommend, I can also arrange for you to apply for the kinds of products referred to above in my capacity as an authorised representative of SMSF Advice. In these cases I can take your instructions and arrange for the transaction to be completed without providing you with personal advice. It is important to understand that in these circumstances I will generally ask you to confirm your instructions in writing and to sign a letter that acknowledges you have declined my offer of advice as well as understand the risks of a transaction service. You will be provided with a copy of the letter for your own records. You can also contact me directly with any instructions relating to your existing financial products. I will accept instructions from my existing clients via telephone, mail or . Documents you may receive When we provide you with advice, you will receive a number of documents. Initial or additional advice: This will be provided to you in a financial plan, known as a Statement of Advice (SOA). The financial plan contains a summary of your goals and our advice to help you achieve them. Ongoing advice: We will keep a record of any further advice we provide you. You may request a copy by contacting our office. If I recommend or arrange a financial product for you, I will make available a product disclosure statement (PDS) or investor directed portfolio service (IDPS) guide where relevant. These documents contain the key features of the recommended product, such as its benefits and risks, as well as the costs you will pay the product provider to professionally manage your investments of insurance. You should read any warnings contained in your financial plan, the PDS of IDPS guide carefully before making any decision relating to a financial strategy or product. Advice fees We charge for our advice by way of a fee for advice. A commission may also be received for insurance products you purchase. The precise fee will be discussed when we agree on the range of services to be provided. In all instances, advice fees will be disclosed in a written service agreement and in the financial plan (where it is required to be provided) inclusive of GST. Initial or additional advice fee: This covers the cost of researching and preparing your financial plan. Ongoing advice: The ongoing advice fee covers the cost to review the strategies and the products recommended in your SOA. Ongoing advice fees may increase each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or by a fixed amount or fixed percentage each year. You can choose to pay for the advice by one or more of the methods listed below: Bpay, direct debit (credit card or savings), cheque A once off deduction from your investment for initial advice, or regular deductions ($ or %) for ongoing advice. Ongoing advice fees may be deducted as an annual instalment or in monthly or quarterly instalments. Ongoing advice fees may increase each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or by a fixed amount or percentage each year. The specific amount will be agreed to by you and outlined in our ongoing advice agreement. Financial Services Guide Page 3

4 Commission Commission is payable by life companies when we recommend insurance and annuity products. The commission is factored into the annual premium and will be disclosed in your SOA. It may be paid as follows: Initial commission: A once-off percentage payment of your initial premium, paid upon acceptance of your insurance application. Ongoing commission: A percentage of your regular ongoing premium, paid upon renewal of your insurance policy. Commission is payable by the loan provider when we recommend margin lending products. The commission is factored into the annual interest rate and may be up to 0.35% per annum of your loan balance. Distribution All fees and commissions are payable to SMSF Advice Limited who will then distribute it to SMSF & Estate Planning Solutions Pty Ltd. Rita Zappulla is paid a salary and bonuses from SMSF & Estate Planning Solutions Pty Ltd. Rita Zappulla also has equity in the business which may result in additional capital and profit related benefits. Other benefits We may be offered or receive non-monetary benefits, in the form of entertainment or sponsorship from some product providers at no extra cost to you. Both SMSF Advice and Rita Zappulla maintain a register to record the non-monetary benefits received. A copy of this register will be made available within one month of a request. Product Competitions: We may participate in short term incentive programmes such as a product provider paying additional commissions during a specified period. Due to the temporary nature of these arrangements they have not been included in this document. Details of any short term incentives will be outlined in your financial plan. Relationships and associates Financial planning affiliations We can provide advice on products from a wide range of financial product providers. Some of these are part of the AMP Group and as such are affiliated with SMSF Advice, including: Product Issuer The National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Ltd National Mutual Funds Management Limited NMMT Ltd N.M. Superannuation Pty Limited Product brands used by issuer AMP Summit Generations AXcess Summit Generations North Multiport Pty Ltd Multiport ipac asset management limited iaccess AMP Bank Limited AMP Capital Funds Management Limited AMP Capital Investors Limited AMP Superannuation Limited AMP Life Limited AMP The Cavendish Group Cavendish Australian Securities Administration Limited (ASAL) and Super IQ Pty Ltd (49% interest held by AMP Group) Ascend Self Managed Super If we recommend a product issued by the AMP Group, they will benefit from our recommendation by receiving product, administration and investment fees, as well as fees paid by fund managers to distribute their product. These fees are all disclosed in the relevant PDS. Financial Services Guide Page 4

5 Authorised representatives and staff at SMSF Strategic Advisors hold shares in AMP Limited, the ultimate holding company of the AMP Group which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, whose share price may be favourably affected by the sale of products issued by the AMP Group. Other activities In addition to providing the financial planning services listed in this FSG, I have a relationship with Brien Leibinger Lawyers which provides estate planning advice and other legal services. SMSF Advice has no involvement in these activities and is not responsible for any services, advice or products provided by this business. I control a percentage of the equity interests in the business providing the services listed above. As a result, I will benefit from fees, dividends or income received from the business s profits that may result from any payments or other benefits received in respect of the services provided to you. Privacy Your privacy is important to us. To learn more about our collection and handling of your personal information and for details on how to access our Privacy Policy please refer to the Appendix to this FSG. Another financial adviser may be appointed to you if your adviser leaves SMSF Advice or is unable to attend to your needs due to an extended absence from the business. In these circumstances, SMSF Advice will write to you advising you of the change. Your personal information will be passed on to the new adviser. If you choose to appoint a new financial adviser, your new adviser will be provided access to your policy information. They will be responsible for providing you with ongoing advice relating to those policies and all future advice fees deducted from the policy/(ies) will be paid to your new adviser. Professional indemnity insurance We maintain professional indemnity insurance to cover advice, actions and recommendations which have been authorised by SMSF Advice and provided by me. The insurance satisfies the requirements imposed by the Corporations Act 2001 and financial services regulations. What to do if you have a complaint If you have any complaints about the services provided to you, you should take the following steps: Contact us and tell us about your complaint. If we cannot satisfactorily resolve your complaint within three days, please call SMSF Advice on or put your complaint in writing. SMSF Advice will try to resolve your complaint quickly and fairly: Attention: Complaints Case Manager Advice and Licensing Level 8, 750 Collins Street DOCKLANDS VIC 3008 If your complaint has not been resolved satisfactorily, you may escalate your complaint to one of the following External Dispute Resolution Schemes listed in the following table. Type of complaint Financial advice, investments, superannuation or insurance matters External complaints service Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) on Personal information held The Privacy Commissioner on The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) may be contacted on to find out which body may be best to assist you in settling your complaint. Financial Services Guide Page 5

6 Appendix: Privacy Collection Statement As part of the financial planning process, we need to collect information about you. Where possible we will obtain that information directly from you, but if authorised by you we may also obtain it from other sources such as your employer or accountant. If that information is incomplete or inaccurate, this could affect our ability to fully or properly analyse your needs, objectives and financial situation, so our recommendations may not be completely appropriate or suitable for you. We are also required under the Anti-Money-Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act (AML/CTF) 2006 to implement client identification processes. We will need you to present identification documents such as passports and driver s licences in order to meet our obligations. We keep your personal information confidential, and only use it in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Some of the ways we may use this information are set out below: Your adviser and SMSF Advice may have access to this information when providing financial advice or services to you; Your adviser may, in the future, disclose information to other financial advisers, brokers and those who are authorised by SMSF Advice to review customers' needs and circumstances from time to time, including other companies within the AMP group; Your information may be disclosed to external service suppliers both here and overseas who supply administrative, financial or other services to assist your adviser and the AMP group in providing financial advice and services to you. A list of countries where these service providers are located can be accessed via the AMP Privacy Policy from March Your information may be used to provide ongoing information about opportunities that may be useful or relevant to your financial needs through direct marketing (subject to your ability to opt-out as set out in the AMP Privacy Policy); Your information may be disclosed as required or authorised by law and to anyone authorised by you. Your adviser and SMSF Advice will continue to take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or improper disclosure. You can request access to the information your adviser or SMSF Advice holds about you at any time to correct or update it as set out in the AMP Privacy Policy. The AMP Privacy Policy also contains information about how to make a complaint about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles. For a copy of AMP's Privacy Policy visit or you can contact us. Financial Services Guide Page 6