AFS Licensing Kit Part 3
AFS Licensing Kit Part 3
AFS Licensing Kit Part 3
June 2022
Document history
This guide was issued in June 2022 and is based on legislation and
regulations as at the date of issue. In December 2022 we amended RG 3.7
to include references to the ASIC MOVEit portal.
Previous versions:
• Superseded Regulatory Guide 3, reissued November 2007, January
2008, December 2009, May 2010, June 2012, June 2013, July 2015,
September 2017, April 2020 and December 2020
• Superseded AFS Licensing Kit Part 3, issued November 2005,
rebadged as a regulatory guide July 2007
Disclaimer
This guide does not constitute legal advice. We encourage you to seek your own
professional advice to find out how the Corporations Act and other applicable
laws apply to you, as it is your responsibility to determine your obligations.
Examples in this guide are purely for illustration; they are not exhaustive and
are not intended to impose or imply particular rules or requirements.
Contents
Overview ................................................................................................... 4
When to prepare additional proofs .................................................... 4
What your additional proofs should cover ......................................... 4
How to send your additional proofs ................................................... 5
A Part A additional proofs .................................................................. 6
A1 proof: Entity Details ...................................................................... 6
A4 proof: Miscellaneous Financial Facility Statement ....................... 6
A4 proof: Membership of a Licensed Market ..................................... 7
B Part B additional proofs .................................................................. 8
B2 proof: Development Program for Responsible Managers ............ 8
B2 proof: Industry Standards Compliance ......................................... 8
B3 proof: Compliance Arrangements ................................................ 8
B3 proof: Arrangements for Managing Conflicts of Interests ............. 9
B3 proof: Outsourcing Statement .................................................... 10
B4 proof: Program for Monitoring, Supervision and Training of
Representatives ............................................................................... 11
B5 proof: Human Resources Capacity Statement ........................... 12
B5 proof: Information Technology Capacity Statement ................... 13
B6 proof: Dispute Resolution System Statement ............................ 13
B7 proof: Risk Management System Statement.............................. 14
B8 proof: Compensation Capacity Statement ................................. 15
B9 proof: Research Statement ........................................................ 16
C Part C additional proofs ................................................................ 18
C1 proof: Custodial/Depository Service Statement ......................... 18
C1 proof: IDPS Statement ............................................................... 19
C1 proof: Funds Under Management/Custody Statement .............. 19
C1 proof: Product/Service Distribution Statement ........................... 19
C2 proof: Scheme Operating Capacity Statement .......................... 19
C2 proof: Scheme Property Statement ............................................ 20
C2 proof: Funds Under Management Details .................................. 20
C2 proof: Product Distribution Channel Report ............................... 21
C3 proof: Market Maker Statement ................................................. 21
C4 proof: Derivatives Statement ...................................................... 22
C5 proof: Foreign Exchange Operating Statement ......................... 24
C6 proof: Horse Racing Syndicate Statement ................................. 25
C7 proof: Life Insurance Capacity Statement .................................. 26
C8 proof: Underwriting Agency Capacity Statement ....................... 26
C9 proof: MDA Operator Capacity Statement ................................. 26
C10 proof: Margin Lending Facilities Provider Statement ............... 27
C11 proof: Crowd-Funding Service Statement ................................ 28
C12 proof: Insurance Claims Handling and Settling Service
Statement......................................................................................... 30
C13 proof: CCIV Operating Capacity Statement ............................. 33
C13 proof: CCIV Asset Statement ................................................... 34
Key terms ............................................................................................... 35
Related information ............................................................................... 38
Overview
Key points
If you need to prepare additional proofs we will contact you during the
assessment stage and let you know exactly which ones to prepare: see
RG 3.2–RG 3.3.
This guide explains in detail the information we expect to see in the various
additional proofs: see RG 3.4–RG 3.9.
RG 3.2 If you need to prepare additional proofs we will contact you during the
assessment stage and let you know exactly which ones to prepare. These will
usually be one or more of the non-core proofs listed in Part E of your
application print-out. However, we may need to ask you for others not listed
on your print-out if, for example, you haven’t selected your authorisations
correctly.
RG 3.3 If we ask you to send us additional proofs, you will need to make sure we
receive them within 10 business days of our request.
RG 3.5 Your additional proofs must also be tailored to your business. For example,
if you are part of a corporate group, your proofs should cover your specific
Australian financial services (AFS) licensee obligations, as distinct from
RG 3.6 If you are applying to vary your AFS licence, any additional proofs you are
asked to provide should cover all of the services and products you will be
providing under your licence, not just those relating to the variation you are
requesting.
Additional proofs must be provided via the ASIC MOVEit portal. Shortly
after you submit your application online, we will send you instructions on
how to securely submit your proofs to ASIC via the ASIC MOVEit portal.
Account details will be provided to you by email when the application has
been received. If you cannot access the ASIC MOVEit portal, you can post
the proof documents to us.
RG 3.8 If we require any additional information, we will contact you by letter, email
or telephone during the assessment process.
RG 3.9 We’ll scan paper proofs into our document imaging system and then destroy
them.
Key points
These proofs cover information about you, your business and the financial
services and products you want to provide.
Partnership
RG 3.10 If you are applying for an AFS licence as a partnership, we may ask you to
provide the names of all the partners in the partnership.
Trustee(s) of a trust
RG 3.11 If you are applying for an AFS licence as a trustee of a trust (i.e. where you
are a group of individuals who act as the trustees of a trust), we may ask you
to provide a list of the names of all trustees. Note that we won’t ask you for
this proof if you are a company and you apply under the company name.
RG 3.12 If you are some other type of entity (i.e. not an individual, partnership,
company or trustee of a trust), we may ask you to provide:
(a) a description of the nature of the entity; and
(b) a list of the names of the persons responsible for managing the entity.
(iii) gives a detailed legal analysis of why the other financial product
categories do not apply.
RG 3.14 You do not need to provide the legal opinion if the product is a managed
discretionary account (MDA) service.
RG 3.16 For example, for stockbrokers or share brokers, this should include evidence
of your participating membership in a market that holds an Australian
market licence covering dealing in securities. For futures brokers, this proof
should include evidence of your participating membership in a market that
holds an Australian market licence covering dealing in derivatives.
Key points
RG 3.20 This proof also includes a table describing your compliance arrangements (to
be provided in the format shown in Table 1). This must include details of your:
(a) compliance obligations;
(b) procedures for maintaining compliance with those obligations;
(c) how you will monitor your procedures; and
(d) who will do the monitoring and how often.
RG 3.22 This proof also includes a table describing your conflicts management
arrangements (to be provided in the format shown in Table 2). This must
include details of:
(a) any identified conflicts of interest;
(b) your arrangements for managing these conflicts; and
(c) your procedures for monitoring your arrangements.
(ii) the format in which such reports will be given (e.g. written report,
verbal feedback, signed monthly risk register); and
(iii) how you will satisfy yourself that the outsourced activity is
adequate for you to meet your AFS licensee obligations.
RG 3.24 This proof also includes a table describing your outsourcing arrangements
(to be provided in the format shown in Table 3). This must include details of:
(a) the activities you will outsource;
(b) the service provider;
(c) how you will monitor the provision of the service; and
(d) who will do the monitoring and how often.
Activities to be Service provider How the provision of the Who will monitor the provision
outsourced service will be monitored (e.g. of the service, and how often
inspection, review of reports) (e.g. monthly, quarterly)
Note 2: As a result of the financial adviser professional standards reforms, the training
standards in RG 146 no longer apply to relevant providers who provide personal advice
to retail clients on relevant financial products. See our website for more information on
how the reforms affect you.
Authorised representatives
RG 3.26 If you plan to appoint authorised representatives, this proof also needs to
include a description of your processes for:
(a) ensuring that authorised representatives will not act outside the scope of
their authorisation (e.g. If they are only authorised to provide general
advice, how will you ensure your authorised representatives do not
provide personal advice?);
(b) ensuring that you will notify us within 15 business days of any changes
in relation to your authorised representatives (see s916F of the
Corporations Act); and
(c) liaising with other AFS licensees in relation to authorised
representatives who represent more than one licensee (see s916C).
Note: In this guide, references to sections (s) are to the Corporations Act, unless
otherwise specified. You can find a copy of the Corporations Act on the Federal
Register of Legislation.
RG 3.27 This proof includes a description of your processes for ensuring that you
have adequate human resources available to meet your AFS licensee
obligations. This description should include:
(a) your processes for recruiting appropriately skilled employees; and
(b) your succession planning framework if a responsible manager is
unexpectedly unavailable. Succession planning is particularly important
for small businesses if you only have one or two responsible managers.
RG 3.28 This proof includes a description of your processes for ensuring that you
have adequate information technology (IT) resources available to meet your
AFS licensee obligations. This description should include:
(a) your IT strategic plan—see Australian Standard AS ISO 31000:2018
Risk management: Guidelines for further information;
Note: See the Standards Australia website for information about how to purchase
AS ISO 31000:2018. It is also available through public libraries across Australia.
RG 3.30 Your internal dispute resolution procedures must comply with Regulatory
Guide 271 Internal dispute resolution (RG 271).
Note: Regulatory Guide 165 Licensing: Internal and external dispute resolution
(RG 165) applies to complaints received by financial firms before 5 October 2021,
when RG 271 came into effect. We will withdraw RG 165 on 5 October 2022.
RG 3.33 This proof also includes a table (to be provided in the format shown in
Table 4) describing the main risks your business will face focusing on risks
that adversely affect consumers or market integrity (this includes risks of
non-compliance with the financial services laws). This must include details of:
(a) the risks you have identified;
(b) how they will arise;
(c) their likelihood;
(d) their potential impact;
(e) measures you have in place to deal with these risks (i.e. to monitor,
mitigate and manage the risks); and
(f) the person responsible for managing each risk.
Identified How the Likelihood Impact on the Measures to manage the Person(s)
risks risks will that the risks business if the risks, including frequency responsible for
arise will arise risks arise of review of measures managing the
risks
Blank cell Blank cell Blank cell Blank cell Blank cell Blank cell
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RG 3.34 When identifying your risks, you will need to think about the nature, scale and
complexity of your particular business. Some common examples of risks include:
(a) the risk of you breaching a condition on your AFS licence or your
licensee obligations;
(b) the risk of your representatives acting outside the scope of their authority; or
(c) if you are heavily dependent on one responsible manager, the risk of
that person being unavailable or unable to perform their functions.
RG 3.35 When describing the processes you have in place to monitor, mitigate and
manage your business risks, you need to explain each of the steps you will
use to achieve this outcome. For example, you need to explain if you will
undertake random monthly file checks, or use call centre scripts and record
client phone calls.
RG 3.36 We also generally expect that you will describe how you will implement
your risk management processes at an operational level.
RG 3.38 This proof also includes the following details in relation to each professional
indemnity insurance policy you have in place:
(a) the name of the insurer;
(b) the period of insurance;
(c) whether the policy is an individual policy or a group policy;
(d) whether the policy covers:
(i) all of the financial services and products that you wish to offer
under your AFS licence;
(ii) breaches of Ch 7 of the Corporations Act by both you and your
representatives;
Key points
(b) a description of how you assess, monitor and mitigate these risks,
including:
(i) the controls you have in place to monitor and mitigate these risks;
(ii) the frequency at which you will review your risk management
control measures (e.g. how often you will review how your control
measures and assumptions are derived, and the suitability of your
exposure limits);
(iii) the procedures you have in place if risk management internal
controls, such as exposure limits, are breached; and
(iv) who is responsible for managing and reporting on these risks.
Derivatives products
RG 3.52 This proof includes details of the types of derivative your proposed financial
services will relate to—that is:
(a) whether the products will be exchange traded (ET) and/or
over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives;
(b) the nature of the products (e.g. will they be options, warrants, forwards,
contracts for difference); and
(c) what the underlying asset or index will be (e.g. ASX 200 shares, interest
rates, currency, grain, electricity).
Timeliness
RG 3.66 This proof includes a description of your arrangements, systems, and written
policies and procedures relating to:
(a) the key steps and milestones, and the associated timeframes, that you
and your representatives will reasonably take, or expect to take
(excluding time that is within the control of the claimant or its
representatives), from initial inquiry about a claim or potential claim to
finalisation of the claim or your involvement with the claim;
(b) how you will monitor your compliance with these timeframes, and what
you will do to review and address any delays within your control;
(c) if you rely on outsourced third parties—how you will monitor their
compliance with these timeframes, and what you will do to review and
address any delays by them; and
(d) unless you are applying to act on behalf of a claimant (i.e. you are seeking
an authorisation under s766G(1)(c) as a ‘claimant intermediary’)—any
industry code timeframes you intend to follow (even if you do not
subscribe to that industry code).
RG 3.67 This proof also includes a description of your arrangements, systems, and
written policies and procedures relating to:
(a) what you will do to ensure that claimants understand the claims process,
including knowing:
(i) what to expect from you in the claims handling and settling process;
(ii) what you will expect of them;
(iii) how long it generally takes for a decision on a claim to be made;
(iv) why you need certain information from them;
(v) how often they will be told about the progress of their claim and
how they can seek more information about its progress;
(vi) if their claim has been rejected (in full or in part), why this is the
case, including clearly explaining to the claimant any adverse
findings and giving them an opportunity to respond and provide
additional information (i.e. affording them procedural fairness); and
(vii) they have a right to make a complaint and how to access internal
dispute resolution arrangements and external dispute resolution
through AFCA;
(b) the types of activities, and the extent of inquiries or substantiation
(i.e. with examples) you expect to request of a claimant or potential
claimant, including details of the factors you will have regard to in
treating a claimant or their situation as exceptional (i.e. warranting
more onerous substantiation or possible surveillance);
(c) ensuring you and your representatives act reasonably (i.e. by limiting
to a reasonable extent the burden and intrusiveness of inquiries) in
handling and settling a claim; and
(d) if you are a claimant intermediary—when and how you or your
representatives will provide clients with a Financial Services Guide as
required under s941C(7A).
RG 3.68 Vulnerability may arise from a range of factors such as age, disability,
mental health, physical health, family violence, language barriers, literacy,
cultural background, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status, remote
location or financial distress.
RG 3.69 This proof also includes a description of your arrangements, systems, and
written policies and procedures relating to:
(a) identifying and dealing with claimants and potential claimants who are
experiencing vulnerability or financial hardship differently to other
claimants; and
Code membership
RG 3.70 Unless you are applying to be a claimant intermediary, this proof also
includes an explanation of:
(a) if you subscribe to an industry code—which one;
(b) if you do not subscribe to an industry code—what your service
standards and timeframes are and whether they are consistent with any
relevant industry code; and
(c) if you are in an industry that does not have an industry code covering
claims handling and settling—whether you will set your service
standards in a way that is informed by the relevant codes, and consistent
with them where feasible.
RG 3.71 This proof also includes a description of your arrangements, systems, and
written policies and procedures relating to:
(a) what you regard are your key conflicts of interest and key potential
conflicts of interest;
(b) how you will select representatives to provide any of your claims
handling and settling services in light of the type of claims handling and
settling services you will engage them to provide for you;
(c) the management of any conflicts between your interests, the interests of
your representatives, and the interests of the claimant in relation to:
(i) incentives and performance measurements for your representatives
and the obligation to assess each claim on its merits;
(ii) any remuneration agreements with your representatives and the
obligation to handle claims efficiently, honestly and fairly; and
(iii) any third-party commercial arrangements and the obligation to
assess each claim on its merits; and
(d) the frequency and scope of reviewing the adequacy of your processes
for identifying and managing conflicts of interest.
RG 3.72 This proof also includes a description of your arrangements, systems, and
written policies and procedures relating to:
(a) taking reasonable steps to ensure your representatives are adequately
trained to provide claims handling and settling services;
RG 3.73 This part of the C12 proof only applies to general insurance claims handling
and settling services (and excludes claimant intermediaries).
RG 3.74 This part of the proof includes a description of your arrangements, systems,
and written policies and procedures relating to:
(a) how you will ensure the content of your Cash Settlement Fact Sheet
meets the requirements in Div 3A of Pt 7.7;
(b) how you will identify whether the fact sheet is required to be provided
to a claimant; and
(c) if your arrangements include that your representatives provide the fact
sheet to the claimant—how you will ensure that your representatives
comply.
(d) who will hold the legal title to the assets of the CCIV and arrangements
for identifying and recording the status of investments held by the
CCIV or another person in relation to each sub-fund;
(e) any accounting, computing and operating systems for CCIVs and how
you will monitor and maintain these systems;
(f) how you will manage access to and security of records of the CCIV,
including those relating to each sub-fund, and client records;
(g) how you will value the CCIV assets and price securities in the CCIV;
and
(h) a description of how you will market the CCIV, the sub-funds and the
corporate director’s services.
Key terms
AFS licensee A person who holds an AFS licence under s913B of the
Corporations Act
claims handling and Has the meaning given in s766G of the Corporations Act
settling service
[CO 13/761] (for An ASIC class order (in this example numbered 13/761)
example) Note: Legislative instruments made from 2015 are referred to
as ASIC instruments.
Corporations Act Corporations Act 2001, including regulations made for the
purposes of that Act
crowd-funding service Has the meaning given in s766F of the Corporations Act
CSF offer An offer of ordinary shares that is made under the CSF
regime in Pt 6D.3A of the Corporations Act
Note: See s738B of the Corporations Act.
CSF offer document A document setting out the terms of a CSF offer that
complies with s738J of the Corporations Act
financial services Has the meaning given in s761A of the Corporations Act
laws
general risk warning A statement in the terms specified in reg 6D.3A.10 of the
Corporations Regulations, which alerts retail investors to
the risks associated with investing in CSF offers
Note 1: See s738ZA(2) of the Corporations Act.
Note 2: See also reg 6D.3A.03 for the version of the risk
warning that must be included in a CSF offer document.
incidental provider Has the meaning given in Class Order [CO 13/761]
Financial requirements for custodial or depository service
providers
FX Foreign exchange
PF 209 (for example) An ASIC pro forma (in this example numbered 209)
representative Means:
an authorised representative of the licensee;
an employee or director of the licensee;
an employee or director of a related body corporate of
the licensee; or
any other person acting on behalf of the licensee
Note: This is a definition contained in s910A of the
Corporations Act.
RG 91 (for example) An ASIC regulatory guide (in this example numbered 91)
s1308 (for example) A section of the Corporations Act (in this example
numbered 1308)
Related information
Headnotes
Regulatory guides
RG 1 AFS Licensing Kit: Part 1—Applying for and varying an AFS licence
Note: RG 165 applies to complaints received by financial firms before 5 October 2021,
when RG 271 came into effect. We will withdraw RG 165 on 5 October 2022.
Reports
Legislation
Corporations Act, Ch 7, Pt 6D.3A, Pt 7.7, Div 3A, s9, 738H, 738W, 738ZD,
766G, 912A, 916C, 916F, 941C, 985H, 985J, 985M, 1308
ASIC forms
Other documents