Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated Acts(1) This section applies if the providing entity is a financial services licensee.
(2) Subject to subsection (3) and to the regulations (see subsection (4)), the Financial Services Guide must include the following statements and information:
(a) a statement setting out the name and contact details of the providing entity; and
(b) a statement setting out any special instructions about how the client may provide instructions to the providing entity; and
(c) information about the kinds of financial services (the authorised services ) that the providing entity is authorised by its licence to provide, and the kinds of financial products to which those services relate; and
(d) information about who the providing entity acts for when providing the authorised services; and
(e) information about the remuneration (including commission) or other benefits that any of the following is to receive in respect of, or that is attributable to, the provision of any of the authorised services:
(i) the providing entity;
(ii) a related body corporate of the providing entity;
(iii) a director or employee of the providing entity or a related body corporate;
(iv) an associate of any of the above;
(v) any other person in relation to whom the regulations require the information to be provided;
(f) information about any associations or relationships between the providing entity, or any related body corporate, and the issuers of any financial products, being associations or relationships that might reasonably be expected to be capable of influencing the providing entity in providing any of the authorised services; and
(fa) if the authorised services provided by the providing entity include the provision of personal advice to retail clients, and the providing entity would contravene subsection 923A(1) by assuming or using a restricted word or expression (within the meaning of subsection 923A(5)) in relation to such provision of personal advice--a statement that:
(i) sets out that the providing entity is not independent, impartial or unbiased (which are restricted words or expressions within the meaning of subsection 923A(5)) in relation to the provision of personal advice, and explains the reasons why; and
(ii) if any other word or expression has been specified as a restricted word or expression in regulations made for the purposes of subparagraph 923A(5)(a)(ii)--sets out that the providing entity is not able to assume or use the restricted word or expression in relation to the provision of personal advice, and explains the reasons why; and
(iii) meets the requirements (if any) determined in an instrument under subsection (7A); and
(g) if the providing entity provides further market - related advice (see subsection 946B(1)) or advice to which subsection 946B(7) applies--a statement in relation to which the following requirements are satisfied:
(i) the statement must indicate that the client may request a record of that advice, if they have not already been provided with a record of that advice;
(ii) the statement must set out particulars of how the client may request such a record;
(iii) any limitations in those particulars on the time within which the client may request such a record must be consistent with any applicable requirements in regulations made for the purposes of this subparagraph or, if there are no such applicable requirements, must be such as to allow the client a reasonable opportunity to request a record of the advice; and
(h) information about the dispute resolution system that covers complaints by persons to whom the providing entity provides financial services, and about how that system may be accessed; and
(i) if the providing entity acts under a binder in providing any of the authorised services--a statement that:
(i) identifies the services provided under the binder; and
(ii) states that they are provided under a binder; and
(iii) explains the significance of the services being provided under a binder; and
(j) if the providing entity is a participant in a licensed market or a licensed CS facility--a statement that the providing entity is a participant in that market or facility; and
(k) any other statements or information required by the regulations.
Note: A Supplementary Financial Services Guide containing additional information may be given with a Financial Services Guide that does not contain all the required information. The additional information is taken to be included in the Financial Services Guide (see section 943D.)
(3) Subject to subsection (4), the level of information about a matter that is required is such as a person would reasonably require for the purpose of making a decision whether to acquire financial services from the providing entity as a retail client.
(4) The regulations may provide all or any of the following:
(a) that a provision of subsection (2) does not apply in a particular situation;
(b) that particular information is not required by a provision of subsection (2), either in a particular situation or generally;
(c) a more detailed statement of the information that is required by a provision of subsection (2), either in a particular situation or generally;
(d) that certain supplementary information must be given or made available to the client in some other way.
(5) The Financial Services Guide must be dated. The date must be the date on which the Financial Services Guide was prepared or its preparation was completed.
(6) The Financial Services Guide may also contain other information.
(6A) The information included in the Financial Services Guide must be worded and presented in a clear, concise and effective manner.
(7) The regulations may require the providing entity, in circumstances specified in the regulations, to provide the client, on request, with more detailed information about remuneration (including commission) or other benefits of a kind referred to in paragraph (2)(e).
(7A) ASIC may, by legislative instrument, determine requirements for a statement for the purposes of subparagraph (2)(fa)(iii).
(7B) Without limiting subsection (7A), the instrument may include the following:
(a) requirements that a specified form, or specified form of words, be used for the statement;
(b) requirements for the statement to include specified information;
(c) requirements about the presentation, structure and format of the statement, including the location of the statement within the Financial Services Guide.
(8) If:
(a) the Financial Services Guide includes a statement to the effect that a client may request a record of further market - related advice or advice to which subsection 946B(7) applies; and
(b) the client is provided with advice to which that statement applies; and
(c) the client has not already been provided with a record of that advice;
the providing entity must comply with a request made in accordance with that statement for a record of that advice.
Note: Failure to comply with this subsection is an offence (see subsection 1311(1)).