Frequently Asked QuestionsIf you have any questions regarding RG146 compliance training requirements, please do not hesitate to call one of our friendly Education Advisers on 1300 883 346. 01. Who needs RG146/PS146 compliance training?01. Who needs RG146/PS146 compliance training?The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) regulates the provision of advice to retail clients in Australia. As part of this policy, ASIC enforces a minimum education standard (KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS) all Financial Advisers/Planners must have in order to provide advice. This is set out in Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146), which was previously known as Policy Statement (PS146). Specifically, ASIC requires that: “RG
146.4 All natural persons who provide financial product advice to
retail clients must meet the training standards….“ In addition: RG 146.6 The training standards are sets of knowledge and (in some cases) skill requirements that must be satisfied, at either the Tier 1 or Tier 2 education level, by advisers before they give advice. The Tier 1 education level is broadly equivalent to the ‘Diploma’ level under the Australian Qualifications Framework…and relates to the provision of personal and general advice in specific knowledge areas such as superannuation, insurance, managed investments, securities, derivatives, etc Table: Tier 1 and Tier 2 products
An individual cannot provide advice to retail clients in any specialist knowledge area and/or in relation to any product if they do not meet the minimum training standards as set out in RG146. 02. What is meant by ‘providing advice to retail clients’?Financial Product Advice is “a
recommendation or a statement of opinion, or a report of either of
those things, that is intended to influence a person or persons in
making a decision (buy, sell or hold) in relation to a particular
financial product or class of financial products, or would reasonably
be regarded as being intended to have such an influence.” Advice provided to a retail client can be: • personal advice or Personal advice is “financial product advice that is given or directed to a person (including by electronic means) in circumstances where: •
the provider of the advice has considered one or more of the
person’s objectives, financial situation and needs; or 03. What is ‘GENERIC KNOWLEDGE’?Generic Knowledge (GK) is the FOUNDATION COURSE required by any individual wanting to provide general or personal advice to a retail client. GK covers the following topics:
Generic Knowledge content is covered in the first FOUR Modules of IIT’s course Financial Planning in Practice. 04. What is the minimum training requirement if I ONLY want to provide GENERAL ADVICE?General advice involves communicating with a retail client but at no time does the Financial Adviser take in to account the individual’s personal objectives, financial situation and needs.
The Adviser must make no recommendations in relation to a financial
product’s suitability for a retail client, nor can the
Adviser 'select' from a group of potential products which might be
suitable for a particular client in relation to their personal needs,
circumstances or objectives. If you want to provide 'general advice' to a retail client then you must have undertake the following level of study: General Advice Adviser = Generic Knowledge + at least one Specialist Knowledge Area The SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE areas are covered in Appendix A2 of RG146 issued by ASIC and include Financial Planning, Insurance, Superannuation, Securities, Managed Investments, Derivatives, Foreign Exchange, Deposit products and Non-Cash Payment products. 05. What is the minimum training requirement if I ONLY want to provide PERSONAL ADVICE?Personal advice is “financial product advice that is given or directed to a person (including by electronic means) in circumstances where: •
the provider of the advice has considered one or more of the
person’s objectives, financial situation and needs; or If you want to provide 'personal advice’ to a retail client, you MUST complete Financial Planning in Practice
– this course contains both Generic Knowledge and Financial
Planning Skills. ASIC has set out the skills required in
Appendix B of RG146 and state: RG 146.142 Advisers providing personal financial advice to retail clients should be able to apply appropriate skills in relation to their activities and the products and markets in which they operate. 06. What training do I need to do if I want to move from providing General Advice to Personal Advice?As
you already provide general advice, you must have completed the Generic
Knowledge requirements as set out under RG146 – that is, the
first FOUR Modules of IIT’s Financial Planning in Practice. Therefore, to provide personal advice you will simply have to complete the remaining modules of Financial Planning in Practice. This can be done by attending an Intensive 1 day Workshop or by Distance (self-paced) Education. 07. I want to specialize in a particular area. What training do I need?As mentioned previously, Generic Knowledge is the FOUNDATION COURSE required by any individual seeking to provide general or personal advice in any Specialist Knowledge area. At IIT, our courses are as follows: GK = Generic Knowledge (first FOUR Modules of FPP) FPP = Financial Planning in Practice PRM = Principle of Risk Management PIP = Principles of Investment Planning PRS = Principle of Retirement and Superannuation If you wish to specialize as a particular type of Financial Adviser then you need to undertake the following courses:
Depending
on the type of advice you want to provide and the specialist knowledge
area(s) you wish to provide advice in, the courses detailed in the
table above will provide you with the required Unit of Competencies to
meet the minimum training standards as set out by ASIC in
RG146. Units of Competency issued include: Please call our friendly team of Education Advisers if you want more details about the specific units of competency covered in each IIT course. 08. How does ‘Distanced Education’ work?Distance Education is sometimes referred to as self-paced learning. Distance
Education is ideal if you can't take the time off work, have family
commitments, or just prefer to learn at your own pace. Distance
Education only works if you have a disciplined approach to completing
the assessments required to complete the course(s) you have enroled
in. If you feel you need more structure or learn better in a
classroom environment then our intensive workshops are probably a more
suitable option. With
the Distance Education option, you have continual access to our
dedicated team of Distance Education Facilitators to help you with any
queries you might have. You can contact out team by phone or
email. IIT’s Distance Education policy means you
will have a response to your query within 24 hours. The
time taken to complete a course by distance education course varies
according to the individual. You should set aside
approximately 40 to 150 hours per course, depending on your level of
financial services experience. You
will have FOUR months to complete any course you are undertaking by
distance education. Time Extensions are possible however you will need
to apply, in writing, to the Education Manager prior to the expiration
of the four month period. At any stage you can elect to upgrade to an Intensive Workshop Program and simply pay the difference in the course price. 09. What are the benefits of the Intensive Workshop Programs?Intensive workshops enable you to complete your chosen course(s) in the fastest possible time. Workshops
allow learning to be accelerated under the careful instruction of one
of our expert Facilitators who are industry professionals with
‘real world’ experience and who take the time to
tell the ‘war stories’ which help explain the
concepts. Workshops are LIMITED to no more than 10
participants to ensure you receive individual, personalised service in
relation to any queries you might have. It
also allows you to ‘bounce ideas around’ with other
participants – not to mention the networking opportunities! IIT conducts one workshop per course per month in most major capital cities in Australia. Each course at the Diploma level is structured so that each takes 2 Days to complete – 8 days for the full Diploma. Our Certificate courses can be structured to suit individual needs – please contact one of our friendly Education Advisers for more details. 10. What is Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?Recognition
of Prior Learning (RPL) simply involves an individual assessment of
your KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS based on your work and life
experience. Knowledge and skills can be
demonstrated (and assessed) by THREE main methods: RPL by Recognition of Qualification / Statement of Attainment
11. I want to become a Para-planner. What are the minimum training requirements I need?Paraplanners
assist Financial Planners / Advisers in the preparation of financial
planning strategies as well as the construction of Statements of Advice
(SoA). ASIC states in RG146: “RG
146.27 Where para-planners and trainee advisers are used in relation to
the provision of financial product advice, we consider that the
licensee must have compliance measures in place designed to ensure that
a person who satisfies the training standards plays a material role in
the provision of the advice, as described in RG 146.26. These measures
must include an effective means of monitoring what para-planners and
trainee advisers say to retail clients. Further, while para-planners
and trainee advisers do not have to comply with the training standards,
licensees must ensure that their para-planners and trainee advisers
have the necessary competence to perform their functions: see
s912A(1)(f).“ Therefore, most organisations (if not all) require Paraplanners to have, as a minimum, the full FNS50804 Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning). |
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