Financial Services Licensees in Newcastle, NSW

An AFSL is the licence issued by ASIC that permits an entity to provide financial services in Australia, including those offered in Newcastle, New South Wales. It specifies the designated services (advice, dealing, market-making, custodial) and the financial products covered. The AFSL number must appear on every Financial Services Guide and disclosure document.

General advice is product information that does not consider your circumstances — it can be given without a Statement of Advice. Personal advice considers your goals, financial situation and needs, and triggers the Best Interests Duty. Personal advice always requires a written Statement of Advice before any recommendations are implemented.

Providers giving personal advice are bound by the Best Interests Duty under the Corporations Act. They must prioritise your interests over their own, only recommend products likely to leave you in a better position, and disclose all fees, commissions and conflicts of interest in writing before you act.

Complaints go through the licensee's internal dispute resolution (IDR) process first; the licensee has 30 days to respond. If unresolved, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) is the free external dispute resolution body. AFCA can make binding determinations up to specified caps under the Corporations Act.