All AFSL holders should be required, as a condition of their licence, to take the following steps when they detect that a financial adviser has engaged in misconduct in respect of financial advice given to a retail client (whether by giving inappropriate advice or otherwise):
- make whatever inquiries are reasonably necessary to determine the nature and full extent of the adviser’s misconduct; and
- where there is sufficient information to suggest that an adviser has engaged in misconduct, tell affected clients and remediate those clients promptly.
Government Response
The Government agrees to require all AFSL holders to make whatever inquiries reasonably necessary to determine the nature and full extent of an adviser’s misconduct (when the licensee detects misconduct) and inform and remediate affected clients promptly.
This recommendation will be reinforced by the Government announcement to provide ASIC with a new directions power as part of its response to the ASIC Enforcement Review.