FSG Financial Services Guide
| Stockcourse Pty Ltd
(ABN: 13097760819) |
PO Box 5253
Phone: 1300 526 314
|
Issue Date
This Financial Services Guide (FSG) is dated 24 June 2010 and replaces all previous versions. Avestra Capital authorises the distribution of this FSG.About This Guide
This Financial Services Guide (FSG) is an important document that is designed to tell you about:
- Who we are.
- How you can contact us.
- The financial services we offer so you can make an informed decision whether to use those services.
- Information we need from you.
- The cost of our advisory services and how we pay our representatives.
- What to do if you have a complaint about our services.
If you need further information on any of these matters, please ask.
About Us
Stockcourse Pty Ltd ABN 13 097 760 819 (“STOCKCOURSE”, “we”, “our” or “us”) is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR: 286 344) of Avestra Capital Pty Ltd (AFSL: 292 464) who is a financial planning and investment advisory firm specialising in listed securities. Our advisors’ record of achievement and reliability is based on providing some of the best investment advice in Australia. We offer extensive skills which mirror the different needs of clients with great emphasis placed on research to support the advice.
Avestra Capital Pty Ltd holds an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL 292464) and is authorised to provide financial services under this licence.
Collectively we can provide advice and arrange transactions covering:
- Deposit Products (including Bonds)
- Derivatives (options, warrants and CFD)
- Foreign Exchange
- Government Debentures
- Life Insurance Products
- Managed Investment Schemes
- Retirement Savings Accounts
- Securities (shares)
- Superannuation
To Obtain Services From Us
If you do not have a nominated advisor, you can contact us at –
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Office Address Ph: |
Postal Address
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If you request a service that requires us to give you personal financial advice, then we will provide you with a nominated advisor. By personal financial advice, we mean that advice that will take into account your personal objectives, financial situation and needs.
Avestra Pty Ltd has authorised advisors to provide these financial services to you and the details of your nominated advisor can be found in the Advisor Profile given with this FSG where appropriate. The Advisor Profile will outline the advisor contact details together with the training, education, experience and authorisations for that advisor.
As the Licensee, Avestra Capital Pty Ltd is responsible for the advice you receive from us. If your advisor is unable or unwilling to provide you with advice or services in respect of certain products, the advisor will refer you to another representative of Avestra Capital Pty Ltd, who should be able to assist you.
General Financial Advice
There may be times we offer you general financial advice. You should note that general financial advice does not relate specifically to you and therefore may not be appropriate to your particular financial needs, objectives and financial circumstances.
You need to take this into account before deciding whether or not to act on it.
Personal Financial Advice
If we provide you with personal financial advice, then you will initially receive a Statement of Advice (SoA) when or as soon as practical after the advice is given. This statement will set out the advice, the basis on which the advice was given and any remuneration or other benefit that we, including our representatives and associates may receive. We will also include details of any matter that might reasonably be expected to be capable of influencing us in providing this advice.
If you maintain an advice relationship with us, then generally we will not provide a SoA for further advice situations unless there have been significant changes to either your personal circumstances or the basis of the advice since your last SoA was provided. In these circumstances however, we are still required to keep a Record of Advice (RoA). You have the right to request a copy of your RoA at any time.
Buying and Selling Shares
Acting as your agent, we will buy and sell securities on the Australian Securities Exchange or any other appropriate exchange for you. Once your securities have been bought or sold, you will receive a contract note from us or the executing broker setting out the details and costs of the transaction.
You may specify how you would like to give us instructions to trade e.g. by telephone, fax or other means. However for transactions greater than $25,000 we reserve the right to require that instructions are confirmed in writing.
Where we provide you with execution related telephone advice, you may request in writing a record of that advice.
If you are buying, we require you to provide the funds in advance. Please note that in accordance with industry practice and regulation, we cannot accept cash.
- Penalties – Fees will be charged on accounts not settled in accordance with industry practice. If you owe us money, we reserve the right to charge interest on any amounts outstanding. Default in payment may result in sale of the securities, including any other securities held in a client’s account, to recover costs.
Product Disclosure Statements
When advice is given, we will also give you, where appropriate, a Product Disclosure Statement issued by the product provider containing information you would reasonably require to make a decision about whether to acquire the financial product. The PDS will disclose details of any fees and charges payable for that product.
Information We Need From You
Depending on the type of service being sought, we may ask you to provide certain personal information to your advisor, either in writing or verbally. This may involve a quite detailed process of both qualitative and quantitative data collection. Please ensure that your advisor becomes aware of any changes that may be relevant when advice is given in the future.
- What Information Do We Retain About Clients – We maintain a record of your personal profile which may contain details of your objectives, financial situation and needs. We maintain records of any recommendations made to you, together with summaries of meetings and transactions. All these records are our property and must be retained for production to the regulatory authorities upon their request. If you wish to examine our file, you should ask us and we will make arrangements for you to do so.
- What Are The Possible Consequences Of Not Providing This Information – You are of course at liberty to decline to provide some or all of this information, but if you do not provide it, any recommendations we make may not be appropriate to your needs and objectives.
All information is kept strictly confidential and you can obtain a copy of our Privacy Policy from your advisor or from http://www.stockcourse.net/privacy-policy
As a financial service provider, we have an obligation under the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Finance Act to verify your identify and the source of any funds. This means that we will ask you to present identification documents such as passports and drivers licence. We will also retain copies of this information. We assure you that this information will be held securely.
What Do You Pay For Our Services?
Avestra Stockcourse is remunerated through the fees and commissions that we charge you. To assist you in making an informed decision we will discuss with you and agree on any fees payable before providing a service. The Corporations Act requires us to fully disclose all fees and charges, so if you are in doubt please ask us to explain.
You may be charged a fee for the services we provide or we may be paid a commission or brokerage or a combination of the two may apply. All fees and commissions are payable to the Licensee.
The level will vary with the financial product being traded, the frequency of your trading activity, the type and level of service and the size of the transaction. Fees and commissions are subject to negotiation prior to us providing you with a financial service. As part of our negotiations, all share trades would normally be subject to a minimum dollar cost which would apply if the brokerage calculated by the above method fell below the minimum figure. Once disclosed and agreed, these fees and commissions will be charged at the time your transaction is executed.
The following lists our base commission rates for non-advisory based services. These rates do not include GST and are subject to change from time to time.
- Online Australian Shares - $25 or 0.25% plus GST (whichever is greater). For example, if you traded shares to the value of $40,000, our brokerage would be $100 (plus GST). If you traded shares to the value of $5,000, our brokerage would be the $25 (plus GST) minimum.
- Online Australian CFD’s - $12.50 or 0.125% (whichever is greater). GST does not apply to CFD trades.
In some circumstances, we will set up an account that clears through Berndale which allows us to take orders over the phone or in writing. Base commission rates for non-advisory trades are –
- Australian Shares - $45 or 0.25% plus GST (whichever is greater).
- Australian Options - $45 plus GST (whichever is greater).
- Phone CFD’s - $30 or 0.25% (whichever is greater).
Base fees for full-service advisory transactions are as follows –
- Australian Shares - $65 or 0.50% plus GST (whichever is greater).
- Australian Options - $60 or 0.50% plus GST (whichever is greater).
Other fees we can disclose –
- Online platform fee – The online trading platform can access 20 minute delayed data or direct market access (i.e live) prices. You can subscribe to direct market access data directly on the platform for the market of your choice and prices will vary depending on the exchange. For example, access to the Australian Securities Exchange is $37.50 plus GST. This is an ASX fee and is not income to Avestra Stockcourse.
- Managed Portfolio Account – An ongoing management fee for any funds invested in a Managed Portfolio Account is charged 1.50% (plus GST) p.a. calculated and charged quarterly.
We may also recommend other classes of products to you and the fees or commissions will be disclosed to you in a Statement of Advice.
Stockcourse employees are remunerated by way of salary and other employee benefits. They may also be eligible for a discretionary bonus. Certain representatives, who are not salaried, may receive 0 to 70% of all fees and commissions generated from their clients.
We may from time to time receive a benefit from preferred product providers by way of sponsorship of educational seminars, conferences or training days. Details of benefits above $300 will be maintained on a Register.
You have a right to request further information in relation to the remuneration, the range of amounts or rates of remuneration, and soft dollar benefits received by the licensee and/or representative.
Our Associations That You Need Know About
The Licensee is part of the Avestra Group Pty Ltd and is associated with the following companies –
- Avestra Group Pty Ltd
- Avestra Capital Markets Pty Ltd
- Avestra Online Pty Ltd
- Avestra Funds Management Pty Ltd
- Avestra Private Wealth Pty Ltd
These companies may receive a percentage of the brokerage and other income generated by us relating to transactions carried out for clients, as well as refer potential clients to us.
Dispute Resolution
We are committed to providing quality advice to our clients. This commitment extends to providing accessible complaint resolution mechanisms. If you have any complaint about the service provided to you, you should take the following steps –
- Contact your advisor and tell your advisor about your complaint. The majority of complaints can be resolved this way.
- If you do not have an advisor, or your complaint is not acknowledged within 7 business days, please contact the Complaints Manager at
Stockcourse This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- You can also put your complaint in writing and send it to us at –
Stockcourse Pty Ltd
PO Box 5253
Manly QLD 4179
We will try and resolve your complaint quickly and fairly. You should receive written acknowledgement of your complaint within 5 business days after we have received your complaint in writing.
If your complaint is not satisfactorily resolved within a further 15 business days, you can raise your concerns with the licensee Avestra Capital Pty Ltd. Please send a copy of your complaint to –
Avestra Capital Pty Ltd
PO Box 393
Varsity Lakes QLD 4227
If your complaint is not satisfactorily resolved within a further 7 business days you can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service on 1300 780 808. Avestra is a member of this complaints resolution service.
The Australian Securities & Investments Commissions (ASIC) has a freecall Infoline 1300 300 630 which you may use to make a complaint and obtain information about your rights.
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Avestra Capital Pty Ltd confirms that it has arrangements in place to ensure it continues to maintain Professional Indemnity insurance in accordance with s.912B of the Corporations Act 2001 (as amended). In particular our Professional Indemnity insurance, subject to its terms and conditions, provides indemnity up to $3,000,000 for Avestra Capital Pty Ltd and our authorised representatives / representatives / employees in respect of our authorisations and obligations under our Australian Financial Services Licence. The insurance will continue to provide such coverage for any authorised representative / representative / employee who has ceased for work done whilst engaged with us.