The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has issued a renewed warning to the financial advice industry and published a new webpage with step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips for updating qualifications and training details on the Financial Advisers Register. The update targets existing providers who intend to keep giving personal advice to retail clients about relevant financial products after 31 December 2025, and highlights the need to meet education and training requirements, verify register information, and have Australian financial services (AFS) licensees notify ASIC of qualifications or reliance on the experienced provider pathway. ASIC flagged that if relevant providers who are also existing providers do not meet the qualifications standard by 1 January 2026, AFS licensees should consider ceasing their authorisation on or before 31 December 2025 to avoid consequences for existing provider status. Where an adviser remains authorised and authorisation instead ceases by operation of law on 1 January 2026, the adviser would need to complete a professional year and obtain an approved degree (or equivalent qualification in Schedule 1 of the Corporations (Relevant Providers Degrees, Qualifications and Courses Standard) Determination 2021) before providing personal advice to retail clients again, and would be unable to use the existing provider pathways in Part 3 of the determination. A spot-check of register data as at 20 November 2025 showed 15,469 relevant providers, with 7,959 recorded as holding an approved degree or qualification, 4,212 relying on the experienced provider pathway, 972 recorded as both, and 2,326 not yet meeting the standard based on information recorded, including 836 who may be eligible for the experienced provider pathway but have not been notified to ASIC; ASIC also noted 827 relevant providers who are also existing providers (unless exempt) must complete specified commercial law and taxation law courses to continue providing tax (financial) advice services from 1 January 2026.
Australian Securities & Investments Commission 2025-12-01
Australian Securities & Investments Commission issues final warning and new instructions to update the Financial Advisers Register before the 1 January 2026 qualifications standard
ASIC has warned financial advisers to update qualifications on the Financial Advisers Register by 31 December 2025. Failure to meet standards by 1 January 2026 may end authorisation. A spot-check found 2,326 providers non-compliant, with 827 needing courses for tax advice services.