FMA allows personalised robo-advice; applications open early 2018

Consultation to follow on draft exemption notice

Media release
MR No. 2017 – 44
18 October 2017

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has decided to grant an exemption to enable personalised robo-advice and is publishing the responses to its earlier consultation.

In June, the FMA started consultation on whether it should use its exemption powers to enable personalised robo-advice (also known as online or digital advice) under the current financial advice regime to foster innovation and improve consumer access to advice.  Proposed changes to financial adviser laws are also designed to address this issue, but will not come into effect until 2019. [1]

Submissions to the consultation focused on a number of themes:

• Strong support for an exemption from the current laws preventing personalised robo-advice.
• Opposition to financial limits and product exclusions.
• Robo-advice should meet the same standards as those that apply to authorised financial advisers (AFAs).
• Exemption applicants should be pre-approved or licensed.
• Exemption conditions should be aligned with new advice regime requirements.

The FMA considered the submissions and decided to grant an exemption. Providers will need to apply to the FMA to rely on the exemption; the FMA is aiming for this process to start in early 2018.

Finalising the exemption requires a further consultation, in November, on the details of the application process and drafting of the exemption notice.

The FMA has decided not to impose financial limits on personalised robo-advice and the eligible product list has been expanded to include mortgages and personal insurance products.

Liam Mason, FMA Director of Regulation said, “Firms who want to offer personalised robo-advice services must apply to us to rely on the exemption. This is consistent with our gatekeeper role for other financial advisers (AFAs and QFEs) and provides us with increased visibility over the providers entering this market.”

Companies seeking to offer personalised robo-advice will have to provide the FMA with good character declarations for directors and senior managers as well as information showing they have the capability and competence to provide the robo-advice service. The exemption conditions will also be designed so that the robo-advice service is provided in a manner that is consistent with AFA requirements.

“The exemption conditions and our ability to monitor providers will help us to manage risks and ensure consumer protection safeguards are in place,” Mr Mason said.

A number of submissions requested exemption conditions be aligned with the requirements that will apply under the new advice regime to be put in place in 2019. The FMA is not able to bring forward requirements that would apply under the new advice regime, many of which are still to be developed. The exemption application process will not be a substitute for obtaining a licence under the new advice regime.

A summary of the submissions can be found here. 49 submissions were received by the FMA. 47 are being published.

Ends

Notes

[1] Current legislation requires personalised advice to be delivered by a natural person, thereby restricting the ability to provide personalised robo-advice. The current law, passed in 2008, did not contemplate robo-advice.

Contact:

Edwin Mitson
Ph: 021 702 036
[email protected]