Frequently Asked Questions

What we will do

At JC Consulting we your advisor will only recommend an investment to you after considering its suitability for your individual investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances.

We will review your situation and design an investment strategy that best meets your circumstances and future objectives. After you are completely satisfied with the proposed plan, we then select the investment products which have the relevant features to achieve specific goals.

We will only recommend products that are listed on JC Consulting’s Approved product list. The products we recommend are all selected from an approved list of products carefully researched by independent research experts.

We will take instructions from you as to what strategies from the recommendation you wish to implement.

We will consider your tax situation but not provide advice on tax.

What we will not do

We will not provide advice on products that are not on JC Consulting’s Approved Products list. No representative of JC Consulting has authority to advise on products outside of the approved list.

We will not ask you to sign any blank documents.

What we expect of you

We expect that you will complete any proposal forms for life insurance in your own handwriting.

We expect that you will not sign any blank documents.

We expect that you will not make any cheques payable to any of JC Consulting’s Authorised Representative in any circumstances.

We expect that you will not make any cheques payable to JC Consulting except where you have agreed to pay a fee for service provided by your adviser and have been invoiced for the service on a JC Consulting Pty Ltd Tax Invoice.

We expect that you will provide us with he information that we request so that we have a reasonable basis on which to provide you with advice.

We expect that you will update us annually, or more often if necessary, on any changes that may influence your future objectives.

We expect that you will use our advice for you to make the decisions.

We expect that you will take advantage of our Annual Review Service. This service provides you with ongoing advice of your portfolio. A fee may be charged for this service. The amount of the fee will be agreed between you and your adviser at your first interview and will depend on the elements of the service you wish to adopt.

How will I pay for your advisory services?

Your adviser will either charge you a fee or receive commissions, or may offer a combination of both, details of which will be clearly documented to you before you proceed.

Fee for service only – Fees are charged according to the work provided by your adviser and may be charged on an hourly basis or as a flat fee. You may receive a fee for the placement of your initial investment and associated advice, as well as an ongoing fee for the provision of ongoing advice. If you are charged a fee for service only, all commission (up front and ongoing) will be rebated back to you.

Commission/Brokerage only – Your adviser may be remunerated for the services provided by receiving commission/brokerage only. We typically receive between 0% and 5% commission of the funds invested from the investment manager or other parties with which JC Consulting has a relationship. This commission is not charged separately to you. It is paid to us by the fund managers out of the fees payable on your investment.

Some companies also pay us an ongoing commission (often call a trial commission).

Both the up front commission and the ongoing commission will be explained and clearly documented. You will also receive Research Notes (which fully document the fees) for any recommendation we make.

Do I get detailed information about the benefits my adviser receives from the recommendations?

Yes. You have the right to know about details of commissions and other benefits your adviser can receive for recommending investments. We will provide this to you when we make specific recommendations.

What should I know about the risk of the investments or financial strategies you recommend to me?

We will explain and document to you the risk return principles associated with investments and strategies, which we recommend to you. You should ask us to clarify any risks that are not clear to you.

What information do you maintain on my file and can I examine my file?

We maintain written records of your personal profile which includes details of your investment objective, financial situation and needs. We also maintain records of any recommendations made to you and discussions of significance we may have with you.

If you wish to examine your file, feel free to ask and we will make arrangements for you to do so.

Can I tell you how I wish to instruct you to buy or see my investments?

Yes. You may specify how you would like to give us instructions. For example, telephone, fax or other.

If I have complaints, to whom can I complain about the advisory service?

If you have any complaints about the service provided, please take the following steps:

1. Contact your adviser and tell him/her about your complaint.
2. If your complaint is not satisfactorily resolved within 3 working days, please put your complaint in writing.  This will ensure that the issues are fully documented and understood by all parties.  Your complaint should be addressed to the Managing Director, JC Consulting Pty Ltd, 5A Lascelles Avenue, Toorak, Vic  3142 or fax it to (03) 9827 6211.  We will endeavour to resolve your complaint within 42 working days.
3. If you still do not get a satisfactory outcome, you have the right to take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service at GPO Box 3 Melbourne, Vic  3001 or telephone 1300 78 08 08, Fax (03) 9613 6399.  We are a member of this Service.

The Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) also has a toll free Infoline on 1300 300 630 which you may use to make a complaint and obtain information about your rights.