Advise under an established AFSL without building your own

MF & Co. Asset Management holds an Australian financial services licence (AFSL 520442) for general advice. As our representative you give advice under that licence, so you don't have to apply for, fund and run your own. You keep your clients and run your business day to day, and we look after the licence obligations: compliance and monitoring, and AFCA membership. Join as an authorised representative (AR) under the MFAM brand, or as a corporate authorised representative (CAR) under your own company and brand.

  • Your clients stay yours, and as a CAR so does your brand
  • Compliance oversight, monitoring and AFCA membership sit with us
  • Broker choice, research and lead flow
  • Compliance intranet, AUSIEX Desk and advice automation from day one
AFSL
520442
Advice
General advice in equities and derivatives
Structures
AR and CAR

Book a call with Henry

Best time to call

What holding your own AFSL involves

A licensee has continuing compliance obligations, and ASIC holds the licensee accountable.

Compliance arrangements

Conduct, disclosure, conflicts and risk management systems have to be built, run and kept current.

Complaints and AFCA

You need internal dispute resolution procedures and membership of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Insurance

You must have arrangements to compensate retail clients for losses from breaches, usually professional indemnity insurance.

The regulator

You report breaches and other reportable situations to ASIC, and you answer for what your representatives do.

Keeping up with regulation

A licensee has to track every change to laws, ASIC guidance and AFCA rules and update its policies, documents and training to match.

You keep the business and we carry the licence.

You keep

  • Your clients and your client book
  • Your day-to-day running of the business
  • Your own brand as a CAR, or the MFAM brand as an AR
  • Your choice of broker
  • Handling your clients' complaints, since you know the issue best

We carry

  • The licence obligations under AFSL 520442
  • Compliance and monitoring
  • Keeping up with regulatory change
  • Assisting with and advising on client complaints
  • AFCA membership
  • Support when a regulatory hurdle comes up

Who works with us

The independent adviser with his own strategy

An experienced adviser ran a systematic options strategy on ASX index options, with blue-chip shares lodged as collateral. He wanted to take it to clients without building and running a licence himself.

He joined as an authorised representative under the MFAM brand. We built his strategy page on our site and routed every enquiry through our call-back form, so his phone number never went public. Before the page went live we reviewed his material: we removed claims about consistent returns that had no record behind them, and added a section on when the strategy struggles.

He now works with clients under our AFSL, and compliance and monitoring sit with us.

The newsletter writer going legit

A writer ran a paid subscription newsletter on small-cap ASX stocks, with a growing readership, and wanted to keep writing under his own brand, properly licensed.

His company became a corporate authorised representative. When companies began paying him to write research on them, we set the disclosure standard for those pieces and reviewed each one before it was published.

He now runs under his own brand, with his own FSG, and our compliance inbox gets a copy of everything he sends out.

The established podcast and newsletter

A long-running investing podcast and newsletter with a loyal audience wanted to keep teaching and talking about stocks without worrying it had crossed into advice.

It sits under our licence as a corporate authorised representative. We handle the licensing obligations, so they can focus on content.

The advisory firm with its own client base

A firm with its own team, clients and phones moved under our licence as a corporate authorised representative.

They keep running their business day to day, while we handle the regulatory side: AFCA membership, licence obligations and ongoing compliance support. When a regulatory question comes up, they take it to us.

The fintech platform

A technology company built a stock platform that publishes model-driven valuations for retail investors.

We reviewed how the valuations are produced before any of it ran under our licence, and set the scope in writing: securities only, general advice, and none of the products our licence doesn't cover.

What you get

MFAM Systems

Join MFAM and you work inside the systems we run on every day, so your time goes to clients.

AUSIEX Desk account view showing net liquidation value, live SPAN margin and options positions

AUSIEX Desk

Every client's positions, risk and live SPAN margin on one screen, with the cash account in net liquidation value. Run a what-if to see a trade's margin impact before you suggest it.

Read more about the system: AUSIEX Desk

Compliance intranet

How MFAM stays compliant

Compliance, a full CRM and general advice records in one place. As licence holder, MFAM runs the checks and keeps the registers and manual while you run your business.

Licence
AFSL 520442
Run by
MFAM, the licence holder
Used by
Every adviser on the licence
Checks
Quarterly

MFAM runs the compliance

As the licence holder, MFAM runs the quarterly checks, keeps the registers and keeps the compliance manual current.

You record clients and advice as you go, and the home page shows anything that is due.

  • Checks run by MFAM
  • Registers kept by MFAM
  • One current manual, as web pages and a PDF
  • Obligations due on the home page

Clients and advice

Full CRM

Every enquiry moves through set stages to an open account. One card per client holds the timeline, documents and advice record.

General advice records

Log general advice on the client card in a few fields: products, channel, a short summary and the general advice warning. Every edit keeps its history.

Deal sheets online

Deal sheets and records of advice are filed on the client they belong to, ready for the quarterly checks.

ID check

Clients verify online or upload each ID document by type. The check ticks once the online check passes, or at 100 points with at least one primary document.

Next actions

Each client card lists what is still missing and the next step.

Compliance progress

A progress bar on every client card shows how complete the file is.

CRM board with clients in each stage from enquiry to open account, showing checklist progress and the adviser on each client
Client card with a 100-point ID check ticked at 110 points, a compliance progress bar and the checklist

Quarterly checks

Sampled every quarter

MFAM checks a sample of client emails, deal sheets, advertising, research and adviser websites each quarter.

Ticked on the board

Results land on the compliance board, with each check linked to its evidence.

Advisers sign off

Each adviser sees the issues found in their own work and confirms they have read them.

Quarterly compliance board with spot checks ticked for each adviser and adviser sign-off

Registers

Breaches and complaints

Each entry tracks its deadlines and holds the emails and files that concern it.

Conflicts and obligations

A conflicts register, and an obligations list on the home page showing what is due.

Help for advisers

Ask

Plain-English answers from the compliance manual and ASIC guidance, with page references, instead of searching a long PDF.

Team chat

Channels for authorised representatives, with an email alert for unread messages.

File storage

Documents are filed against the client or register entry they belong to.

Security

Passkey sign-in

Face or fingerprint, no password. Repeated failed attempts lock the account.

A separate server

Its own locked-down server, apart from the website.

Access by role

MFAM sees everything. Authorised representatives see the team tools.

Every sign-in logged

Each sign-in and failed attempt is recorded.

AUSIEX Desk

The MFAM AUSIEX Desk

Every client's positions, risk and margin on one screen, across your whole business, with live SPAN margin and no broker PDFs to read.

For
Advisers and their clients
Broker
AUSIEX
Sign-in
Passkey

For advisers

Your whole book at a glance

Every client account on one screen: holdings, market value, net liquidation value and profit and loss. See the whole business, then open any client.

No more broker PDFs

Positions, cash and margin come in from AUSIEX automatically, so there are no statements to download and no figures to retype.

Live SPAN margin

Live SPAN margin calculations for every account, with utilisation, collateral excess and collateral holdings. See which accounts are getting close to a call while there is time to act.

Fewer mistakes

Net liquidation value includes the cash account, and profit and loss is worked out from the market price.

What-if modelling

See a trade's effect on margin and exposure before you suggest it, so the idea fits the account.

Every account a client holds

Personal, SMSF, company and trust accounts sit together under the client, so you see the whole relationship.

Adviser view of one client account with net liquidation value, live SPAN margin and options positions

For clients

All their accounts

Personal, SMSF, company and trust accounts under one sign-in, any time, so fewer calls asking where an account stands.

The same figures you see

Positions, net liquidation value, margin, collateral and history, plus the exchange's stress scenarios applied to their book.

Passkey sign-in

Face or fingerprint, no password.

Client portal on a phone showing net liquidation value, margin utilisation and positions

One set of numbers for staff and clients

The staff desk and the client portal read from the same source, so what you tell a client matches what they see.

  • Live SPAN margin
  • Cash account in net liquidation value
  • Access checked on every account

Advice automation

Advice automation

Spend less time placing trades and calling clients. Pick the product, and the idea goes to every client by email and SMS, sized to the instruction each client has given you. Each client replies to authorise it, and the order is automatically placed at Interactive Brokers. Edit multiple orders with one click.

Products
Any share, option or future within MFAM's licence
Broker
Interactive Brokers
Authorisation
Client reply by email or SMS
Advice
General advice only

From idea to order

  1. 1

    Pick the product

    Search for any share, option or future within MFAM's licence.

  2. 2

    Pre-agreed size

    Each client's size comes from their own instruction: a percent of the account, a dollar amount, or a maximum risk.

  3. 3

    Idea goes out

    Sent to each client by email and SMS.

  4. 4

    Client authorises

    The client replies to the email or SMS to authorise the trade, or to decline it.

  5. 5

    Order placed

    The order goes to Interactive Brokers.

A trade idea as an email and as an SMS on a phone, with the client replying YES to authorise

What it takes off your desk

No ringing round

One idea reaches every client at once by email and SMS. Clients reply when it suits them, instead of you calling each one.

No order entry

Each authorised order is sized and placed for you, so the same trade is never typed into twenty accounts.

Every client sized to their instruction

Each client sets their size up front by percent, dollar amount or maximum risk, and the system calculates it for every trade.

Authorisations on record

Every reply is stored against the trade as the authorisation record.

Any share, option or future within MFAM's licence

Shares, options and futures

Search or pick from a list. Anything within MFAM's licence can go into an idea.

Spreads as one order

Every leg goes in as one order, so the legs fill together.

Shares and spreads, priced within a range

A price range up front

The idea gives a range, for example buy the shares between $4.80 and $5.00, or sell the spread for 20 to 25 points. The client authorises that range.

Placed on authorisation

Each authorised order goes in at the trade's current limit, starting at the best price in the range for the client.

One price for every client

The adviser watches the live bid and ask and moves the limit up or down within the range. One change updates every open order in the trade.

First yes, first in

Orders are placed and updated in the order clients authorised them.

Adviser panel with live bid and ask, a credit range of 20 to 25 points, one move-limit button for all open orders and the pre-agreed size for each client in authorisation order

Three ways a client can set their size

Percent of the account

A set percent of the client's account on each trade.

Dollar amount

For example a $20,000 position. The system works out the shares or contracts.

Maximum risk

For example a $20,000 maximum loss on a spread. The system works out the contracts.

Order types

At the open

Market or limit on open, into the opening auction where volume is deepest.

At the close

Market or limit on close, into the closing auction.

Limit

Your price or better during the day. Set it through the market to fill straight away.

The client stays in control

This is general advice, and each client authorises every trade in their account.

  • Authorised by reply to email or SMS
  • Auction or limit price on every order
  • Placed at Interactive Brokers

A generous grid

Tell us what you know you're worth and we'll hash out a split that pays it.

Research

External and internal research from external brokers, plus ad-hoc requests for specific stocks or industries.

Choice of broker

Execute through the broker of your choice, such as CMC Markets, AUSIEX, Interactive Brokers and Morrison Securities.

Onboarding and account opening

Help with onboarding and opening accounts so the transition is as easy as possible.

Compliance and CPD

Training in compliance and help meeting your CPD requirements.

Lead flow

Access to company lead flow to help build your book.

Derivatives focus

A derivative-heavy firm with a strong focus on Australian and US options, including complex derivative strategies.

Two ways to join

AR under the MFAM brand

For RG 146-compliant advisers with an existing client book who want to join a firm with a strong brand, lead flow, marketing and support.

  • Advise under the MF & Co. Asset Management brand
  • Research, lead flow, marketing and support from MFAM
  • Focus on servicing your clients

Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR)

For advisers and advisory companies who want to operate and market their own brand.

  • MFAM provides the execution and compliance framework
  • Open to collaborating on building your brand alongside ours
  • Can also join as a CAR under the MFAM brand to suit your structure

How it works

  1. 1

    Enquire

    Tell us about your business and client book.

  2. 2

    Fit check

    We check the structure suits you and MFAM.

  3. 3

    Agreement and onboarding

    Sign the representative agreement and complete onboarding.

  4. 4

    Authorised

    You appear on the ASIC register as MFAM's representative.

Are you pre-revenue?

Setting up your own advice business as a CAR and not earning yet? We can arrange a honeymoon period while you get it off the ground. We want to see you succeed, so you get support directly from Henry to get the business going.

Henry Fung

You deal with Henry

Henry Fung, Partner Managing Director, MF & Co. Asset Management

Your enquiry goes to Henry. He talks through your business and your client book, and which structure suits you, AR or CAR.

Book a call with Henry

No-obligation call with Henry

Questions

What does it cost?

We go through it on the call.

Do I need my own AFSL?

No. You operate as a representative of MFAM and appear on the ASIC register as MFAM's representative.

Can I keep my brand?

As a CAR, yes. You operate and market your own brand, and you can run the AUSIEX Desk and advice automation under it. As an AR you advise under the MFAM brand.

What can I advise on?

General advice on securities, with a focus on Australian and US equities and options. Products outside our licence are out of scope, and we set the scope in writing.

Who is this for?

RG 146-compliant advisers with a client book, advisory firms, newsletter writers, podcasters and fintech platforms.

What happens after I submit the form?

Henry calls you to talk it through. There is no obligation to proceed.

Book a call with Henry

MF & Co. Asset Management

MF & Co. Asset Management is a boutique investment firm offering Equity Capital Markets and derivative general advice & trade execution services.

We are specialists in advising and trading in Australian and US Equities, Index & Equity Options and Options on Futures.

Contact

Get in touch

Australia
1300 889 603
International
+61 2 8378 7199
M-F: 8am-5pm

Suite 803, Level 8
70 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW 2000

Products & Services

Book a call