Regulatory Updates

Crypto asset tax transparency: Treasury is consulting on draft legislation designed to improve tax transparency for crypto assets. Treasury …

ASIC remakes legislative instrument for client money

ASIC has remade a legislative instrument allowing AFS licensees to place client money …

AUSTRAC has issued updated guidance in relation to a variety of topics.

Customer due diligence

AUSTRAC has reminded reporting entities …

AUSTRAC has addressed the issue of debanking (or derisking) in its recent guidance A risk-based approach to customers you assess …

The civil proceedings brought against the Star Entities by AUSTRAC on 30 November 2022, has finally come to an end. …

MWL Financial Services Pty Ltd (in liquidation)

On 12 October 2026, ASIC cancelled MWL Financial Services Pty Ltd’s ACL following …

ASIC released Report 840: Mortgage brokers: Review of best interests duty and complaints handling practices. The report examined the way …

Following consultation in June 2026, AFCA has published amendments to its Rules which came into effect on 8 October 2026. …

Statistics from the OAIC reveal an increase in incidents being reported under the Notifiable Data Breach scheme.

The latest statistics …

The OAIC has published its 2025-26 Annual Report.

In releasing the Report, Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd noted that the significant increase …

AFCA has released its 2025-26 Annual Review. The review reveals that AFCA received the greatest number of complaints in its …

ASIC has updated its Reportable Situations dashboard so that it now includes two years’ worth of data relating to:

• the …

ASIC has banned former MWL Financial Services Pty Ltd financial adviser, Pardeep Singh, from providing financial services for four years. …

ASIC keynote address

ASIC continues its focus on financial reporting misconduct. In a recent keynote address at the G100-CPA Australia …

The New South Wales Supreme Court ordered Fortnum Private Wealth Ltd to pay a penalty of $1.35 million for failures …

Australian Secure Capital Fund Limited

ASIC made an interim stop order on the product disclosure statement issued by Australian Secure …

ASIC has published its 2026-27 supervisory priorities for the banking, superannuation, general insurance, life insurance and financial markets sectors. ASIC …

ASIC continues to identify instances of preventable share sale fraud. Accordingly, ASIC is calling on market intermediaries to review and …

The Corporations (Financial Services Compensation Scheme of Last Resort – Special Levy) Determination 2026 was made on 12 October 2026. …

The FSCP has issued a written direction for a relevant provider to undertake:

• at least two hours of continuing professional …

ASIC is consulting on guidance and standards to implement new laws for digital asset platforms (“DAPs”) and tokenised custody platforms …

ASIC is consulting on its proposal to extend and amend the CFD Product Intervention Order – ASIC Corporations (Product Intervention …

The Federal Court ordered Hollard Insurance Partners Limited to pay a penalty of $2 million following Hollard’s admissions of serious …

ASIC commenced civil penalty proceedings against a former adviser, Osama Saad. Mr Saad was an authorised representative of Interprac Financial …

Following the making of ASIC Corporations (Managed Discretionary Account Services) Instrument 2026/720 (“2026 MDA Instrument”), ASIC reissued Regulatory Guide 179: …

ASIC released its 2025-26 Annual Report on 19 October 2026, which summarises the regulator’s activities during the previous financial year. …

On 16 July 2026, the Australian Privacy Commissioner published a concerning Qantas Airways Limited’s (Qantas) 2025 data breach (Report).[1] …

Streamlining the FAR: ASIC and APRA are consulting on proposed changes to streamline certain aspects of the Financial Accountability …

Banned auditor sentenced for acting while disqualified and falsifying documents

Kristian John Convery was convicted and sentenced in the Melbourne …

AUSTRAC has made updates to several of its program starter kits, including the:

• legal professional program starter kit
• real estate …

AUSTRAC has updated its guidance on the professional designated services. The updates include:

• removing the implication that a business must …

AUSTRAC has warned the public in light of the discovery that scammers have been impersonating AUSTRAC and its staff in …

AUSTRAC renamed its Contact Centre to "AUSTRAC Central" to better reflect the team's role as AUSTRAC's primary contact …

Over the past year, AUSTRAC has removed 45 remittance and virtual asset service provider businesses from its remittance and VASP …

AUSTRAC has started issuing section 167 notices to businesses that are not enrolled with AUSTRAC but that appear to be …

AUSTRAC is investigating Western Union Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd and The Western Union Company (together, Western Union) due …

Fundo Loans Pty Ltd paid a $19,800 infringement notice in relation to alleged misleading claims on its website that it …

The Senate Economics References Committee has been tasked by the Senate to inquire into the following matters:

• the establishment of …

AFCA’s Lead Ombudsman of Investments and Advice, Shail Singh, has published a video providing an update to consumers who …

In a recent speech at the Commercial & Asset Finance Brokers of Australia Commercial Property & Development Finance Summit, ASIC …

ASIC has made interim stop orders against the three private credit products offered by Melbourne Securities Corporation Limited under the …

The Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026 passed both Houses of Parliament on 14 September 2026. The Bill amends the Corporations …

ASIC has issued six infringement notices totalling $118,800 to the trustees of three superannuation funds following a targeted review of …

The Federal Court held that Choosi Pty Ltd (Choosi) breached sections 12DB(1)(a) and (e) of the ASIC Act 2001 when …

The Government has released its new Financial Innovation Strategy, which establishes a Financial Innovation Committee. The Committee will support a …

Businesses that were relying on ASIC’s sector-wide no-action position for digital assets had until 30 September 2026 to apply for …

ASIC released data showing that between 1 January and 30 June 2026, it received 9,807 Reports of Misconduct. Four in …

Following proceedings commenced by ASIC in July 2025, the Federal Court has ordered Venture 5 Group Pty Ltd (trading as …

Following extensive industry consultation, ASIC is amending the ASIC Market Integrity Rules (Securities Markets) 2017 and the ASIC Market Integrity …

ASIC has remade the qualified accountant legislative instrument: ASIC Corporations (Qualified Accountant) Instrument 2026/734 has now replaced ASIC Corporations (Qualified …