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FMA Licensing Solutions for New Zealand Investment Firms | Pre-licensing Assessment | Investment Firms' FMA Licence Application Management | Post-licensing Risk and Compliance Support

We offer a comprehensive set of solutions to help you obtain and maintain a New Zealand investment firm licence issued by the New Zealand Financial Markets Authority to offer services to retail investors and a Financial Service Provider (FSP) Registration for non-retail investment firms, tailored to:

Your business goals and objectives
Your client demographics
Your countries of operation
The size of your business
The available human and technology resources
Your risk appetite
Your governance structure
The products that you offer
FMA regulated investment firms' obligations, covering risk and compliance management under financial laws and regulations, the applicable financial licensing requirements, AML/CFT laws, privacy laws, consumer protection laws, and more

We also offer a full range of risk and compliance solutions to non-retail investment firms that only require a local financial service provider (FSP) and AML/CFT registrations. We have designed our regulatory licensing solutions to help you navigate the complexities of the New Zealand investment firms' licensing regime in a commercially oriented and goal-focused manner, providing effective support for all stages of the New Zealand investment firms’ licensing process, including but not limited to the following aspects:

New Zealand Investment Firm’s FMA Licence Guidance: Advising on a wide range of aspects associated with New Zealand investment firms' licensing as it relates to your specific situation
Pre-licensing assessment: Covering compliance gap analysis as well as risk and compliance assessment
Pre-licensing support:

Drafting the necessary policies and procedures to help you comply with the New Zealand investment firm’s licensing requirements and the financial markets' regulations
Developing internal controls to help you meet your obligations under the New Zealand investment firms' licensing regime

New Zealand Investment Firm’s Licence Application Support: Covering the entire licensing process
Post-licensing Support: Covering

Ongoing compliance advice
Comprehensive second-line risk and compliance support, including leading the implementation of your risk management framework (RMF), compliance management framework (CMF), compliance monitoring program (CMP), compliance calendar and checklist, ongoing risk assessments, internal and external reporting, outsourced providers' management, and more
AML/CFT advice
AML/CFT compliance management
Compliance assurance solutions, including compliance assurance program (CAP) development, implementation, and internal control testing

Service Coverage

This page is about the New Zealand Investment Firms' FMA Licence. In New Zealand, retail-oriented firms must obtain a New Zealand Investment Firms Licence issued by the FMA pursuant to the provisions of the FMCA and its regulations. There are currently two retail licensing options:

A managed investment scheme manager (MIS) licence. For more information, please visit our specialised MIS licence page.
A discretionary investment management services manager (DIMS) licence. For more information, please visit our specialised DIMS licence page.

Non-retail-oriented firms have to register as financial service providers with the local FSP register as well as with the local AML/CFT supervisor. We service both retail and non-retail New Zealand investment firms.

We offer comprehensive support for a wide range of investment firms' FMA licence applications, tailored to meet the specific needs of the following businesses:

Independent Investment Firms
Registered Investment Firms
Investment Advisory Firms
Portfolio Management Firms
Consumer Investment Firms
Wealth Management Firms
Private Equity Firms
Family Offices
Investment Platform Managers
Boutique Investment Firms

Beyond New Zealand investment firms' licensing solutions for retail-oriented businesses, we offer a range of regulatory compliance solutions for investment firms offering services to wholesale customers, including FSP registration and a range of AML/CFT solutions for investment firms. You can find more information about our solutions for a New Zealand investment firm's FMA licence below:

Investment Firm’s Licensing Preparation

Pre-licensing Compliance Assurance

Our investment firm's FMA licensing solutions cover the following focus areas:

Compliance Goals Analysis: We review your business-specific goals and resources against the suitability criteria for a New Zealand investment firm’s licence
Initial Consultation: We provide guidance on potential risk and compliance issues that may arise during the New Zealand investment firms' licensing process
Choosing the Right Jurisdiction: We assist in evaluating regulatory, risk, and compliance environments to determine the most suitable jurisdictions for your New Zealand investment firm’s licence, tailored to suit your:

business objectives,
operational capacity,
client base,
markets of operations,
and other relevant factors

Gap Analysis: We identify gaps between your existing operations and regulatory requirements and help you align them in a commercially oriented manner
Investment Firms’ FMA Licence Application Plan: We help you establish a roadmap to effectively meet the New Zealand investment firm’s licence conditions

Investment Firm’s FMA Licensing Guidance

Selecting the right compliance model is crucial not only for navigating the licensing process but also for maintaining ongoing compliance and avoiding potential breaches. Our New Zealand investment firms’ licensing solution covers:

Compliance Model Selection: To help you best comply with the New Zealand investment firms' licensing regime and related risk and compliance obligations.
Corporate Governance Model Selection: We offer practical guidance on establishing effective corporate governance practices that support your risk and compliance oversight.
Operations Model Advisory: We advise you on optimising your operational and governance models to help you efficiently comply with the licensing requirements for investment firms and other applicable FMA regulated investment firms' obligations, keeping in mind your specific circumstances, available resources and business goals.

Entering the New Zealand Regulated Environment

We help businesses transition from an unregulated environment to operating under the New Zealand investment firms' licensing regime, helping them meet their obligations as a New Zealand investment firm’s licence holder.

We also assist already regulated businesses in aligning their existing risk and compliance management structures with the New Zealand investment firms' licensing regime and the local regulatory requirements. Our focus areas for this service include:

New businesses
Existing investment firms operating in unregulated markets
Investment Firms expanding into foreign jurisdictions
Financial institutions and/or service providers with established risk and compliance frameworks seeking to introduce investment management as a new product.

Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance

With years of experience managing risk and compliance obligations for businesses operating under multiple financial licences across various jurisdictions, we help businesses remain globally compliant with investment firms’ regulatory compliance obligations.

New Zealand Investment Firm’s Licence and Wholesale Markets

Getting a New Zealand investment firm's licence may not always be the best fit for all. For example, a retail market expansion may not always align with your goals or the products you offer.

Operating in the wholesale environment can sometimes be a more suitable option. We offer a wider range of risk and compliance management solutions to assist investment firms that:

Operate in the wholesale markets
Operate under exemptions from the investment firms' licensing regime
Offer services to sophisticated, eligible, and wholesale investors

We help them comply with the regulatory compliance obligations that are not caught by the investment firms' licensing regime, but that still have to be addressed and handled, including:

Advertisement Rules
Financial Service Provider (FSP) registration
Fair Dealing Regulations
Risk Management
Outsourced Providers' Oversight
Restrictions on offering services to retail investors (an integral part of the investment firms' licensing regime)
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) laws and regulations, including AML/CFT registration with the FMA or New Zealand DIA (depending on the primary nature of business). You can visit our Specialised AML/CFT page for Investment Firms for more information.
Data Management Laws and Regulations

Investment Firms’ FMA Licence Application

We can assist with your investment firm's FMA licence application through ongoing engagement in the New Zealand investment firms’ licensing process:

Document Compilation and Review: We compile and review all required supporting documents to support your investment firm's FMA licence application.
Application Form Completion: We assist you in completing the forms to ensure all material information is accurate and complete.
Pre-Submission Review: We can arrange a pre-submission review session with key stakeholders to ensure all parts of your FMA licence application are understood and agreed upon. This session aligns application details with the actual situation, removing ambiguity.
Regulatory Liaison: We manage the end-to-end submission process, maintaining clear and effective communication channels throughout the New Zealand investment firms' licensing.
Timeline Management: We closely monitor and adhere to all necessary deadlines, providing timely updates and adjustments to keep the FMA licence application process on track.

Resolving Investment Firms’ FMA Licensing Issues

Having competent compliance advisors is crucial when licensing issues arise. Therefore, our investment firm's FMA licensing solutions include a range of services to address and resolve these issues effectively:

Remediation Solutions for Investment Firms’ FMA Licence Applicants: We address and remediate risk and compliance issues identified by regulators, helping your operations align with investment firms' regime requirements.
Specific Investment Firms' FMA Licence Conditions Compliance: We can help you manage additional conditions imposed on your New Zealand investment firm’s licence, developing a tailored action plan to maintain compliance and facilitate the eventual removal of these conditions with minimal disruption to your business operations.
Licensing Issues Handling: We address common licensing issues encountered during the New Zealand investment firms' licensing process, providing you with solutions to navigate and resolve these challenges efficiently.
Further Information: You can visit our Compliance Remediation Solutions page for more information.

Post-Licensing Support

We offer a full range of ongoing risk and compliance solutions for licensed investment firms. Our services include, but are not limited to:

Ongoing Risk and Regulatory Compliance

FMA regulated Investment Firms' Obligations Guidance: We can advise your risk, compliance, management and other teams on meeting the requirements of the New Zealand investment firms' licensing regime and other regulatory compliance obligations. You can visit our Compliance Consultancy Service page for more information.
Regulatory Risk and Compliance Management: We provide dedicated compliance managers to manage your overall compliance. For more information, visit our Specialised Compliance Management Solutions page for Investment Firms.
Compliance Assurance Solutions: As part of our compliance assurance solutions, we offer:
Compliance Assurance Program (CAP) development and testing options
Internal Controls Design option
Internal Controls Testing option
Internal AML/CFT Review option
Statutory AML/CFT Audit option
Compliance Training Solutions: We offer training programs to different teams on complying with:
FMA regulated investment firms’ obligations for risk, regulatory compliance management, and investment management regulations. You can visit our Compliance Training page for more information.
Investment Firms’ AML/CFT obligations and operational best practices for fraud prevention. You can visit our AML/CFT Training page for more information.
Crisis Management Planning: We can develop proactive strategies to manage potential compliance crises effectively.
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Terrorist Financing Solutions: We provide a full range of AML/CFT solutions for investment firms. For more information, visit our Specialised AML/CFT Solutions page for Investment Firms.
Advanced Compliance Technologies: We can assist you with selecting and integrating advanced technology solutions, such as compliance automation tools and regulatory technology (RegTech), to streamline compliance processes without disrupting operations.
Risk and Compliance Framework Adjustments: Including adjustments to risk management frameworks (RMFs), compliance monitoring programs (CMPs), compliance management frameworks (CMFs), and other core procedures and policies to align them with:
new business goals
regulatory changes
changes in your operations
evolving market conditions
changes in stakeholders’ risk appetites (your banking partners, insurance companies, liquidity providers, etc.).