A guide on linking for financial advisers

Part of: Requirements for financial advice providers and financial advisers

If you’re registering on the FSPR to provide the 'financial adviser' service, you need to be engaged by a financial advice provider (FAP). It’s now a 2-step process to record the engagement on the Financial Service Providers Register (FSPR).

  • If you initiate the linking, the FAP must confirm or decline the engagement.
  • If the FAP initiates the linking, you must confirm or decline the engagement.

On this page:

Make sure you’re set up online

As you will be updating your registration details on the FSPR, you’ll need to have:

  • a RealMe® login
  • an online services account with the FSPR
  • authority to update information on the register for the FSP.

RealMe logins and setting up your online services account

Confirming your authority to update information

How to initiate a link to a FAP

You can only link to a FSP who is registered and offers the ‘financial advice provider’ service. To do this, you will need their name and FSP number. You’ll also need to record whether you will be operating under the FAP’s dispute resolution scheme (DRS) or your own.

This is a 2-step process. Once you’ve submitted your update, the FAP will need confirm your engagement to complete the linking.

Step 1

  1. Log in to your online services account using your RealMe ID and password.
  2. Locate your registration in the 'FSP Registrations' tab of your dashboard.
  3. On the 'View FSP details' screen, select the 'Financial Services' tab followed by the 'Maintain Financial Services' button.
  4. Scroll down to the 'Financial advice service' section where you’ll see the financial advice providers, if any, that you’re already linked to.
  5. Select the 'Add Financial Advice Provider' button and search for the provider that has engaged you, using their FSP number or name.
  6. Indicate whether or not you will be covered by their dispute resolution scheme (DRS).
    • If you won’t be covered by the FAPs dispute resolution scheme, you will need to join your own scheme. Once your link to the FAP is confirmed, you must update your DRS details on the register within 10 working days.
  7. When you’ve finished updating your registration, select 'Next Step: Declaration'. Review and confirm the declaration.
  8. Select 'Next Step: Review'. Review the information you have entered and tick the check box to confirm the information is true and accurate.
  9. Select the 'Submit' button at the bottom right of the screen.

If you view your details now on the FSPR and look at the financial services you’re registered to offer, you’ll see that the financial advice provider you’ve linked to appearing as a pending engagement on the 'Financial Services' tab.

Step 2

We will send an email to the FAP to advise them that you’ve indicated that you are now engaged by them. To complete the linking, the FAP will need to confirm your engagement. Once your engagement is confirmed on the register, we will email both you and the financial advice provider.

Initiate a link to a FAP

How to confirm or decline a financial advice provider engagement

If a financial advice provider has started the linking process on the register, the process is slightly different than what's described above.

You will receive an email advising you that a financial advice provider has indicated that you have been engaged by them. You need to log in to the register and confirm or decline the engagement. You’ll also confirm whether you will be operating under the FAPs dispute resolution scheme (DRS) or your own.

Follow these steps to confirm an engagement

  1. Log in to your online services account using your RealMe ID and password.
  2. Locate your registration in the 'FSP Registrations' tab of your dashboard.
  3. On the 'View FSP details' screen, select the 'Financial Services' tab followed by the 'Maintain Financial Services' button.
  4. Scroll down to the 'Financial advice service' section where you’ll see the financial advice providers, if any, that you’re already linked to.
  5. Select the financial advice provider engagement you wish to confirm, then select the ‘Confirm Engagement’ button.
  6. Confirm whether or not you will be covered by their dispute resolution scheme (DRS).
  7. When you’ve finished updating your registration, select 'Next Step: Declaration'. Review and confirm the declaration.
  8. Select 'Next Step: Review'. Review the information you have entered and tick the check box to confirm the information is true and accurate.
  9. Select the 'Submit' button at the bottom right of the screen.

If you view your details on the FSPR now and look at the financial services you’re registered to offer, you’ll see that the financial advice provider you've been engaged by appears as an active engagement on the 'Financial Services' tab. We will send email confirmation to both you and the financial advice provider advising that you've been linked to their licence.

Confirm a FAP engagement

How to decline a pending engagement

To decline a pending engagement, log in to the register as above. Choose the option to ‘Maintain financial services’ then go to the ‘Financial services’ section. Now select the ‘Decline Engagement’ button.

Decline a FAP engagement

More 'Requirements for financial advice providers and financial advisers' guides:

All help topics

Getting started on the register 6 guides

Before you can register as a financial service provider, maintain your details, or use the register, there are a few things you need to know.

Registering a financial service provider (FSP) 9 guides

To register as a financial service provider you must apply online. The process depends on what kind of provider you are — an individual or an entity.

Dispute resolution schemes (DRSs) 2 guides

If you provide financial services to retail clients, you must join a DRS within 10 working days of registering and keep your membership details up to date on the Financial Service Providers Register (FSPR).

Providing licensed or certified services 6 guides

You need to be licensed or certified to provide certain financial services. Find out who to apply to.

Filing an annual confirmation 3 guides

To remain registered as a financial service provider (FSP) you must confirm your FSP's details and services each year. Find out how to file your confirmation online, or to change the month you do it

Managing your registration as a financial service provider (FSP) 7 guides

All FSPs must keep their details on the register up to date. We may deregister your FSP if you fail to meet your obligations.

Deregistration and reregistration 3 guides

You can voluntarily deregister a financial service provider (FSP), or it may be deregistered by the Registrar. In some circumstances you can object to a deregistration, or apply to have the FSP reregistered.

Paying fees and levies 3 guides

If you're a financial service provider (FSP), you pay fees for some transactions, including registration. You also pay levies to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). There are several ways to pay.

Managing your online services account 6 guides

Your FSPR online services account allows you to keep your FSP's contact and payment details up to date. From your account dashboard you can view and manage outstanding applications and tasks.