Before you let anyone manage your money, check that they’re licensed, haven’t been banned, and that you have a path to complain if it goes wrong. Here’s exactly how — using the official Australian sources.
Anyone giving you personal financial advice in Australia must be authorised under an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). Before you transfer a cent, here’s what to confirm.
Search the official ASIC Financial Advisers Register. If they’re not on it, walk away — full stop. Authorisation must be current, not expired.
ASIC’s Banned & Disqualified register lists people removed from the industry. Cross-check this before signing any engagement document.
AFCA — the Australian Financial Complaints Authority — handles disputes free of charge. Make sure your adviser’s licensee is an AFCA member.
These are the only sources we recommend you trust. All free. All government or government-backed. None of them charge you to look up an adviser.
The official register of every person authorised to give personal financial product advice in Australia. Free, searchable, the legal source of truth.
A separate register of people who have been banned or disqualified by ASIC from providing financial services or managing companies. Always cross-check.
Free, independent dispute resolution. If something goes wrong with your adviser, broker, super fund, insurer or bank, AFCA is where you go.
The Australian government’s free, ad-free, sales-free consumer finance education site. Calculators, guides, lists of common scams and questions to ask any adviser.
Use these as supplementary research only — many sites carry advertising or affiliate relationships. The ASIC registers above are always the legal source of truth.
Australia’s largest consumer review platform. Search financial-planning services and read verified consumer reviews.
Open ↗Global review platform. Useful for cross-checking a firm’s reputation alongside Australian-specific sites.
Open ↗Search the firm’s name in Google Maps for local business reviews. Read both 5-star and 1-star carefully.
Open ↗Australian-specific platform aggregating adviser ratings, credentials and information. Some content behind sign-up wall.
Open ↗Comparison and ratings across financial-planning firms. Useful for narrowing down before approaching anyone.
Open ↗Verify professional history, qualifications and the AFSL they operate under. Check tenure and employment continuity.
Open ↗Lower-cost, algorithm-driven portfolio services available in Australia. All are AFSL holders and provide general or scaled personal advice — confirm what kind on each platform before signing up.
Robo advisers typically provide general advice based on a short questionnaire — not the deep personal advice a human adviser would give. They’re convenient and cheap, but they don’t know your full financial picture, tax position, family situation or goals. For anything complex, use a licensed human adviser. Always verify each provider on the ASIC registers above.
| Platform | Style | Minimum | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Stockspot
stockspot.com.au ↗
|
ETF PortfoliosRobo | $2,000 | Australia’s longest-running robo adviser. Builds and rebalances a diversified ETF portfolio matched to a risk profile. |
|
InvestSMART
investsmart.com.au ↗
|
Professionally Managed | $10,000 | Long-standing financial-information business offering professionally managed accounts as well as research and a free portfolio tracker. |
|
Six Park
sixpark.com.au ↗
|
ETF PortfoliosRobo | $5,000 | Diversified ETF portfolios with investment-committee oversight. Five risk-graded portfolios with regular rebalancing. |
|
Spaceship
spaceship.com.au ↗
|
App InvestingThemed | $0 | Mobile-first investing in themed managed funds and super. Lower minimums — designed for first-time investors. |
|
Raiz Invest
raizinvest.com.au ↗
|
Micro-InvestingRound-Ups | $5 | Round up everyday card purchases into ETF portfolios. Lower-fee model for very small starting balances and recurring deposits. |
|
Vanguard Personal Investor
vanguard.com.au ↗
|
Self-DirectedManaged Funds | $0 | Direct access to Vanguard’s own ETFs and managed funds plus ASX shares. Low cost but no advice — you choose. |
Platform features, minimums and fees change. Confirm current details on each provider’s site and on the ASIC Financial Advisers Register before signing up. We may receive a commission from some providers; this does not influence inclusion.
Outback Investor is not a licensed financial adviser. Everything on this site is general education for everyday Australians — FIFO workers, young professionals, mums and dads — to help you ask better questions and make more informed decisions. We don’t hold an AFSL, we don’t take you on as a client, and we don’t give personal advice. For your situation, your tax, your retirement and your family, use a real licensed adviser — verified through the registers above.