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Urgent Enforcement Amended Final

APRA Imposes Additional Licence Conditions on Fiducian

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Filed April 1st, 2026
Detected March 31st, 2026
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Summary

APRA imposed additional licence conditions on Fiducian Portfolio Services Limited to address prudential concerns in its investment governance frameworks and board effectiveness. The superannuation trustee, with $3.1 billion in funds under management and approximately 9,779 member accounts, must appoint independent experts to review high-risk products, investment governance, conflicts management, and board effectiveness. Fiducian must refrain from onboarding new high-risk investment options until cleared by an independent expert and accountable person attestation.

What changed

APRA's enforcement action requires Fiducian to appoint independent experts to conduct separate reviews of high-risk platform investment products, investment governance frameworks, conflicts management practices, and board effectiveness. The conditions address deficiencies identified in APRA's thematic review of platform trustees, including inadequate investment selection criteria, insufficient due diligence for new investment options, weak monitoring and reporting frameworks, and board governance concerns.

Fiducian must develop and implement remediation plans based on expert findings and provide APRA with assurance that gaps are addressed. The trustee is prohibited from onboarding certain new high-risk investment options until an independent expert confirms adequate onboarding processes and an accountable person attests that all reasonable steps were taken in members' best financial interests. APRA has warned it will continue escalating supervisory intensity for platform trustees failing to lift investment governance standards.

What to do next

  1. Appoint independent experts to review high-risk platform products, investment governance, conflicts management, and board effectiveness
  2. Develop and implement uplift plans to address gaps identified in expert reviews and provide APRA with remediation assurance
  3. Refrain from onboarding new high-risk investment options until independent expert confirms adequate process and accountable person attestation

Penalties

Non-compliance with licence conditions may result in further APRA enforcement action

Source document (simplified)


Media Releases

APRA imposes additional licence conditions on Fiducian

Wednesday 1 April 2026

Print Email The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has imposed additional licence conditions on Fiducian Portfolio Services Limited (Fiducian) to address prudential concerns relating to its investment governance frameworks and practices, including oversight of platform investment options made available to members, and its board’s effectiveness in discharging its duties and obligations.

Fiducian is trustee of the Fiducian Superannuation Fund and has approximately 9,779 member accounts and over $3.1 billion in funds under management.

The imposition of additional licence conditions follows APRA’s thematic review of the investment governance, strategic planning and member outcomes practices of superannuation trustees that offer platforms (platform trustees). The review identified deficiencies in Fiducian’s onboarding processes and practices for new investment options, investment option monitoring and reporting, management of conflicts of interests, and board governance and oversight.

Specifically, APRA’s review of Fiducian identified concerns in relation to:

  • lack of sufficiently rigorous, well-defined and consistently applied investment selection criteria, and adequacy of due diligence undertaken for new investment options;
  • design and operational effectiveness of investment option monitoring and reporting frameworks in identifying and responding to performance and risk concerns;
  • management of potential conflicts of interest, particularly in relation to related-party service providers that offer, manage, or advise on investment options made available on the platform; and
  • deficiencies in board governance, including the quality of information provided and subsequent deliberation, and effectiveness of board oversight.
    Under the additional licence conditions, effective 2 April 2026, Fiducian is required to:

  • appoint an independent expert to undertake separate reviews of certain high-risk products on its platform investment menus and its investment governance and conflicts management frameworks;

  • appoint an independent expert to undertake a review of the effectiveness of its board of directors and board committees;

  • develop and implement uplift plans to address identified gaps from the independent expert reviews, and provide APRA with assurance that remediation actions are complete and effective; and

  • undertake a further review of its investment menu against the enhanced onboarding and monitoring requirements to determine ongoing suitability of each investment option.
    Fiducian must also refrain from onboarding certain new high-risk investment options to its platform until an independent expert confirms the option has gone through an adequate onboarding process and an accountable person attests that all reasonable steps were taken to ensure the option is in members’ best financial interests.

Deputy Chair Margaret Cole said: “APRA gave a clear and public warning to platform trustees last October that we would be escalating supervisory intensity as necessary to ensure that platform trustees were taking appropriate action to lift investment governance and member outcomes practices. These actions, together with APRA’s enforcement response in December 2025, are consistent with that approach and reflect APRA’s risk-based approach to enforcement, which prioritises issues and entities that pose the most serious prudential risks.

“APRA will continue to coordinate closely with ASIC to address investment governance weaknesses identified in platform trustees,” Ms Cole said.


Media enquiries

Contact APRA Media Unit, on +61 2 9210 3636

All other enquiries

For more information contact APRA on 1300 558 849.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is the prudential regulator of the financial services industry. It oversees banks, mutuals, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance, private health insurers, friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry. APRA currently supervises institutions holding $9.8 trillion in assets for Australian depositors, policyholders and superannuation fund members.

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Named provisions

Investment Governance Conflicts Management Board Effectiveness Platform Investment Options Member Outcomes

Source

Analysis generated by AI. Source diff and links are from the original.

Classification

Agency
APRA
Filed
April 1st, 2026
Instrument
Enforcement
Legal weight
Binding
Stage
Final
Change scope
Substantive
Document ID
APRA Media Release - 1 April 2026

Who this affects

Applies to
Superannuation trustees Financial advisers
Industry sector
5239 Asset Management 5221 Commercial Banking
Activity scope
Superannuation Trustee Obligations Platform Investment Governance Investment Option Onboarding Conflicts of Interest Management
Threshold
Platform trustees with investment menu deficiencies
Geographic scope
Australia AU

Taxonomy

Primary area
Banking
Operational domain
Compliance
Compliance frameworks
Basel III Dodd-Frank
Topics
Investment Governance Superannuation Member Outcomes

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