Advisers under the spotlight in possible Great Southern investor legal action

remuneration/advisers/amp/australian-financial-services/

1 June 2009
| By Lucinda Beaman |

Slater & Gordon has been approached by hundreds of Great Southern investors looking to determine what possible action could be taken against the group, its associated companies and the advisers who recommended investors into Great Southern investments.

The national law firm has commenced an investigation into the viability of class actions on behalf of these investors.

Among the issues being examined are the actions of the representatives of Australian Financial Services Licensees (AFSLs) who advised on Great Southern investments.

The law firm will be examining whether the remuneration paid from the agribusiness to advisers was adequately disclosed to investors. Those who recommended Great Southern investments to clients stood to receive commission payments of 10 per cent of clients’ investments.

Slater & Gordon will also be looking at the role Great Southern Finance (GSF) played in providing debt to people to invest in Great Southern. Slater & Gordon believe there is a possibility that GSF could have known of the limitations of the operations of Great Southern when providing this funding to investors. If it can be proved that this was the case, the loans provided to these investors may be struck off.

The law firm is also looking at the advice given by KPMG to investors regarding the transfer of interests in managed investment schemes offered by the business to those of actual interests in the business, which is now in receivership.

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest news and developments in wealth management industry

MARKET INSIGHTS

So we are now underwriting criminal scams?...

2 months 2 weeks ago

Glad to see the back of you Steve. You made financial more expensive, not more affordable as you claim, and presided ...

2 months 3 weeks ago

Completely agree Peter. The definition of 'significant change is circumstances relevant to the scope of the advice' is s...

4 months 3 weeks ago

ASIC has suspended the Australian Financial Services Licence of a Melbourne-based financial advice firm....

6 days 9 hours ago

The corporate regulator has issued infringement notices to three AFSLs whose financial advisers provided personal advice to a retail client while unregistered....

1 week 4 days ago

ASIC has released the results of its first adviser exam to be held in 2025, with 241 candidates attempting the test....

2 weeks 2 days ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS

ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND