Former Sydney adviser banned
A former Sydney-based financial adviser has been permanently banned from providing financial services by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for deceptive conduct involving $1 million of clients' assets.
Darren Wise, who worked at Financial Planning Services (Australia) Pty Limited (FPSA), was banned after he pleaded guilty to three charges of dishonestly gaining a benefit, creating and using false documents involving over $1 million of clients' assets.
In banning Wise, ASIC considered the fact that he had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct involving the sale of a client's securities without their consent or knowledge, and then continued to deceive and mislead the client about the sale for many years by making falsely represented dividend payments.
ASIC found that Wise was likely to reoffend and breach financial services laws in the future, and was not of good fame or character.
ASIC's Deputy Chairman Peter Kell said: "Mr Wise's conduct demonstrates a clear disregard for his obligations as a financial adviser and for the interests of his clients. It is appropriate that he be permanently removed from the financial services industry".
Wise had pleaded guilty in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court in January this year for creating six applications for margin loans which falsely claimed the clients had agreed to act as guarantors for the loans.
Wise obtained $1,070,700 under the margin loans and used the money for his own purposes, ASIC said.
AUTHOR
Malavika Santhebennur
Recommended for you
With an advice M&A deal taking around six months to enact, two experts have shared their tips on how buyers and sellers can avoid “deal fatigue” and prevent potential deals from collapsing.
Several financial advisers have been shortlisted in the ninth annual Women in Finance Awards 2025, to be held on 14 November.
Digital advice tools are on the rise, but licensees will need to ensure they still meet adviser obligations or potentially risk a class action if clients lose money from a rogue algorithm.
Shaw and Partners has merged with Sydney wealth manager Kennedy Partners Wealth, while Ord Minnett has hired a private wealth adviser from Morgan Stanley.
