What is a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR)?

A Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR) is a company authorised to provide financial services under another entity's Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). Instead of obtaining your own AFSL—which typically takes 6-18 months and require capital of $100,000+—you operate under an existing licensee like 62 Consulting Pty Ltd (AFSL 548573). This allows you to legally provide financial product advice, deal in financial products, and operate managed investment schemes while the licensee maintains regulatory responsibility and ensures compliance with ASIC requirements.

How long does it take to become a CAR under AFSL 548573?

With 62 Consulting, you can become a Corporate Authorised Representative in days, not months. While obtaining your own AFSL typically requires 6-18 months of regulatory preparation, extensive documentation, and ASIC approval, our streamlined onboarding process includes due diligence, compliance framework setup, and regulatory documentation—often completed within 5-10 business days.

What is the difference between an AFSL and a CAR?

An AFSL (Australian Financial Services Licence) is issued by ASIC to the legal entity responsible for financial services operations. A CAR (Corporate Authorised Representative) is a separate company authorised to operate under that AFSL. The licensee (62 Consulting) holds regulatory responsibility, compliance frameworks, and audit obligations. The CAR operates the business, serves clients, and generates revenue—without the capital requirements or ongoing compliance costs of holding a direct AFSL.

How much does it cost to operate as a CAR with 62 Consulting?

Operating as a CAR under AFSL 548573 can be cost-effective than obtaining your own AFSL. While direct AFSL holders face setup costs exceeding $15,000 plus minimal NTA and ongoing compliance, audit, and regulatory expenses, plus time. A CAR arrangements involve a monthly licensing fee. Typical arrangements start from $2,500-7,500/month— cheaper in capital requirement and time in start-up phase compared to direct AFSL holding costs. 62 Consulting offers flexible pricing based on your business model, fund size, and service requirements.

What is a Singapore VCC and how can 62 Consulting help?

The Singapore Variable Capital Company (VCC) is a flexible fund structure introduced in 2020 that allows multiple sub-funds under a single legal entity, similar to a Cayman Islands SPC. VCCs offer tax efficiency, operational flexibility, and strong regulatory standing under the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). 62 Consulting guides Australian and regional fund managers through VCC establishment, including structuring advice, regulatory liaison, and integration with your Australian CAR operations.

What compliance obligations do CARs have?

CARs must maintain: (1) trained and competent representatives, (2) AFCA membership, (3) professional indemnity insurance, (4) AML/CTF programs, and (5) breach reporting protocols. While 62 Consulting maintains ultimate regulatory responsibility as the AFSL holder, CARs adhere to our compliance frameworks. We provide templates, regulatory updates, policy guidance, and audit preparation support—so you meet obligations without dedicated in-house compliance staff.

Can a CAR provide financial advice to retail clients?

Yes—AFSL 548573 authorises 62 Consulting and its Corporate Authorised Representatives to provide financial product advice to both wholesale and/or retail clients. This is a significant advantage over some licensing arrangements that restrict operations to wholesale clients only. However, retail client advice cann trigger additional regulatory obligations including Design and Distribution Obligations (DDO), Target Market Determinations (TMDs), and enhanced disclosure requirements.

What fund structures does 62 Consulting support?

We support diverse fund structures: Australian unit trusts and managed investment schemes, Singapore VCCs for Asia-Pacific strategies. Our expertise spans equity funds, debt/credit strategies, private equity, venture capital, and FinTech platforms. Led by George Lucas and Astrid Raetze, with structuring experience across Southeast Asia, and Australia.

How does 62 Consulting help FinTech startups?

FinTech founders face unique regulatory challenges when launching wealth management, robo-advisory, payments, or lending platforms. 62 Consulting provides AFSL licensing through our CAR arrangement, allowing rapid market entry without 18-month regulatory delays. We offer specialized support including: technology vendor due diligence, cyber security frameworks aligned with ASIC best practives, API and platform compliance reviews, investor disclosure documentation, and regulatory guidance on emerging areas like digital assets.

Can a CAR operate internationally?

Yes. While the CAR operates under Australian law (AFSL 548573), we support multi-jurisdictional fund structures. Australian CAR handles regulatory licensing and compliance; the fund vehicle sits in the optimal jurisdiction for tax and investor preference—Singapore VCC for Asia-Pacific, Cayman structures for global investors, and Delaware LLC for US market access. 62 Consulting's cross-border expertise ensures seamless integration between Australian regulatory compliance and international fund operations.

Before You Hit Publish, the Risks Behind Financial Content

hello50625
11 minutes ago
3 min read

Founder notes, market commentary, portfolio updates, short videos, webinars, newsletters, explainers, investor education and sponsored posts all play a role in building trust before a prospect ever books a meeting.

But in Australia, financial content is not just a marketing activity.

When content discusses financial products or financial services, the question is not simply whether it is accurate, useful or engaging. The more important question is whether the content could reasonably influence someone to acquire, hold, dispose of, or otherwise deal in a financial product.

That is where publishing risk begins.

A factual explainer about how managed funds work may be general information. A post that says a particular ETF, private credit fund, crypto asset, share strategy or model portfolio is suitable, superior, low risk, guaranteed, or a smart opportunity can move much closer to financial product advice.

The risk increases when content includes affiliate links, paid promotions, calls to “invest now”, performance claims, product comparisons, rankings, testimonials or selective screenshots. Even if no single phrase looks problematic in isolation, the overall impression may be promotional rather than educational.

For growing financial content businesses, this creates a commercial problem.

Content is often essential. It builds authority, educates the market, develops trust and turns attention into conversations. But if that content crosses the regulatory line, the business may need its own Australian financial services licence, or it may need to operate as a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR) of an AFSL holder.

Getting that wrong can expose both the individual publisher and the business to regulatory, commercial and reputational consequences.

The difficult part is that the line is not always obvious.

A phrase added for engagement can change the character of a post. “This sector is worth understanding” lands differently from “this sector should be in your portfolio.” “Here are the risks and features” is different from “this is the best option for income investors.”

The same issue applies across LinkedIn posts, YouTube scripts, TikTok videos, email funnels, landing pages, downloadable guides and webinar decks.

The practical answer is not to stop publishing.

The better answer is to build a content operating model that matches the role the content is playing and mitigates the risks behind financial content.

Before publishing, ask five questions:

Is the content about a financial product or class of financial products?
Does it include an opinion, comparison, ranking or recommendation?
Could a reasonable reader think they are being encouraged to invest or transact?
Is there a commercial benefit, referral arrangement or lead capture pathway attached?
Would the business be comfortable explaining the content to ASIC, an AFSL holder or an auditor?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, the content should be reviewed before it goes live.

In some cases, the right answer may be clearer disclaimers, more balanced risk language and a stronger educational framing. In others, it may require a formal compliance approval process. Sometimes, the safest commercial decision is not to publish the content in that form at all.

For audience-led financial businesses, this is where structure matters.

Voice is not authorisation. Reach is not governance. Influence is not a substitute for licensing, supervision or documented compliance processes.

62C helps financial businesses make these decisions commercially, not just theoretically. We work with content-led operators, financial publishers and finfluencers who want to communicate with the market while operating within the regulatory expectations of Australian financial services.

Through 62C’s AFSL, CAR pathways and compliance oversight, we help businesses turn content publishing into a more defensible operating model. That may include defining permitted activity, reviewing content workflows, strengthening disclosures, clarifying risk language and determining whether a CAR pathway or broader AFSL strategy is appropriate.

If your content is attracting attention, generating leads or promoting financial products, it may be time to test whether your business model can operate within the Australian financial services regulatory framework.

62C can help you work out whether your content can remain educational, whether a CAR pathway is appropriate, or whether a broader AFSL strategy is needed to grow with confidence.

Trust is not just a message. In financial services, trust is infrastructure.