Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Policy

For Openmarkets Australia Limited (ABN 38 090 472 012, AFSL No. 246705)

1. Purpose

This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Policy outlines Openmarkets Australia Limited’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing the professional competence of its employees and authorised representatives. It ensures all relevant personnel continue to meet regulatory obligations and deliver the highest standards of financial services to clients. The policy is designed in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG 146), the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority (FASEA) Standards (where applicable), and other relevant Australian financial services laws.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, including full-time, part-time, and contract staff, who provide financial product advice or are involved in dealing with financial products. It also covers all Authorised Representatives of the firm and other personnel identified by management whose roles require ongoing professional development.

3. CPD Requirements

3.1 Annual Minimum CPD Hours

• Financial Advisers: Minimum 40 hours per year, including:

• Other Relevant Staff: Minimum 20 hours per year. The type and subject matter of CPD for this group should be aligned with their professional duties.

3.2 CPD Activities

CPD can be undertaken through a combination of structured and unstructured learning. Structured learning includes accredited courses, compliance workshops, RG 146 updates, seminars, webinars, and attendance at industry conferences. Unstructured learning may involve independent research, reading industry publications, and completing case studies or self-paced modules, provided the learning is verifiable and limited to no more than 10 hours per year.

Internal training programs approved by Openmarkets, including compliance briefings and mentoring sessions, may also count towards CPD. Participation in recognised professional associations such as the Financial Planning Association (FPA), Association of Financial Advisers (AFA), or CPA Australia may also be considered eligible.

3.3 Record Keeping

All CPD activities must be recorded in Caddie, the firm’s designated CPD tracking platform. Each entry should include the date of the activity, a summary of the content covered, the number of hours completed, the provider’s details (particularly where ASIC or FASEA accreditation applies), and supporting documentation such as a certificate, attendance confirmation, or assessment results.

It is the responsibility of each individual to retain evidence of completed CPD activities for at least seven years.

Openmarkets must keep detailed records of any non-compliance, communications with the adviser, and any remediation plans or actions taken (such as catch-up plans, additional supervision,  suspension).

4. Compliance & Monitoring

CPD compliance will be monitored on an annual basis by the Compliance Officer or Head of Compliance. Where an individual is found to be non-compliant, remedial action may include mandatory training, temporary restrictions on the provision of financial advice. In cases of ongoing non-compliance, formal disciplinary measures include reporting to ASIC, and updating the Financial Advisers Register.

5. Responsibilities

All employees and representatives are required to complete their annual CPD obligations, maintain accurate and up-to-date records, and submit verification upon request. External CPD activities must be approved in advance where required. Management and the Compliance Team are responsible for ensuring access to CPD resources, delivering internal training sessions, approving individual CPD plans, and overseeing adherence to applicable regulatory requirements.

6. Review & Updates

This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis, or more frequently if there are changes in legislation, industry standards, or internal business needs. Amendments will be communicated promptly to all relevant staff

7. Policy Acknowledgment

All employees and representatives must acknowledge that they have received, read, and understood this policy. A signed acknowledgment form must be submitted to the Compliance Team and retained in personnel records.

Changes to this policy

This policy is subject to change from time to time as OMG considers necessary. We will publish material changes by making them available to you on our website.

Openmarkets Group
Compliance Manager
compliance@openmarkets.group