Authorised Representative (AR)

An individual or entity authorised in writing by the holder of an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) to provide specified financial services on behalf of that licensee.

Under section 916A of the Corporations Act, an AFSL holder may authorise a person to provide one or more of the financial services covered by the licence. ARs operate under the licensee’s authority and the licensee remains responsible for their conduct. Most individual financial advisers in Australia operate as ARs of an AFSL holder rather than holding a licence themselves.