
COFI: What must an advice file prove beyond compliance?
The FSCA’s Lezanne Botha explains why signed forms and completed disclosures are not enough, and what evidence can show that advice was suitable and customers were treated fairly.

The FSCA’s Lezanne Botha explains why signed forms and completed disclosures are not enough, and what evidence can show that advice was suitable and customers were treated fairly.

COFI would require FSPs to have systems capable of producing reliable, regulator-ready information when the FSCA requires it.

The Bill re-organises existing asset-protection obligations into a fiduciary framework that places greater emphasis on governance, evidence, and customer protection.

The outcomes-based framework links product and service governance with customer expectations and the experience that follows.

Even smaller firms will need to demonstrate fair treatment, as the regime makes proportionality a matter of scale, not exemption.

Professionals still have time to complete any outstanding hours, but they should avoid leaving enrolment to the weekend.

Advisers can reduce last-minute pressure by breaking the remaining hours into shorter, more manageable sessions instead of cramming courses into a final rush.

MBSE’s CPD combinations help advisers and FSPs to complete their annual requirements while focusing on ethics, conduct, communication, and regulatory readiness.