RG 146 Compliance & Adviser Training: Building Capability with Confidence
Understanding RG 146
RG 146 sets the minimum training standards for individuals who provide financial product advice in Australia. It requires advisers to have competence in both knowledge and skills for their specific authorisations (e.g., securities, derivatives, managed investments, superannuation, insurance), supported by appropriate qualification pathways, continuing professional development (CPD), and licensee monitoring. For AFSL holders, RG 146 underpins how you appoint, authorise, and supervise advisers, and how you evidence that advice is competent and compliant.
Why RG 146 Matters
Getting RG 146 right protects customers and your licence. It ensures advisers are trained for the scope of advice they provide, reduces remediation risk, and strengthens file defensibility alongside obligations like DDO, RG 271, and RG 78. Effective RG 146 frameworks also help firms onboard faster, standardise quality, and scale without compromising conduct or outcomes.
Key implications for firms include:
Role-aligned training matrices that map product categories to competencies and approved courses.
Evidence of competence before authorisation (and when scope changes).
Structured CPD and supervision, including coaching, QA reviews, and remediation plans.
File quality linkage so advice documentation reflects trained capability.
Third-party training oversight to ensure providers meet your standards.
Key Challenges Facing Firms
Translating policy into clear, role-based pathways for varied advice roles (retail/wholesale, general/personal advice).
Managing grandfathered or legacy quals, scope creep, and adviser mobility between roles or product sets.
Ensuring timely CPD completion and aligning learning to observed file review gaps.
Embedding monitoring & supervision that genuinely uplifts outcomes (not just box-ticking).
Maintaining defensible records (competency evidence, CPD logs, coaching notes) for audits and surveillance.
How OCG Can Help
Oceanic Consulting Group (OCG) designs end-to-end RG 146 operating models that are practical, defensible, and scalable, from policy to evidence on file.
Our services include:
RG 146 policy & framework design with role-based competency matrices and approval pathways.
Training and authorisation workflows (pre-authorisation checks, scope changes, re-authorisation).
CPD strategy & governance linked to risks, file review findings, and business priorities.
Monitoring & supervision uplift (coaching models, QA sampling, MI dashboards).
Independent file reviews (FRaaS) to connect training outcomes with real advice quality.
Remediation programmes for historical competency or file gaps.
FAQs
Who needs RG 146?
Anyone providing financial product advice must meet RG 146 for the relevant product categories, with competence evidenced before authorisation and maintained via CPD.
How does RG 146 link to advice quality?
Competence should be visible in the SOA/ROA, strategy rationale, and product selection. File reviews provide feedback to target training and close gaps.
Can third-party courses alone ensure compliance?
No. Courses help, but licensees must assess role fit, confirm competence, supervise advice, and keep defensible records.
Strengthen Your RG 146 Programme
Work with OCG’s Advice Quality & Training Specialists
Raise adviser capability with role-based pathways, targeted CPD, and supervision that lifts real outcomes. Contact OCG to implement a complete RG 146 framework, connect it to file quality, and demonstrate defensible competence across your advice network.
