ASIC extends mortgage fund payments relief



|
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has expanded the circumstances under which the operators of frozen mortgage funds can make payments to fund members suffering hardship.
The regulator announced this week that the cap on hardship withdrawals for each member had been raised from $20,000 to $100,000 a year, with investors able to make up to four hardship withdrawals a year instead of just one within the new $100,000 cap.
As well, the regulator announced an extension of the definition of hardship to cover beneficiaries of deceased estates and those unemployed for at least three months and who do not have other means of support.
Commenting on the changes, ASIC commissioner Greg Medcraft said the relief had been extended to pick up special situations where the industry considered that further discretion for relief was needed.
Recommended for you
A former financial adviser has been extradited from New Zealand after being alleged to have misappropriated $4.1 million from 13 clients.
Adviser numbers have continued the winning streak for the 2025–26 financial year with the seventh consecutive week in the green, buoyed by a steady flow of new entrants.
Netwealth chief executive Matt Heine has explained the platform is focused on accelerating its share of the affluent advice market as its NPAT reaches $116 million.
ETF provider Global X has appointed five new roles across the business, including a head of technology, as it seeks to scale the business and expand its reach in the Australian market.