Frequently asked questions

To request information about a member’s account (open or closed) you must submit to us a valid third party authority.

• Complete our CSC form Nominate a Third Party Authority or use your financial practice’s TPA on business letterhead, ensuring all key information is included.
• Email the completed TPA to the dedicated Adviser team mailbox financialplannerrequests@csc.gov.au

A valid TPA must include all of the following:

• Member’s first and last name; these must match our member records.
• An additional 3 points of identification; these must match our member records. For the full list, see What member POI need to be included with the TPA?
• Member’s signature; we accept both wet and digital signatures.
• Current date (as dated by the member); we accept both wet and digital dates.
• TPA details, including advice practice and staff information. For the full list, see What advice practice POI need to be included with the TPA?
• Whether the TPA is for All staff or Listed staff; must include the full names if Listed staff.
• Expiry date, if applicable. The authority will remain in place until it is revoked by the member if an expiry date is not given.

A valid TPA will remain in place indefinitely, unless any of the following occur:

• TPA has passed the expiry date.
• Member revokes the TPA by calling CSC Member Services requesting the TPA be revoked.
• Member revokes the TPA by emailing CSC Member Services requesting the TPA be revoked. The email must be sent from the member’s nominated email address that matches our member records.)
• There are no more nominated Listed staff at the advice practice named in the TPA.
• Member dies.

An ‘All staff’ TPA allows the member’s information to be provided to any (all) staff at your advice practice.

A ‘Listed (or Nominated) staff’ TPA allows the member’s account information to be released to specific named staff of your advice practice only.

Discuss with your client the benefit of all staff at your advice practice holding an authority on the member’s account. We will always accept a Listed staff TPA, however an All staff TPA will make the request for member information process much quicker for you and the member.

As well as your advice practice name, the TPA form should include your:

• advice practice company trading name;
• advice practice’s ABN;
• licensee’s AFSL number;
• business address (street or PO Box);
• business email address; and
• business phone number.

Additionally, it’s best practice to include:

• Primary Adviser name to be nominated on the member’s account; and
• Primary Adviser authorised representative number.

As well as including all the information required to make a TPA valid, the TPA should also include 3 additional POI. The Adviser Service team will add the TPA to the member’s account and meet the POI requirement before releasing any member information to you.

The additional 3 POI must match the personal details of the CSC member records and can include any of the following:

• date of birth;
• CSC fund and Member Number;
• current address (postal or residential);
• current email address;
• current telephone number;
• current super salary;
• current contribution rate;
• current or most recent employer;
• date member started or exited the fund;
• current bank details;
• current gross/net pension amount; or
• current rank (ADF members only).

Personal details must match the most current information in the CSC member record. However, there may be instances where outdated information (such as a previous address) can be used as part of the POI process.

A TPA is given by the member to the advice practice and either All staff or Listed staff at that advice practice. The AFS licensee is relevant for the advice practice—changing AFS licensee will not change the validity of the TPA, i.e. the TPA will remain valid.

No, an advice practice cannot directly revoke a TPA. This is because the authority is given by the member to the advice practice. However, if an advice practice informs us that they no longer wish to hold a TPA on a member’s account, we will email the member seeking permission to remove the TPA. We will email the advice practice when the member approves the removal of the TPA.

No, CSC accepts both wet and digital signatures on all TPA forms.

No, do not send copies of identification with a TPA form.

A renewed TPA is treated the same as a new TPA. Advice practices must follow the same process as when adding a new TPA.