Summary

Amends: the

and 12 other Acts to introduce a new external dispute resolution scheme, known as the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), to resolve disputes about products and services provided by financial firms; and five Acts to: require firms that must participate in the enhanced internal dispute resolution (IDR) framework to report their IDR activities to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in accordance with ASIC requirements; provide ASIC with additional powers to determine the content and form of IDR reporting by IDR Firms and to publish this data at both the aggregate and firm level; and allow ASIC to specify, by legislative instrument, requirements for trustees and retirement savings account providers to provide written reasons for decisions in relation to complaints. Also repeals the and makes consequential amendments to 11 Acts.