SMSF Specialist Advisor
This program is for SMSF professionals, including but not
limited to accountants, financial planners, lawyers and actuaries
seeking recognition for their SMSF specific skills and
knowledge.
"SPAA is the peak body for
SMSF advisers and …. clients and referral sources have recognised
that I have taken the further step to become accredited."
Cameron Howlett, SSA of Personal Wealth Advisers
Who can apply for
SMSF Specialist Advisor™ (SSA™) Membership?
General Members of SPAA are eligible to apply for accreditation
as a SMSF Specialist Advisor™ Member.
SPAA recommends that General Members should meet the following
criteria prior to entering the program.
-
Have a minimum 2 years experience providing advice and/or
services to the SMSF sector.
-
SMSF related work activities should account for, or be growing
towards a minimum of 10% of your total workload.
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What does the SSA™ Program consist
of?
The SSA™ Program consists of only two
components:
1. Examination
SPAA's online examination process is fully supervised.
Applicants are required to nominate an examination supervisor who
is responsible for ensuring that SPAA's examination conditions are
adhered to. The SPAA Online Examination Centre provides both the
applicant and the examination supervisor the convenience of
deciding when and where the examination is to be conducted.
The Online Examination is 2 hours in duration and consists of
120 multiple choice questions. No written answers are
required. Access to the exam is via a unique electronic
log-in and password.
In order to prepare for the Online Examination, applicants
will be sent the following:
-
The SPAA Online Examination Centre Tutorial which provides
information on how to navigate the online examination
environment.
-
The SMSF Specialist Advisor™ Practice Examination containing 10
sample questions that enable the applicant to determine the level
at which the questions in the examination are set.
- A list of examinable topics.
Important note: This accreditation program is
not an educational
course, therefore SPAA does
not supply any further materials other than those
stated above. SPAA expects that an applicant undertaking the
program already has up-to-date and comprehensive SMSF knowledge.
Any study undertaken prior to the examination is at the applicant's
discretion with SPAA's list of examinable topics enabling the
applicant to design their own learning program.
Applicants are permitted a maximum of two (2) attempts to
pass the Online Examination.
2. Questionnaire
This short questionnaire tests and verifies your adherence to
the SMSF Specialist Advisor Program Eligibility Criteria. At
the time of completing this questionnaire you are also
required to provide the details for your two (2) nominated referees
and verify that your CPD activities have been provided for a
CPD Activity Check. Please see further details about these
components below.
Referee Check
You are required to provide the details for two (2) referees who
are willing to support your application for specialist
accreditation. Referees must meet the following criteria:
-
Relationship to candidate must be in the capacity of
professional associate, co-worker/peer or manager/supervisor.
-
The professional relationship must have existed for a period
longer than 2 years.
SPAA will carry out short referee checks via telephone to verify
the details above and professional credibility.
CPD Activity
Review
You are requested to provide details of your CPD activities
which fall within the current triennium period. SPAA will
then conduct a review of the CPD details provided to ensure they
meet the requirements of SPAA's CPD
Policy.
If at the time of submitting the
Questionnaire, you are yet to complete the first full year
of your first triennium, your CPD activities will not be
reviewed as part of the accreditation process. Instead you
will be flagged for a compulsory CPD activity check at the
conclusion of Year 1 of your first triennium to ensure you
have achieved the minimum 20 CPD points as per the SPAA CPD
Policy.
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Program
Timeframes
Applicants are required to successfully complete both
components of the Program (Online Examination and SSA
Questionnaire) within two (2) months of entering the accreditation
program.
If you fail to successfully complete the SPAA Specialist
Accreditation Program within the required two (2) month timeframe
you will incur an Extension Fee of $220 (GST incl). This fee grants
you a maximum four (4) month extension.
Failure to successfully complete both components within six (6)
months of entry into the program will result in your application
being terminated. At this time you will forfeit all fees paid
and results already earned. Should you wish to re-enter the
Specialist Program in the future you will be subject to the same
conditions as all new entrants, that is, you will be required to
pay in full and successfully complete both components of the
Program.
Special circumstances can be submitted for consideration by the
SPAA Professional Standards Committee (PSC).
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How
to join the SMSF Specialist Advisor Program
Before applying you must be a SPAA General Member. Non-members,
join SPAA now.
Existing SPAA Members can use either of the options below:
Option 1: Register Online
Option 2: Download the forms
Please download the documents below and complete the following
steps:
Steps:
-
Read the SMSF Specialist Advisor Program Rules &
Conditions
-
Complete the Agreement & Payment Form (on back page of the
SMSF Specialist Advisor brochure).
-
Return the completed Agreement & Payment Form. Fax (08) 8212
5993 or Post: SPAA, PO Box 6540 Halifax St ADELAIDE SA 5000
-
SPAA will contact you to acknowledge receipt of your completed
application and payment of fees in full (refer to Schedule of
Fees). Appropriate Examination and Questionnaire documents will
be forwarded to you shortly thereafter.
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