The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has issued a warning to Australians regarding informed investment decisions. This comes after data revealed a significant rise in complaints from retail investors.
From January to June 2025, ASIC received 7,561 reports of misconduct. These reports raised a total of 11,060 issues. Notably, 5,909 reported issues related to financial services and retail investors. This category covers credit issues, licensing obligations, and other conduct tied to advice, insurance, and misleading practices.
ASIC Chair Joe Longo highlighted the importance of the findings. He stated, “The data underscores why many of ASIC’s enforcement priorities focus on consumer and retail investor protection.” Longo added that this information informs ASIC’s current consumer warnings and advice updates through Moneysmart.
He pointed out, “Just last month we issued an urgent warning to people to be on red-alert for high-pressure sales tactics, click bait advertising and promises of unrealistic returns, which encourage people to switch superannuation into risky investments.”
The new half-yearly data publication aims to enhance transparency about the issues ASIC addresses in the financial services sector. Each report is reviewed and considered, although ASIC does not resolve complaints directly. Longo explained that misconduct reports guide ASIC’s surveillance and investigation efforts.
The half-yearly reports are accessible on the Reports of misconduct data webpage.
Alongside these developments, ASIC has published its latest enforcement and regulatory update. Some high-impact initiatives from the first half of 2025 include:
– A discussion paper on the dynamics between public and private markets.
– An inquiry into the ASX group focusing on governance and risk management.
– Actions against multiple entities within Macquarie Group for compliance failures.
– A $27 million penalty against AustralianSuper for failing to merge accounts for over 90,000 members.
– Action against Choosi for allegedly making false claims about product comparisons.
For more information, the Reports of misconduct data and the enforcement update can be downloaded through ASIC’s official website.
