Financial Services Guide

This Financial Services Guide was updated in September 2023 and issued by Fat Tail Investment Research Pty Ltd.

This Financial Services Guide (‘FSG’) is designed to inform you of certain matters relating to our future relationship before we provide you with a financial service. It covers who we are, how we can be contacted, the financial services we are authorised to provide, how our staff are paid, details of any potential conflicts of interest, and how you can make a complaint.

This information is set out in the questions and answers that follow.

Please keep this guide for future reference. A copy is available from us on request or can be downloaded from our website at fattail.com.au/financial-services-guide. If you do not understand anything in it, or require more information, please feel free to contact us.

Who is Fat Tail Investment Research?

Fat Tail Investment Research (‘FTIR’), formerly Port Phillip Publishing, was established in 2005 as the Australian outpost of US publisher Agora Inc. Agora was founded more than 25 years ago by best-selling author and entrepreneur Bill Bonner and is one of the world’s most successful publishers of financial, health, and travel newsletters. FTIR is an independent financial publisher based in Melbourne, Australia. We provide independent financial commentary, economic analysis, and market forecasts through print and email publications, books, videos, and conferences.

Fat Tail Investment Research Pty Ltd
ACN: 117 765 009
ABN: 33 117 765 009

Place of business:
Fat Tail Investment Research Pty Ltd
387 City Road, South Melbourne, VIC, 3205

Contact details:
Postal address: 387 City Road, South Melbourne, VIC, 3205
Telephone: 1300 667 481
Email: support@fattail.com.au

Who will provide the financial services to me?

Fat Tail Investment Research Pty Ltd acts on its own behalf and is responsible for the financial services provided to you.

What kind of financial services is FTIR authorised to provide and what products do these services relate to?

FTIR is licensed by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) under Australian Financial Services Licence number 323988 to carry on a financial services business to provide general financial product advice for the following classes of financial products:

  • Derivatives
  • Investment life insurance products
  • Life risk insurance products
  • Interests in managed investment schemes
  • Securities
  • Superannuation to wholesale and retail clients (our subscribers)

We advise on securities through our newsletters, e-letters, videos, websites, and reports.

We do not offer any services for you to buy or sell the securities or derivatives we recommend. A list of stockbrokers who are licensed to deal in securities is available from the Australian Securities Exchange (www.asx.com.au).

IMPORTANT: We provide general financial product advice only. The advice published by FTIR has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on our recommendations, you should consider their appropriateness to your specific investment objectives, financial situation, and needs. If you are uncertain as to what your objectives and needs are, you should contact a financial adviser or stockbroker who is licensed to provide you with personal financial product advice.

How does FTIR get paid?

FTIR is a subscription-based service. A subscription fee is payable when you subscribe to one of our newsletters. Some of our e-letter services are free.

Newsletters at the time of preparation of this FSG are:

Paid subscription services:

  • Australian Small-Cap Investigator — AU$199 annually
  • Crypto Capital Foundation — AU$199 annually
  • Crypto Capital Premium — AU$3,499 annually
  • Diggers and Drillers — AU$199 annually
  • Exponential Stock Investor — AU$199 annually
  • Fat Tail Investment Advisory — AU$499 annually
  • Fat Tail Microcaps — AU$4,999 annually *limited intake membership*
  • First-Mover Algo Alert — AU$1,999 annually
  • Gold Stock Pro — AU$2,999 annually
  • Jim Rickards’ Strategic Intelligence Australia — AU$199 annually
  • Retirement Trader — AU$2,999 annually
  • Small-Cap Systems — AU$3,499 annually
  • The Australian Gold Report — AU$199 annually for ‘Core’ and $499 for ‘Premium’
  • Mining: Phase One — AU$3,999 annually

Free newsletters:

  • Fat Tail Daily — Free email service
  • The Insider — Bonus free email service for paid subscribers

NOTE: prices are subject to change. FTIR does not receive any other fees, commissions, or benefits for the services it provides. All employees and directors of FTIR receive a salary. They may also receive performance-based bonuses and/or incentives. No employee is entitled to any other fees, commissions, or benefits from FTIR or any other person in relation to the financial services provided.

How does FTIR manage potential conflicts of interest?

FTIR does not have any relationships or associations with any financial product providers that influence us, or could reasonably be expected to, in the provision of financial services that we are licensed to provide.

Employees are prohibited from disclosing to third parties the substance of recommendations before they are published and are not allowed to act on, or instruct others to act on, recommendations before they are published, or trade in any securities that are the subject of live recommendations, which are not exempt. The FTIR Staff Trading Policy sets out the controls and protocols for staff trading.

What should I know about the risks of the financial product advice FTIR provides?

There are risks with all securities and derivatives. Their prices may fall as well as rise, and there is a chance you could lose your entire investment.

We assign risk ratings to the securities we recommend in some of our newsletters. Note that these risk ratings are general in nature. We do not guarantee the performance of any securities or derivatives we recommend.

As indicated above, we provide general financial product advice only. We do not provide personal financial product advice. You should consult a financial adviser or stockbroker who is licensed to provide you with personal financial product advice if you require any personal advice on securities, derivatives, managed investment schemes, or if you require assistance in determining your particular risk profile.

Compensation arrangements

FTIR has Professional Indemnity insurance in place to cover us and our representatives for liability arising from the financial services we provide, as per ASIC’s Regulatory Guide 126.

What information does FTIR maintain in my file?

We keep your name, email address, and postal address details in our database for the purpose of providing the services you request. We may also keep your telephone number on file if you provide it, as well as a record of correspondence including emails, telephone conversations, and letters directly relevant to the financial services we provide. Only authorised employees have access to this confidential customer information. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for further information. You may change or remove your details at any time by contacting us.

We may from time to time inform you of special offers. You can opt out of receiving any of these. FTIR respects your privacy and abides by the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles.

How do I make a complaint?

We endeavour to provide the highest standard of service at all times. Nevertheless, we understand there may be times when you would like to make a complaint about our services.

Complaints can be made over the telephone, by email or in writing, using the contact details in this FSG. When you notify us of your complaint, we will try to resolve it fairly within 48 hours.

FTIR is a member of an external dispute resolution scheme administered by the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). If FTIR cannot resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can refer your dispute to AFCA by telephone on 1800 931 678 or via its website at afca.org.au. AFCA will facilitate discussion and negotiation between parties to help reach an agreement and provide an independent adjudicator if necessary. There is no fee to you for this service.

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) also have an information line which you can use to make a complaint or obtain information about your rights. The telephone number is 1300 300 630.

All content is © 2005–2023 Fat Tail Investment Research Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Fat Tail Investment Research Pty Ltd holds an Australian Financial Services Licence: 323988. ACN: 117 765 009 ABN: 33 117 765 009.

All advice is general in nature and has not taken into account your personal circumstances. Please seek independent financial advice regarding your own situation, or if in doubt about the suitability of an investment.