Disclosure
Scope of Advice
Last updated: 5 December 2025
Summary
This disclosure explains who we are, the services we provide, how we are paid, and how to make a complaint.
Who We Are
Financial Services South Limited, trading as Total Life (FSP1006608), is licensed by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) to provide financial advice services in New Zealand.
Our advisers are either engaged directly by Total Life or by authorised bodies who are approved to provide advice under our licence. All advisers provide advice on behalf of Total Life and are covered by our licence and compliance framework.
What We Can Help With
Our advisers can give advice about:
- Home and business lending
- Life, trauma, and health insurance
- General insurance (e.g., house, car, contents)
- KiwiSaver
- Investments in certain retail financial products
Some advisers cover all these areas; others specialise in certain products only. If an adviser cannot help with something you need, we will let you know and help you find someone who can.
We do not provide:
- Legal or tax advice
- Advice on wholesale products
How We Get Paid
When we recommend a financial product and you choose to go ahead, the product provider may pay us a commission. This could be either a one-off payment or ongoing payments and are usually based on the amount of premium, loan, or investment.
- Commissions are paid to Total Life
- Total Life may pass a portion of that commission to your adviser
- Advisers are paid a mix of salary and commission and may receive bonuses
From time to time, product providers may contribute to adviser training or industry events. These benefits are not linked to the volume of business placed.
There may also be:
- Fees for investment services (charged by the product provider or platform)
- Third-party fees such as fund management, administration, performance, or transactional fees
If any costs apply to you, your adviser will explain them in writing before you decide to proceed.
We do not charge fees for insurance advice. Fees may apply for investment advice or complex lending situations. If fees apply, they may be fixed, hourly, or percentage‑based, and will be explained before you proceed.
How We Prioritise Your Interests
We are committed to ensuring our advice is right for you. We:
- Take the time to understand your goals and what’s important to you
- Follow a structured advice process
- Select products based on suitability for your needs – not ours
- Review our advice quality through internal compliance checks
We manage conflicts of interest by following a documented advice process and prioritising your interests, E.g. If two products meet your needs, we will recommend the one that best suits you, even if it pays us less commission. Our advisers are also subject to compliance checks.
Our Duties
We are regulated by the FMA and must always:
- Give priority to your interests
- Exercise care, diligence, and skill
- Meet the standards of competence, knowledge, and skill set by the Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services
- Meet the standards of ethical behaviour, conduct, and client care set by the Code
Reliability History
Neither Total Life nor its advisers have been disciplined, convicted of a crime, involved in civil proceedings, or declared bankrupt. If this changes, we will update this disclosure.
Complaints
If You Need to Make a Complaint
We want to deliver great advice and service, but if something hasn’t gone right, let us know. Making a complaint will not cost you anything.
You can contact us at:
Lana Paterson – Compliance Manager
Email: lana.paterson@totallife.co.nz
Phone: 0800 267 768
Post: PO Box 149, Invercargill 9810
What happens next:
- We will acknowledge your complaint and let you know how we plan to resolve it
- We may ask you for more information
- We aim to resolve complaints within 10 working days, but if we need more time we will keep you informed.
- We will keep you updated and let you know the outcome in writing
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact our independent dispute resolution scheme free of charge:
Financial Dispute Resolution Service (FDRS)
Phone (NZ): 0800 337 337
Phone (overseas): +64 4 910 9952
Email: enquiries@fdrs.org.nz
Mail: Freepost 231075, PO Box 2272, Wellington 6140
Website: https://www.fdrs.org.nz
They can help resolve issues that we cannot.