Independent AML/CTF evaluations · Financial planning firms

You built your practice to advise clients.
Not to commission AML/CTF audits.

But the reformed AML/CTF Act says your program must now be independently evaluated — and the firms offering to do it are priced for the big end of town.

The problem

Until it's done, it's an open item.


Your program commits you to an independent evaluation. Every governing body meeting, it stays unresolved. Every review window that passes, it gets harder to explain.

And the quotes you're getting assume you're an institution: hourly rates, city overheads, hundred-page reports built for banks — for a small practice with a handful of clients and a low risk profile.

You shouldn't have to choose between overpaying and leaving it open.

The guide

This is where we come in.

Resolution Compliance exists for firms exactly like yours: practices that take compliance seriously but don't want big-firm cost or complexity.

Genuinely independent

No role in building or running your program — confirmed in writing. Meets AUSTRAC's criteria for an independent evaluator.

10+ years of compliance audit

Structured, criteria-based audits and evaluations for regulated organisations Australia-wide.

Right-sized by design

What doesn't apply to your business is recorded as not applicable and explained — never treated as a gap.

The plan

A clear path to done.

Book a call

20 minutes, free. We confirm your evaluation window and scope.

Sign a fixed-fee proposal

One page. Total cost known before we start — a single fixed fee, no hourly billing.

Table the report

Independent Evaluation Report plus a Statement of Independent Evaluation for your governing body. Obligation closed.

After

Then get back to your real work.

The item comes off the agenda. Your governing body has the report and the statement in front of it. And you're back to doing what the practice is actually for — advising your clients.

Questions firms ask first

Is this actually required?

Yes — your AML/CTF policies must provide for periodic independent evaluations, in addition to your own internal reviews. See the plain-English explainer.

When is mine due?

At least every three years; many programs written for the 2026 reforms contemplate a first evaluation within 12 months of implementation. Your program document states your window.

Who can do it?

AUSTRAC sets no mandatory qualification — but the evaluator must be independent, must not have built or run your program, and must know the obligations and your sector.

What if you find problems?

They go in the report with clear recommendations. Fixing them is your call — remediation is never bundled into the evaluation.

How long does it take?

Typically a few weeks from signed proposal to delivered report, depending on how quickly documents arrive.

Put this obligation behind you.

20 minutes. If I'm not the right fit, I'll tell you.

Book a 20-minute call