FIIG Australian Bond Fund

Step 1: Your application in the Fund can be submitted through one of the following methods:

1. 1. Direct Online Application: Investors can invest in the Fund by applying online on the FIIG Australian Bond Fund online application form This form is hosted by Boardroom, the registry provider for the Fund. This application process takes between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on the account type.
2. 2. Application through a FIIG Relationship Manager: If you prefer a personalised service, contact your FIIG Relationship Manager or the FIIG team at 1800 01 01 81 or email funds@fiig.com.au.

Step 2: After submitting your application, transfer your investment funds by BPAY or EFT to the Fund application bank account. You will receive an email from Boardroom that contains these details.

NOTE: This bank account is a trust account managed by the fund registry Boardroom. Accordingly, the account name Boardroom Pty Ltd may appear when you enter the payment details into your online banking.

Step 3: If you have any outstanding application documents such as AML documentation (drivers licence, passport or trust deed) or a wholesale investor certificate then you will need to provide these before your application can be finalised.

Step 4: Once your funds and any outstanding documentation is received, you will be issued units in the Fund, and Boardroom will send you a welcome email including a holdings statement confirming your investment. The daily cut-off is 2pm (AEDT) and funds received after this time will receive the next unit price.

The Fund is open to retail and wholesale investors with a minimum balance of $10,000 to invest.

Boardroom is the Unit Registry for the Fund and keeps a record of investors' investments in the Fund. They maintain records of investors' units held, TFNs (if provided), bank account details and details of distribution reinvestment plan participation. Boardroom is also responsible for performing services such as application and redemption processing, distribution payments and providing statements associated with these transactions.

Boardroom provides an investor portal called Investorserve to allow investors access to view the value of their investment and to view their statements.

Your welcome letter provides tailored instructions on how to register for an InvestorServe account.

Please refer to a generic version of these instructions below:

Existing FIIG clients with a MYFIIG login can also view their investment balance through the MYFIIG client portal.

The Fund is structured as a managed investment scheme (MIS). As an investor in this scheme, you buy units in the scheme based on the amount you invest and the unit price on the day you invest. The value of each unit in the Fund and correspondingly the value of an investor's investment is determined daily considering the performance of the underlying assets of the Fund less the Fund management fee.

Some of the benefits of investing in a managed investment scheme (MIS) include:

• diversification of assets;
• professional management of the MIS; and
• access to investment opportunities that may not be available to individual investors.

This list is not exhaustive and you should consider the appropriateness of the product with regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. Before acquiring the product you should obtain the Information Memorandum and consider the offer statement before making any decision about whether to acquire the product. You should consider seeking advice from an authorised financial adviser before making an investment decision.

The Fund charges an annual investment management fee of 0.58% p.a. (inclusive of GST).

There are no application or exit fees charged by the Fund. However, there is a transaction fee known as a buy/sell spread, which amounts to 0.10% when entering and 0.10% when exiting the Fund. It is important to note that the buy/sell spread is not a fee paid to the Fund but will affect your investment return and is reflected in the application (buy) and redemption (sell) unit prices.

The purpose of this transaction fee is to cover trading expenses such as brokerage fees when investments are bought or sold in the Fund related to applications or redemptions. These fees ensure that only the investors buying or selling units incur the expenses associated with buying or selling any assets at a Fund Level.

What are distributions?

The FIIG Australian Bond Fund makes regular payments to unitholders in the form of quarterly distributions. These distributions typically consist of a combination of income from interest (generated from cash or bonds) and realised capital gains from the sale of assets held by the Fund.

How much do I receive?

The income you receive is based on the number of units you hold at the end of the distribution period, regardless of how long you have held those units. Every unit in the Fund receives the same rate of distribution. This rate of distribution is published as a cents per unit distribution rate. The total distribution you receive is calculated by multiplying the cents per unit distribution rate by the number of units held at the end of the distribution period. 

How often are distributions paid?

The Fund pays distributions on a quarterly basis.

The Fund distributes income quarterly, corresponding to the quarters ending March, June, September, and December, provided there is distributable income available. Distribution payments occur in the month following a distribution date.

How can my distributions be paid to me? 

Unitholders can elect to receive the distribution in the form of cash (paid to their nominated bank account) or reinvestment, which is the purchase of additional units in the fund. 

Investors in the Fund can choose to have their income paid to an Australian bank account held in the name of the account holder or to have this distribution reinvested into the Fund to purchase additional units. Investors may elect to have income distributed on the initial fund application form. However, this preference can be changed up to 7 days before a distribution date.

Why is the unit price lower after the distribution?

The income and any realised capital gains that the Fund earns are reflected in the unit price; this increases the unit price over time. When a distribution is paid, these income and realised capital gains are paid to investors, and the unit price will fall by approximately the same amount as the distribution.

For example, if a fund has a unit price of $1 on 30 June and the fund declares a distribution of $0.04 per unit (4 cents per unit), unitholders invested as at 30 June will be entitled to receive the $0.04 per unit distribution. Consequently, the unit price of the fund will fall to $0.96 to account for the $0.04 per unit distribution.

How can my distributions be paid to me?

Unitholders can elect to receive the distribution in the form of cash (paid to their nominated bank account) or reinvestment, which is the purchase of additional units in the fund.

Why is my distribution different from one period to the next?

The payment cycles of the underlying securities in which a fixed-income fund invests, the overall performance of the fixed-income market, the composition of the fund's holdings, and the fund's expenses can all affect distribution payments from one period to the next.

How do I know when my Fund has paid a distribution?

At the end of each distribution period, you’ll receive a distribution statement for the Fund outlining the details and amount of the distribution you received. This statement will also notify you how we have paid this distribution based on your chosen payment method. 

When can I expect to receive my annual tax statement?

For each financial year, you’ll receive an Annual Tax Statement. The timing of dispatch of this document will be made available in mid-June each year and will be available on the Fund website. 

The Fund is open to withdrawals on a daily basis. It is possible to withdraw a portion of your investment, but you must maintain a minimum balance above $10,000. To initiate a withdrawal, simply complete the withdrawal form and send this form to the registry for processing ( fiig@boardroomlimited.com.au). You can find this form in the documents section of the Fund page.

Withdrawals will generally be paid to your nominated Bank Account within 5 Business Days.

Please be aware that there will be delays in the processing of withdrawals in the week following a distribution period. These delays will not impact the unit price received for a withdrawal, however they will increase the time in which an investor receives their withdrawal payment.

A tax statement is provided in August after the close of each financial year, which has all the information needed to complete your tax return in respect to any income received from the Fund. You will receive a tax statement for each fund you are invested in.

Investors also need to consider Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in periods they have sold or transferred their investments. The calculation of CGT from the sale or transfer of assets in the Fund will need to be calculated by a qualified accountant using information available from the statements you receive from the fund registry.

Setting up an Auto Invest plan is simple and only takes a few minutes by completing the Regular Investment Plan section through the online portal on InvestorServe. Simply navigate to the “Payment Instructions” and then “Savings Plan” section. Then follow the prompts to add or amend your Regular Investment (Savings) Plan.

For new applications there is a Regular Investment Plan section in the online join form to provide the amount and bank account for the Regular Investment Plan.

Can I edit or pause my Regular Investment Plan?

Yes, they can be modified or cancelled through the online InvestorServe portal. 

What happens to my Auto Invest on weekends and public holidays?

Direct Debits are processed on the 15th of each month. If this date falls on either a weekend or a public holiday, your Auto Invest transaction will be carried over to the following business day. 

What is a Regular Investment Plan? 

A regular investment plan allows you to commence investing in the Fund with as little as $1,000 on a monthly basis. The key advantage is that it removes the need to manually make investments, eliminating the need of organising for additional applications and ensuring you stay committed to your financial goals.