Frequently asked questions & other supporting information

Choosing the right portfolio depends on your investment goals, time frame, and risk tolerance. To help you decide, consider the following:

1. Investment Time Frame: Each portfolio has a suggested time frame. Ensure it aligns with your financial goals:

2. Target Market Determination (TMD): Review the PMA Target Market Determination to understand the intended investor profile for each portfolio.

3. Tools & eBook Guides: InvestSMART provides several resources to help you choose the right portfolio.

Here is a list of tools and guides to help select the right portfolio: 

• InvestSMART's Statement of Advice – A tailored Investment Plan with step-by-step guidance.
• Guide to Growing Wealth – Strategies to build your portfolio.
• Guide to Investing in Retirement – Insights for managing your investments during retirement.
• Investor Pack – A comprehensive overview of InvestSMART’s offerings.

Calculators:

• Wealth Savings Calculator
• Property Savings Calculator
• Education Savings Calculator
• Retirement Savings Calculator

For a deeper dive into investing, explore InvestSMART Bootcamp, a complete investment course designed to help you get started.

What is 2FA?

Two-factor authentication (2FA) - or two-step verification - is a security feature that adds an extra layer of protection to your account. Instead of using a single factor to authenticate your identity, like a password, you can use a second, one-time code sent to you via SMS or generated in an authenticator mobile application like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator or Authy

How do I enable 2FA?

The 2FA system is opt-in. To activate it, please read the following steps.

1. Accessing 2FA

• Click here or go to My Account,
• Then click 2 Factor Authentication under My Security. 

2. Choose a Verification Method

• Get a code via SMS/text or
• Generate a code via an Authenticator App like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator or Authy.

You can choose both methods. If you enable both, the authenticator app will be used as the primary method.

Method for turning on the SMS/Text Message:

1. Turn on the SMS/Text Message toggle.

2. An SMS/text is sent to your mobile device with a code

3. Enter the code and click the “Verify & Save Setting” button.

4. An ‘All Done’ message will appear confirming your SMS authentication is set up

Method for turning on the Authenticator Application:

1. Turn on the Authenticator Application toggle

2. Download the Authenticator of choice and then use the generated QR code

3. Enter the code and click the “Verify Code” button.

4. An ‘All Done’ message will appear confirming your Authenticator App is set up

Once you have activated your two-factor authentication (2FA), you will now have an extra step at login. As usual, your first step will be entering your email and password combination. The second step will require you to enter a valid 2FA code from either the SMS you receive or generate the code via your authenticator app of choice.

3. Logging in with 2FA

• Logging in will require your email and password, as well as a 2FA code from your chosen method. 
• Optional: Select “Don’t ask again on this device for 30 days” to skip 2FA on that device/browser for a month. 
• With 2FA enabled, you should bypass the Google reCAPTCHA step at login.

Need help?

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please click on the salmon-coloured help button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

This help button will begin a live chat with a team member during office hours. If your query is outside office hours, we will get back to you as soon as possible.

What is a Specific Contribution?

A specific contribution is when you want to add funds to either a new portfolio or an individual portfolio inside your account.

How do I do this?

You can add funds to a new portfolio alongside your existing portfolio(s) or choose to add funds to a specific portfolio online.

Please note that you can only hold one diversified portfolio per account but can hold multiple single asset class portfolios. 

If you wish to hold multiple diversified portfolios then you will be required to open multiple accounts. 

Log on and go to Dashboard > Add funds.

• Select 'Add Funds'
• Enter Contribution Amount by Dollar Figure ($)
• Provide New Allocation Breakdown by Percentage (%) and then select Next
• Select Verify to receive a Code via Email or SMS
• Enter Code to Complete Verification

You'll be shown and emailed your Bpay details so you can make the funding payment.

If you change your mind and haven't sent funds, you can cancel the request. This will allow you to start a new request.

Examples of each contribution type

Adding a new Model Portfolio(s) to your PMA

You have $10,000 in the Balanced Portfolio already and want to add a new $10,000 investment into the Internatinonal Equities Portfolio.

Contributing to a specific Model Portfolio(s) within your existing PMA

You have invested $10,000 in the Balanced Portfolio and $10,000 in the International Equities Portfolio but only want to add $5,000 to the Balanced Portfolio.

No, you're charged the one management fee.

• You can hold more than one investment model in the same account.

• You can hold one diversified portfolio and/or multiple single asset class portfolios.

If the portfolio model is part of our capped fee range, the one management fee will apply to your account as a whole.

Fees matter and have a significant impact on your net investment returns. We have a fee structure of 0.44% p.a. capped at $880 per year no matter how much you invest.*

For example, if you hold the InvestSMART Balanced Portfolio and the InvestSMART International Portfolio, you will only pay a maximum of $880 p.a. on your portfolio and not $880 p.a. per model.

* InvestSMART's capped Management Fee (capped at $880 p.a.) does not include fees charged within any ETF held in this portfolio, estimated to be approximately 0.18% (indirect cost ratio), and our flat 0.11% admin fee – this covers buy-side brokerage costs. Sell side brokerage costs are not included in this calculation. For more information about fees and costs, please see the Product Disclosure Statement and Investment Menu.

If you are an existing investor you would open a new InvestSMART Professionally Managed Account (PMA) is if you are investing via a different entity, for example you have a personal account but also wish to invest in joint names or an in your self-managed super fund, or if you are wanting to invest in multiple diversified portfolios. 

As an existing investor you can add funds to your existing PMA or add a new investment portfolio to your PMA via the Add Funds feature in My Account. 

Here are some examples of when you would open a new account:

• You're a new client with no account
• You want to change or open an account under a different legal entity like a company, trust, or SMSF
• You want to add your partner as a legal owner
• You want to invest in multiple diversified portfolios
• You previously closed your account 

Yes, you can withdraw your funds at any time using the Withdrawal Request feature via the My Account section.

Your investments are not subject to a minimum investment period, and there is no exit fee.

You should, however, always consider the suggested timeframe of your chosen model portfolio(s) and associated brokerage charges to sell your holdings.

The holdings are very liquid and trade as ETFs on the ASX.

We usually have funds returned to clients in 4-5 business days from the submitted withdrawal request. Withdrawal requests are processed the following day they're received.

If you have multiple model portfolios in your InvestSMART PMA you can choose which investment the funds are drawn from via the Withdrawal Request section.