Newest improvements to the North platform

We take pride in continuously enhancing the North platform and the products and investments we offer as part of our commitment to advisers and their clients.

We’ve heard your feedback, both positive and constructive, and this article outlines the latest release of improvements that we’ve implemented.

Upfront Fixed Term Member Advice Fee – improving flexibility of your fees

We’ve heard your requests for increased flexibility in our fees and we have therefore introduced an additional payment frequency option when using fixed term advice fees. In addition to the current monthly payment frequency option, you now have the ability to charge a fixed term member advice fee as a single payment for the agreement period.

You can set up this fee on North Online for new and existing super and pension accounts.

The single fee is deducted as soon as the cap allows for the full fee. The cap is based on the fixed term agreement period (2.2% pa prorated). For more information on this, please refer to the MyNorth Super & Pension product disclosure statement or our FAQs. 

Digital consent for advice fees- saving you more time with client consent forms

In our previous release in August, we rolled out a new digital consent process for advice fees, where advisers are able to trigger an email to the client prompting them to approve or decline advice fees via an online consent process. This process has served to automate the upload of client consent forms and client IDs, creating a smoother and more efficient experience for both you and your client.

For more information on this, you can refer to our previous updates release, or our digital consent resources located under the training resources section on North Online.

Our latest update includes the option to send clients a reminder email before a request expires if they have not responded to an in-progress consent request. Advisers and practice staff now have the ability to tailor the email notifications they receive, or opt out completely. We have also created a digital consent report that you can find in North’s existing adviser reporting section. The report captures all digital consent requests across your client base and will contain key information such as the consent type, consent status, whether a response has been received, and the due by date. This will allow you to easily view your digital consent requests and take appropriate action if required, saving you time and improving practice efficiency.

Separately, we have also introduced a standalone contact details menu for clients where they can update their mobile number and email address without going through the pre-submission page.

For more information, please refer to our FAQs. 

Compulsory MFA- a cybersecurity enhancement

Your cybersecurity and that of your clients is extremely important to us.

You may already be aware that as part of our commitment to protecting customers, we have increased our security in North Online and the North mobile app by introducing compulsory Two Factor Authentication (2FA) for all clients. This means that all client’s must have a mobile number recorded on their North Online account. If not already provided, clients will be prompted to provide their mobile number the next time they log in. This provides an extra layer of security in addition to their login details and helps ensure only the account holder can access their account.

For more information on this change and the communications we’ve sent to clients, you can refer to our previous Two Factor Authentication Product Journal update or our FAQs. 

Session timeouts

Furthermore, we have listened to your feedback and the session timeout for both you and your clients have increased back to 120 minutes. We will be introducing a lock screen at 30 minutes in February to add additional protection. The lock screen will require you to renter your password after 30 minutes of inactivity however, your session will remain active in the background so you will be able to resume where you left off without any loss of data.

You can expect another release of enhancements early next year as part of our continuous platform improvement plan. Be sure to keep a lookout for these and more news in future Product Journals.

If you have questions about any of the changes in this release or would like to offer feedback to help us shape future platform improvement releases, please contact your North Business Development Manager or call 1800 667 841. We greatly appreciate your feedback and are delighted to assist you with North queries.