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Legal and compliance

Complaints

How to complain to us, what happens next, and where to go if you’re not happy with our answer.

Last updated 29 October 2026

If you’re unhappy with our advice or service, please tell us. Complaining to us is free. We want to hear about it so we can put it right.

How to complain to us

Please send us your complaint in writing:

  • Email: Talitha Louw, who handles complaints, at talitha@finplanning.com, or administration@finplanning.com
  • Post or hand delivery: Block A, First Floor, Victoria House, Victoria Country Club Estate Office Park, 22 Montrose Park Boulevard, Montrose, Pietermaritzburg, 3201

If you need help putting your complaint in writing, call us on 033 342 2382.

What to include

  • your name and how we can contact you
  • your policy, investment or account number, if you have one
  • the name of the planner you dealt with
  • what happened, with dates
  • what you’d like us to do to put it right
  • copies of any letters, emails or statements that help explain your complaint

Keep a copy of your complaint and of our replies. An ombud will ask for them if you take the complaint further.

What happens next

  1. We confirm we’ve received it. We acknowledge your complaint in writing within 2 business days and tell you who is handling it.
  2. We look into it. We review the facts fairly. We keep you updated, and tell you if there’s a delay and why.
  3. We give you our answer in writing. We aim to resolve your complaint within 5 business days. If we haven’t resolved your complaint within six weeks, you can take it to the FAIS Ombud.
  4. If we agree with you, we put things right without undue delay.
  5. If we don’t agree, we explain why in writing. We also tell you how to take your complaint further, including any time limits.

If you’re unhappy with our first answer, write to Talitha Louw at talitha@finplanning.com, who will review your complaint again before you take it further.

Where to go if you’re not happy with our answer

Your complaint is about Where to go
Our advice, or how we arranged or handled a product for you FAIS Ombud
A life insurance policy or claim, such as life, disability, severe illness or funeral cover National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO)
A retirement fund, such as a retirement annuity (RA), a preservation fund, or a pension or provident fund Pension Funds Adjudicator
A medical scheme Council for Medical Schemes
A financial institution breaking the laws it must follow Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)
How your personal information is handled, or a request for records Information Regulator

The ombud services are free. We checked all the contact details below on 28 September 2026.

FAIS Ombud

The Ombud for Financial Services Providers (the FAIS Ombud) deals with complaints about the financial services a provider like us gives you. That includes our advice, and how we arranged or handled a product for you.

Time limits and rules:

  • Complain to us first and give us six weeks to resolve it.
  • Send your complaint to the FAIS Ombud within six months of receiving our final response.
  • The FAIS Ombud can’t consider something that happened more than three years before it receives your complaint. If you found out later, the three years run from when you knew, or should reasonably have known, about it, whichever was earlier.
  • It generally can’t consider a complaint about how an investment performed, unless the performance was guaranteed or there are signs of fraud, negligence or maladministration.
  • It can’t consider a claim of more than R3.5 million, unless the provider agrees in writing or you give up the amount above R3.5 million.
  • It won’t consider a complaint that you’ve already taken to court.

Contact the FAIS Ombud:

  • Phone: 012 762 5000 or Sharecall 086 066 3274
  • Email: info@faisombud.co.za
  • Website: www.faisombud.co.za (complaint form online or to download)
  • Office: 11th Floor, Menlyn Central Office Building, 125 Dallas Avenue, Waterkloof Glen, Pretoria, 0010
  • Post: PO Box 41, Menlyn Park, 0063
  • Hours: Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 16:30, Friday 08:00 to 15:30

National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO)

The NFO deals with complaints about life (long-term) insurers. Examples are a declined claim, the value of a policy, or poor service. It also handles complaints about banks, credit providers and short-term insurers. It replaced the former Long-term Insurance, Short-term Insurance, Banking and Credit Ombuds.

  • Complain to the insurer first. The NFO gives insurers six weeks to respond to a first complaint.
  • The NFO may turn down a complaint made more than three years after you knew, or should have known, that you had reason to complain.
  • Complaints about advice go to the FAIS Ombud, and complaints about retirement funds go to the Pension Funds Adjudicator.

Contact the NFO:

Pension Funds Adjudicator

The Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator deals with complaints about retirement funds registered under the Pension Funds Act. These include retirement annuity funds, preservation funds, and pension and provident funds. Examples are a benefit that isn’t paid or is paid late, or a benefit that was calculated wrongly.

  • First complain to the fund in writing. The fund has 30 days to reply.
  • If the fund doesn’t reply, or you’re unhappy with its reply, complain to the Adjudicator.
  • Complaints must generally be made within three years of the event, or of when you became aware of it.
  • The Adjudicator doesn’t deal with the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF). The Government Employees Pension Ombud does.

Contact the Pension Funds Adjudicator:

Council for Medical Schemes

The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) deals with complaints about medical schemes, such as a claim that wasn’t paid.

  • First use your medical scheme’s own complaints process.
  • Send the CMS proof that you did, together with its complaint form and your supporting documents. Complain as soon as you can, preferably within three years.

Contact the CMS:

Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)

The FSCA regulates financial institutions, including us. It deals with complaints that a financial institution has broken the laws it must follow. It can’t help with claim disputes or disagreements about a contract. Those go to the relevant ombud.

Contact the FSCA:

Information Regulator

The Information Regulator deals with complaints about how personal information is handled, under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). It also deals with complaints about requests for records, under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). See our privacy notice and PAIA manual.

Contact the Information Regulator:

Going to court

You don’t have to use an ombud. You can go to court instead. But an ombud usually won’t consider a complaint that is already before a court.

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