Purpose

Carrick Athena (Pty) Ltd (“CA”) operates as a Juristic Representative under the Financial Services Provider (FSP) licence of Carrick Wealth (Pty) Ltd (FSP 45621)..At CA, we are committed to conducting business in an ethical, transparent, and professional manner. Protecting our clients’ interests is our highest priority. This Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy explains how we identify, manage, and disclose potential conflicts to ensure that all clients are treated fairly.

What is a Conflict of Interest?

A conflict of interest may arise when CA or its employees:

• Do not act objectively in rendering services;
• Have a financial or ownership interest that may influence advice; or
• Have a relationship with a third party that could compromise fairness.

Examples include:

• Receiving gifts, benefits, or hospitality above permitted limits;
• Holding ownership interests in product providers;
• Being incentivized to recommend one product over another.

How We Manage Conflicts of Interest

To safeguard our clients, we have adopted the following measures:

• Conflict Register-All actual and potential conflicts are recorded and monitored.
• Disclosure-Any material conflicts will be disclosed to clients in writing, including the nature, value (if applicable), and impact.
• Remuneration Policy– Our employees are not incentivized to:
  • Favour quantity of business over quality of advice,
  • Prefer one product provider over another, or
  • Prefer one product of a provider when multiple options are available.
• No Sign-On Bonuses-We do not offer or accept sign-on bonuses.
• Training & Awareness-All staff receive training on the COI requirements.

What We May Receive

We may only receive or provide financial interest permitted under legislation, such as:

• Fees for services agreed to in writing with clients;
• Fair-value payments for legitimate services rendered.

External Relationships

• We only contract with reputable product providers and disclose any material business relationships to clients.
• Where benefits or preferred status with product suppliers exist, these will not compromise the objectivity of our advice.

Commitment to Clients

• We will always put our clients’ interests first.
• We will disclose any conflict where relevant, allowing clients to make informed decisions.
• We will decline to act if a conflict cannot be managed in a way that safeguards the client.