Forward Exchange Contracts (FECs) (Valid until 23rd March 2023)

Target Market Determination – FECs

Issuer
Product description
Date of issue
Target market
Distribution conditions
Review triggers
Review periods
Reporting requirements
Record keeping

This Target Market Determination (TMD) is a publicly available document required under section 994B of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). It sets out the target market for the product, distribution conditions, circumstances in which this TMD must be reviewed and any reporting obligations. This TMD forms part of HiFX Limited trading as Xe New Zealand (Xe NZ)’s design and distribution framework for Australian customers.

This document is not a Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or Supplementary Product Disclosure Statement (SPDS) and is not intended to provide financial advice regarding the product. Customers must refer to the Terms and Conditions, the PDS and / or SPDS for the product, which outline the relevant terms and conditions, and risks of the product, when making a decision about this product.

This TMD provides Xe NZ’s Australian customers with information regarding:

which customers this product is suitable for (the target market) and which customers this product is unsuitable for;
any distribution conditions and restrictions on distribution for this product; and
the review period and events or circumstances that may trigger a review.

This TMD describes the customers within Xe NZ’s target market, but does not consider a customer's personal needs, objectives or financial situation. Customers should obtain their own advice in this regard.

Product:	Forward Exchange Contracts (FECs)
Product issuer:	Xe NZ
Effective date:	16 September 2022
First review date:	15 September 2023
Review period:	Annually

Issuer

Xe NZ.

Product description

(a) A FEC is an agreement to exchange a fixed amount of one currency for another, at a fixed future date, at a fixed exchange rate.

(b) Xe NZ provides FECs to Australian retail customers where the Value Date is more than two Business Days after the date on which the transaction was entered.

Date of issue

16 September 2022

Target market

The target market for this Product is customers who are engaging or proposing to engage in the following:

Forward Exchange Contracts (FECs).

The variables involved in the negotiation of FECs are:

the currencies exchanged;
the amount of such currencies;
the Exchange Rate i.e. the rate at which such currencies are exchanged; and
the Value Date of the FECs.

FECs mature on a Value Date (a predetermined date acceptable to the two parties of the contract) where the Value Date is more than two Business Days after the date on which the transaction was entered. FECs are deliverable contracts and will involve an obligation to give or to take delivery of currency at the Value Date. Delivery terms are agreed at the outset of each individual FEC. The key features of FECs are provided below:

Over-the-counter financial product issued by Xe NZ. They are not exchange- traded.
Facilitates the exchange of currencies and result in physical payments being undertaken on delivery date. Customers send Xe NZ their Sold Currency and Xe NZ will send them their Bought Currency.
Enables customers to protect themselves from adverse exchange rate fluctuations by providing exchange rate certainty.
When a FEC is agreed, customers may be asked to pay an upfront part payment amount called an Initial Margin and, if requested, any later Margin Call amounts.

These customers are likely to have the following objectives, needs and financial situation and must meet the eligibility and assessment criteria for this Product:

1.1 Customer Objectives and Needs

(a) This Product is designed for individuals or entities who seek to hedge future foreign exchange risk to eliminate the uncertainty of fluctuating exchange rates by locking in an exchange rate at the outset of the transaction.

(b) This Product is also designed for Customers who wish to utilise a Credit facility, so that they can hold a trading position while only committing a fraction of the FX Transaction’s total cost to Xe NZ, and who accept the risks of this activity.

1.2 Customer Financial Situation

(a) This Product is designed for individuals or entities who, in term of their financial situation:

can afford to pay Xe NZ an Initial Margin in accordance with Xe NZ’s margin policy1 and other fees and charges without hardship – this is normally a percentage of the total amount of the currency they are selling. In the case of FECs with a Value Date greater than two Business Days from the Contract Date, the Initial Margin immediately payable is generally about 10% of the face value of the contract;
are in a position to pay the Initial Margin immediately after the FEC is agreed. If the Initial Margin required is not received the customer’s contract may be Closed Out with the customer being responsible for any loss arising from the Close Out;
are prepared to accept currency fluctuations, which may cause the mark to market valuation of the contract to change, resulting in a potential loss if the contract needs to be closed out at market rates for any reason;
are prepared to accept currency fluctuations, which may result in Xe NZ requesting additional margin payments to be made i.e. a margin call;
are prepared to pay the outstanding balance (settlement) of the Sold Currency (once Initial Margin and any later payment of Margin, if any, has been taken into account) not later than the banking cut-off time on the Business Day before the Value Date (of the particular FEC);
accept responsibility for the taxation implication of their activities; and
accept the features, advantages, benefits and risks of the Product as set out below:

Features	Advantages	Benefits	Risks
An agreement to exchange one currency for another with a value date of more than two business days but at a fixed, agreed Exchange Rate based on prevailing market rates	Peace of mind that they know immediately what Exchange Rate they have agreed and fixed for a future point in time	By committing to an agreed Exchange Rate now they avoid the risk of any future adverse currency movements. A FEC provides customers with cash flow certainty by locking in an Exchange Rate	Opportunity cost: Once they have fixed their Exchange Rate they are locked into the rate and will not be able to take advantage of subsequent favourable Exchange Rate movements should that occur. On the other hand, they will be protected from any adverse movements
Competitive Exchange Rates quoted by Xe NZ’s experienced dealing team	Access to real time live pricing	Total transparency which enables customers to compare Xe NZ’s Exchange	Risk of a better Exchange Rate possibly being offered elsewhere
FEC can be fixed and secured by placing an upfront payment (called an Initial Margin) with Xe NZ when agreeing the transaction	For an upfront payment, customers can reserve a rate of exchange, knowing it is not going to change	Peace of mind that customers are protected against any future adverse currency movements	Risk of Close Out if Margin not paid. For a FEC, customers typically pay an Initial Margin amount and any later Margin Call amount. If they do not pay the required Margin by the required time, customers’ FEC may be Closed Out and they remain liable to pay any shortfall
Payments by customers to Xe NZ and from Xe NZ to customers are via electronic bank transfers	Reassurance that customer details are both safe and secure	Not handling large amounts of cash or worrying about bank drafts being lost in the post	Delays in onward payment occurring: Banks sending their money to Xe NZ or banks sending money to customers can occasionally experience administrative and technology-based difficulties. We may be obliged to block or delay payment if Xe NZ suspect that an Account is being used in connection with money laundering or terrorist financing activities
The Exchange Rate is agreed over the telephone with a member of Xe NZ’s experienced dealing team, online, or requested via email. A confirmation note is sent shortly afterwards	It is very clear and transparent how much money is to be paid by customers and when	Cash flow certainty by locking in an Exchange Rate	Risk of details being wrong. It is vital that both parties clearly agree what currency they are selling, what currency they are buying, at what Exchange Rate, by which Value Date and lastly the amounts involved
Clients can apply for a credit facility, which can offer some relief from Initial Margin and Margin Call requirements when booking FECs	Clients can enter FECs without the requirement to pay cash	The client can achieve exchange rate certainty without having to provide the same level of Margin payments	Clients must apply for credit, and the application process may require an in- depth assessment of the clients’ circumstances and may take some time to complete, or may be rejected

1.3 Customer Eligibility

The eligibility criteria of this Product include that individuals and entities must:

(a) accept the offer in Australia;

(b) have received and read the PDS and / or SPDS;

(c) accept the key risks set out in the PDS and/or SPDS, including in relation to market volatility, opportunity cost, counterparty risk on Xe NZ, OTC market risks, market disruptions, slippage, online services risks, conflicts risk, and systems risk;

(d) have received and read Terms and Conditions, and signed an application form or agreed to the Terms and Conditions;

(e) successfully complete all 'Know-Your-Customer' processes in accordance with Anti-money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing laws;

(f) have paid the Initial Margin (if required), and satisfied Xe NZ’s credit criteria requirements for them; and

(g) accept the credit risk exposure to Xe NZ.

And

(a) be an Australian registered corporation, or be a trustee of an Australian family, statutory, superannuation, unit or hybrid trust (the beneficiary and the Trustee must meet the eligibility criteria of an individual or a corporation); or

(b) be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or resident with acceptable residency status, 18 years or older.

The Product has not been designed for individuals and entities who:

(a) do not meet the financial suitability criteria set out in 1.2 above;

(b) wish to engage in foreign currency or exchange trading, investment or speculative purposes;

(d) do not accept the risks associated with FECs as set out in 1.2 above;

(e) are unfamiliar with foreign currency or foreign currency exchange dealings;

(f) are unable to pay the agreed Exchange Rate, Initial Margin and any fees without hardship; and/or

(g) are unable or are unlikely to be able to pay for future Margin calls without hardship.

1.4 Appropriateness of the target market

This Product is likely to be consistent with the likely objectives, financial situation and needs of the class of Customers in the target market. This is based on an analysis of the key terms, features and attributes of the Product and a finding that these are consistent with the identified class of Customers.

The Customer needs to exchange one currency (Sold Currency) for another currency (Bought Currency) at an agreed Exchange Rate on a date (Contract Date) for delivery at a pre-determined date (Value Date) where the Value Date is more than two Business Days after the date on which the transaction was entered, pay the Margin and accept the risks of this Product. This allows the Customer to avoid the risk and uncertainty associated with adverse Exchange Rate movements.

Xe NZ do not encourage customers to utilise this Product if the above key attributes do not align with their objectives, requirements and personal circumstances.

Distribution conditions

This Product will be distributed:

to customers with existing Xe accounts, who satisfy this TMD;
through Xe’s website; and
through Xe’s sales and dealer team, via email and/or phone.

Xe does not have any third-party distributors, save for HIFX Australia Pty Ltd which is a related entity.

This product should only be distributed under the following conditions:

to individuals and entities that meet Customer Eligibility set out in section 1.3;
through Xe NZ's approved distribution channels;
where there are any consumer queries or concerns, where they have been answered by an authorised Xe NZ representative;
where they are eligible in accordance with the application or acceptance that has been approved in writing by Xe NZ and which complies with relevant laws;
by Xe NZ's authorised representatives, including corporate authorised representatives, where they have received training and relevant accreditation (if required) and have met annual compliance reviews.

It has been determined that the distribution conditions and restrictions will make it likely that Customers who purchase the Product are in the class of customers for which it has been designed. This is because:

Xe NZ will programmatically prevent any person that directly opens a Xe NZ account and who is not within the target market from accessing Xe NZ issued FEC Product;
Xe NZ will have controls to ensure applying customers meet eligibility requirements; and
monitoring and supervision of customer suitability and on boarding processes.

Review triggers

Review triggers are event and circumstances that would reasonably suggest that the TMD is no longer appropriate. This may include:

(a) receipt of a Product Intervention Power order from ASIC requiring Xe NZ to cease distribution of this Product

(b) receipt of a significant number of complaints from applicants who have acquired this Product that would suggests the TMD is no longer appropriate;

(c) occurrence of a significant dealing outside of the TMD that would reasonably suggest that this TMD is no longer appropriate;

(d) material change to key Product features, investment objectives, terms and conditions that would reasonably suggests that this TMD is no longer appropriate;

(e) any significant or continual poor performance of the Product or risk that the investment option is not likely to meet its investment objective over the minimum suggested investment timeframe, reasonably suggesting that this TMD is no longer appropriate;

(f) a significant amount of margin calls;

(g) material discrete complaints, AFCA determinations or litigation relating to the Product;

(h) external events such as adverse media coverage or regulatory attention; and

(i) significant changes in review triggers covering matters such as:

inconsistency of product with target market’s likely needs, objectives or financial situation;
product design or implementation failures;
inconsistency of distribution with the TMD;
feedback received, including through industry forums; and
potential or actual harm to consumers;

(j) the nature of and number of complaints from consumers indicating that the risks of FEC FX contracts are not well understood;

(k) the Target Market and Product attributes described in this TMD is found to include materially incorrect or misleading information that reasonably suggests that this TMD is no longer appropriate; and

(l) changes to legislation have come into effect which materially impacts upon the design or distribution of the Product and reasonably suggests that this TMD is no longer appropriate.

Review periods

To ensure that the TMD remains appropriate for the Product, Xe NZ will review the TMD:

(a) periodically, and at least annually from initial review;

(b) in response to the review triggers (see above); or

Xe NZ will integrate the review process into the Product governance arrangements, and controls will be put in place to ensure that meaningful reviews take place. Possible outcomes from the review process include:

(a) no change to the way the Product is distributed;

(b) changing the Product design, target market or distribution; or

If Xe NZ becomes aware of information that would reasonably suggest that the TMD is no longer appropriate (e.g. a review trigger has occurred), Xe NZ will stop issuing the Product and direct its authorised representatives to stop distributing until Xe NZ has reviewed the TMD and Product.

Reporting requirements

Complaints and general feedback about a financial Product are a useful indicator of whether the TMD may still be appropriate. Where Xe NZ engages its employees, contractors and authorised representative to distribute its Products, it requires the authorised representative to promptly provide any information about complaints and Product feedback it receives to Xe NZ.

Xe NZ requires its authorised representative to provide the following information:

(a) complaints under ASIC RG 271 and all related information;

(b) significant dealings outside the target market; and

The following is an example of the type of information that must be provided to Xe NZ by its authorised representative who engages in distribution of this Product:

Type of information	Description of information	Reporting period
Complaints	Authorised representatives name; Date of complaint; Product; Nature and outcome of the complaint; AFCA status (if applicable); and the distributor should provide all the content of the complaint, having regard to privacy	As soon as complaint is received by the distributor / quarterly
Significant dealings outside the target market	Nature and circumstances of the significant dealing; Reasons why the dealings occurred outside the Target Market The date range of when the significant dealing occurred; The number of consumers to whom the report relates; Whether personal financial advice was provided (in writing); and Whether consumer harm or detriment has, or likely, occurred as a result of the significant dealing.	As soon as practicable, and in any case, within 10 business days after becoming aware
Dealings outside the target market	Where an authorised representative arranges the Product acquisition they must confirm within the Product application form: Whether they believe the consumer is in the Target Market; Whether the Product application supports the implementation of Personal financial Product advice; and Where the consumer is not in the Target Market, the reasons why the consumer is not in the Target Market.	At the time the Product application is submitted

Record keeping

Xe will keep records of the reasonable steps it has taken to ensure that this product is sold in a manner consistent with this TMD.

Xe will also keep complete and accurate records of its decisions, and the reasons for those decisions about:

(a) all Target Market Determinations for this product

(b) identifying and tracking review triggers

(d) the matters documented in this TMD

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