In May 2014, NAB announced we were commencing a program of work to review how income and tax was being applied to customers’ accounts on our Navigator Wrap platform.

This work followed an independent review into Navigator that PwC was commissioned to conduct.

As part of this review, NAB has identified errors and processes dating back to 2001, which was prior to NAB’s 2009 acquisition of Aviva, which included the Navigator platform, and when Aviva was eventually integrated into the NAB business in 2011.

These errors and processes relate to how income and tax was being allocated to customers’ accounts on closure. This resulted in surplus monies being held within the Navigator Platform Funds for the benefit of fund customers, rather than being attributed at the individual customer account level. At no stage have these monies been held by, or accounted for, as part of the assets of any NAB Group company.

The review undertaken by NAB over the past 12 months has now resolved this, with all affected customers to be paid their due allocations. In total, approximately 62,000 customers will receive funds to the value of approximately $25 million.

One-third (34%) of customers will receive a payment of $50 or less, 50% of customers will receive less than $100, and 75% of customers will receive less than $350. The average payment per customer is $400, which includes interest.

Group Executive, NAB Wealth and CEO of MLC, Andrew Hagger said that NAB will write to customers and advisers over the coming weeks to explain this legacy issue and what NAB has done to fix the problem.

“NAB Wealth has applied significant focus to our breach identification and reporting processes, which is what led to NAB originally reporting this legacy issue to ASIC,” Mr Hagger said.

“These errors date back to 2001 and are centred on processes and controls relating to Navigator – a platform NAB inherited when we acquired Aviva in 2009. Our teams have worked extensively, with oversight by PwC and ASIC, to ensure the right processes, systems and controls are now in place.

“While this is a legacy issue, we took deliberate steps to make absolutely sure we could get the fairest outcome for our customers.

“These errors are in no way related to the quality of NAB Wealth’s advice to its customers.”

Notes to the editor – 

• The only customers impacted are customers who closed their accounts on the Navigator platform between 30 September 2001 and 30 April 2015. These customers can visit the MLC website (www.mlc.com.au/additional-payment) for further information.
• The majority of money now being distributed to customers is being distributed from within the Navigator Platform Funds to the entitled customers. Given that the majority of the $25 million is being reallocated from the Navigator Platform Funds, this payment is immaterial to NAB.