18/02/2026

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Carmen Bradstreet

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My FSP number:       1010656

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My Contact Details:    Address:          9 Hopetoun Street, Freemans Bay, 1011, Auckland

                                     Phone:             027 340 3463
                                     Email:              carmen@theinsuranceadviser.co.nz

 

I am a financial adviser and provide advice on behalf of Virtual Communications Limited Trading as The Insurance Adviser, FSP1006610, who are licensed as a Financial Advice Provider by the Financial Markets Authority.

 

​Both Virtual Communications Limited and I are registered on the financial service providers registry, which can be viewed at

fsp-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz

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Our mission is to empower Kiwis to secure their financial future by providing advice to educate and inform, so you can make the best decision.

Relevant History / Qualifications

I have been involved in the financial services industry since 2012, following my graduation with a Bachelor of Business Analysis degree, majoring in Finance.

Since then, I have worked as a para-planner for well-known financial advice companies and in marketing for financial services businesses.

I hold the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5) with both Insurance and Investment strands, meeting the legal requirements for giving Financial Insurance Advice (and KiwiSaver investment advice only) in New Zealand.

In addition, I previously served as Chairperson of Trikafta for Kiwis, a patient advocacy group, which gave me valuable insight into the importance of accessible healthcare and strengthened my passion for helping clients make informed health and life insurance decisions.

My Services

The conditions of my licence allow me to provide the following financial advice services:

• Personal Risk – Life, Income, Disability & Health Insurances

• KiwiSaver Investments only

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Personal Risk – Life, Income, Disability & Health Insurances
I provide personalised advice based on your circumstances to determine the personal risk products that best meet your goals and needs, limited to the providers we have chosen to work with.

I follow a documented advice process to determine what is important to you, what products you need, and how much cover you should have in place. I then recommend the provider that offers cover suited to your preferences.

Providers I work with

• AIA NZ 

• Asteron Life NZ    

• Chubb Insurance NZ 

• Partners Life        

• Fidelity Life NZ  

• NIB NZ                

• Southern Cross Health 

How am I paid?
To ensure that advice remains accessible, I do not charge an upfront fee for providing personal risk insurance advice or for implementing advice if you decide to proceed.

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In place of an upfront fee, I (Virtual Communications Ltd/The Insurance Adviser) am paid a commission by the recommended insurance provider from the premium they charge you. This commission will range from 140% to 220% of the first year’s premium, depending on which provider you choose. I then receive a servicing commission of 7% of the annual premium for the life of the policy.

 

KiwiSaver

I also provide personalised advice on KiwiSaver, limited to the providers we have chosen to work with. As part of my service, we will discuss your risk profile regarding investing, and I will recommend a KiwiSaver fund that matches your investment timeframe and tolerance for financial risk. I (The Insurance Adviser) may receive an upfront payment of up to $150 (depending upon provider) and an ongoing servicing commission. The servicing commission is an ongoing payment of 0.25% of your account balance. This fee is paid to us by the provider.

I do not offer investment planning or retirement planning services.

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For Managed Funds, I can refer you to other service providers, including Generate. If you decide to invest with Generate, I (The Insurance Adviser) will receive a commission for referring you. The commission is an ongoing payment of 0.125% of your account balance. This fee is paid to us by Generate from the revenue they receive from the fees you pay.

Providers I work with

• Generate Investment Management

• Milford Asset Management

• Pathfinder Asset Management

 

How am I paid?

I do not charge our clients any fees for providing personalised advice on KiwiSaver. I am paid through the providers who may pay us an upfront fee, and a small amount of ongoing commission based on funds under management.

 

Other Services

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General Insurance

I do not provide advice on general insurance; however, I can refer you to a general/commercial insurance broker for which I may receive a referral fee.

Referral commissions range from 3.75% to 6.25% of each premium, depending on the insurance products you put in place, after taxes and levies.

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How I manage conflicts of interest and put your interests first

As mentioned, my services are provided free of charge because Virtual Communications Ltd/The Insurance Adviser is paid by the providers when one of their products is taken up on the back of my recommendation.

To ensure that I always put your interests first:

• I follow a proven 6-step advice process that puts clients’ needs at the heart of the advice process.

• I identify and disclose the maximum level of commission I may receive.

• If my recommendation involves replacing existing cover, I will provide a comparison of covers and explain what the new provider offers that your existing cover does not. I will also let you know if there is anything your existing provider covers that the new provider will not.

• All recommendations are provided in writing with an explanation of how they are based on your individual needs.

• The Insurance Adviser completes internal and external reviews of my advice process to ensure I follow a thorough review process that puts client interests first.

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Duties
Under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, it is my duty to ensure:

• I meet the standards of competence, knowledge, and skill set out in the Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services (Code of Conduct).

• Priority is always given to your interests by taking all reasonable steps to ensure the advice given is not materially influenced by my own interests or those of any other person connected with the advice.

• I exercise care, diligence, and skill that a prudent person engaged in giving financial advice would in the same circumstances.

• I meet the standards of ethical behaviour, conduct, and client care set out in the Code of Conduct, to treat you as I should and provide you with suitable advice.

What if something goes wrong?

We value client feedback and the ability to put things right if you are unhappy with any aspect of our service.

If you would like to raise concerns about the service you have received, we have an internal complaint process:

1. Request your complaint in writing.

2. Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 2 working days.

3. Investigate your concerns by speaking with all involved parties and reviewing the documentation we hold on file.

4. Provide a formal written response within 28 days of acknowledging your concerns.

If you would like to provide feedback or make a complaint, please email: office@theinsuranceadviser.co.nz

If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of our internal complaints process, you can escalate it to our dispute resolution scheme:

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Scheme: Financial Dispute Resolution Service (FDRS)
Address: Level 4, 142 Lambton Quay, Wellington 6011
Telephone number: 0508 337 337
Email address: fdrs.org.nz

They are an independent dispute resolution service that helps resolve complaints about financial service providers, free of charge.