FAQ
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FAQ’s about BlackRock and using this Site


Click on a topic title below to jump directly to the relevant section. Alternatively, use the scroll-bar to browse all help topics.

Contacting BlackRock Investment Management -:- Personal Identification Number (PIN)-:- Investing in Managed Funds -:- Redeeming your investment -:- Switching from one fund to another -:- Distributions-:- Using the Website


Contacting BlackRock Investment Management




Personal Identification Number (PIN)




Investing in Managed Funds




Redeeming your investment




Switching from one fund to another




Distributions




Using the Website







Contacting BlackRock Investment Management



Q. How can I communicate with you?


By telephone: Call our Client Service Centre on 1300 366 100.
By letter: If you do not have a PIN, you can submit your question/request in writing.
Client Service Centre
GPO Box 225
Melbourne 3001
OR
Client Service Centre
Level 18,
120 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000

By facsimile: Faxed requests are acceptable. Fax your signed letter to 1300 366 107.

By email: You can email general queries to clientservices.aus@blackrock.com.


Personal Identification Number (PIN)



Q.What is a PIN and is it the same as my password?


A PIN will enable you to authorise transactions over the telephone. These transactions include redemptions and switches.
A password simply allows you to view your details on our website.


Q. How do I obtain a PIN?


To obtain a PIN, you need to forward a written request. On receipt, a PIN will be forwarded to your registered address.


Investing in Managed Funds



Q. Can I make regular contributions?


A. Yes. You can supplement your investment with a savings plan. You must complete the form, titled Regular Contribution Plan Application Form in the back of the relevant Product Disclosure Document, and include it with your application. Please note that the Regular Contribution Plan is only available for the Investment Funds Products.
Savings plan payments are directly debited from your nominated bank account, monthly or fortnightly. The minimum contribution is $50 per fortnight or $100 per month.
You can download this form from our website at www.blackrock.com/au


Q. Can I make additional, one-off payments?


A. Yes. You can also make lump-sum deposits by sending us a cheque with a covering letter giving instructions for the investment.
Please make cheque payable to:-
“BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited – (your name)”
Ensure that you quote your Account number in the covering letter and confirm that it is an additional investment into your account. If you hold units in more than one fund, please specify to which fund(s) the deposit is to be credited.


Q. Can I add to my investment by credit card?


A. No.



Redeeming your investment



Q. What is the quickest way to redeem my investment?


A. If you submit your bank details at the time of making your request (either in writing or by telephone), cleared funds will generally be deposited into your account within 4-5 days after we receive your request. Alternatively, if you have requested payment by cheque, the cheque is generally mailed within 3 days.


Q. How do I organise a redemption?


A. You can request to redeem your investment(s) in one of three ways.

By telephone: Call our Client Service Centre on 1300 366 100. You must quote your Account number and Personal Identification Number (PIN).
By letter: If you do not have a PIN, you must submit your request in writing. It must be signed by all holders and include your Account number. Company redemptions should be signed by at least two signatories.

Client Service Centre
GPO Box 225
Melbourne 3001
OR
Client Service Centre
Level 18,
120 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000

By facsimile: Faxed requests are acceptable. Fax your signed letter to 1300 366 107.


Q. Can I redeem funds from my investment?


A. Yes. You do not have to completely redeem your investment. You may redeem part of your investment(s) at any time.


Q. How do I redeem funds from my investment?


A. The process for redeeming part of your funds is the same as for fully redeeming your investment.

By telephone: Call our Client Service Centre on 1300 366 100. You must quote your Account number and Personal Identification Number (PIN).

By letter: If you do not have a PIN, you must submit your request in writing. It must be signed by all holders and include your Account number. Company redemptions should be signed by at least two signatories.

Client Service Centre
GPO Box 225
Melbourne 3001
OR
Client Service Centre
Level 18,
120 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000

By facsimile: Faxed requests are acceptable. Fax your signed letter to 1300 366 107.

Investor Centre / Download Forms page.


Q. How are the funds paid?


A. If you submit your bank details at the time of making your request (either in writing or by telephone), cleared funds will generally be deposited into your account within 4-5 days after we receive your request. Alternatively, if you have requested payment by cheque, the cheque is generally mailed within 3 days.


Q. What unit price do I get when I redeem funds?


A. Your redemption will be processed at the unit redemption price next calculated as at close of business on the day we receive your request. Requests received after the close of business will be treated as received the following business day.



Switching from one fund to another*


* Please note that switches are limited to the Investment Funds product range and the Funds that are included within the Professional Investor Funds product range.


Q. How do I switch from one fund to another?


A. You can organise to switch your investment from one fund to another by calling our Client Service Centre on 1300 366 100. You must quote your Account number and Personal Identification Number. Please note that switches are limited to the ‘Investment Funds’ and ‘Professional Investor Funds’ products.

Alternatively, you may send us a written request, by either mail or fax, signed by all investment holders.

Client Service Centre
GPO Box 225
Melbourne 3001
OR
Client Service Centre
Level 18,
120 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000

Fax your signed letter to 1300 366 107.

*An additional application form is not needed to be completed when switching between Funds in the same disclosure document.


Q. How often can I switch?


A. We do not limit the number of switches you can make. However, you should be aware that there might be taxation implications.
Furthermore, units are switched at forward prices (i.e. the unit price ascertained at the close of business on the date the switch request was received), so you will not know the exact pricing at the time of your request.


Q. Is there a fee for switching?


A. There are no management fees for switching between funds. However, transaction costs may apply. Transaction costs are included in the unit application and unit redemption price and are not an additional cost to you.


Q. Do I have to pay capital gains tax if I switch?


A. A taxation liability may be incurred when you switch because a capital gain may have been realised by the sale of the units when the switch occurs,



Distributions



Q. Why have I been paid Capital Gains when I haven’t sold any of my units?


A. When the fund managers sell shares in a portfolio, profits from the sale of those shares (after CPI adjustment) must be distributed to unit holders, otherwise the fund has to pay tax.


Q. Why are some income distributions smaller than others?


A. Traditionally, share market fund income distributions are bigger in June and December than the September and March distributions. This is because most companies pay their dividends in the December and June quarters.
However, if shares in a portfolio are sold (which can occur in any quarter), it may significantly increase the size of an income distribution, as this necessitates that capital gains be distributed.


Q. What are franking credits?


A. Franking credits represent the tax paid on franked dividends by companies in which the portfolio owns shares.
Since tax has already been paid on the dividends received by the fund, unit holders may claim a credit for this amount in their tax return.


Q. How are distribution payments paid?


A. You can request to receive distribution payments by cheque (not an option for the Managed Income Fund) or have payments automatically deposited in a nominated bank account. This can be arranged in a number of ways:
Call the Client Service Centre on 1300 366 100 and quote your Account number & PIN.
Send us a signed fax on 1300 366 107. Be sure to include your Account number and bank account or mailing details.
Make your request via letter and post it to GPO Box 225 Melbourne 3001 or Level 18, 120 Collins Street Melbourne 3000. Include your Account number and bank account or mailing details.


Q. Can I re-invest distribution payments?


A. Yes. You can request this at the time you apply to invest in a fund or at any other time by contacting us.




Using the Website



Optimal Viewing Experience


This site is best viewed with Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer version 4.0 or above.
Earlier browser versions may encounter difficulties displaying or using some of the more advanced services offered on this site, or accessing the secure sections of the site.
If you are unsure which version you are using:
  • Click on the Help pull-down menu within the main Web browser window.
  • Select About Internet Explorer or About Communicator (depending on Web browser you are using).
  • A dialog box will appear containing version details.

To download the latest version of your Web browser (free of charge), click on the following icon

 



Downloading Files from this Site


As a service to our visitors, we make a number of documents and files available for offline viewing or use.
  • Product Disclosure Statements (PDS), investment reports and marketing materials are provided in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (.pdf).
  • Financial and investment data, such as historical unit pricing, is provided in “comma delimited” format (.csv).



Downloading and viewing .pdf files


We make a number of official documents, such as Product Disclosure Statements (PDS), available in .pdf format on our Web site. If a .pdf file is available for download, a small icon will indicate its availability.
Before you can view the contents of a .pdf file, you must download and install a copy of Adobe’s Acrobat® Reader™ software. This is provided free of charge by Adobe. You can download a copy here.
To download the .pdf file, simply click on the document title.
If you have Adobe’s Acrobat® Reader™ software installed on your computer, your Web browser will automatically launch the software and display the contents of the .pdf file within the Web browser window.
A compact toolbar is displayed at the top of the browser window providing access to key document functions, such as saving and printing.
To save a permanent copy of the document on your hard disk, click on the Save button on the Adobe Acrobat® Reader™ toolbar (it features a floppy disk-style icon). You will be prompted to specify a name for the document as well as the folder that you wish to save it in.
If you don’t have a copy of Adobe’s Acrobat® Reader™ software installed on your computer, or if for some other reason your Web browser cannot automatically display the document, it will prompt you instead for permission to download the file to your hard disk. In this case, you will be prompted to specify the folder in which you wish to store the file.



Downloading and viewing Data (CSV) files


A data or CSV file is essentially a plain text file containing raw spreadsheet data, where each comma or carriage return indicates the separating points for columns and rows.
Most spreadsheet and some financial software allow data to be imported from CSV files.
To download the data (CSV) file, simply click on the title download data file. Your Web browser should automatically prompt you for permission to download the file and allow you to specify the folder in which you wish to store the file.
Refer to your software’s manual or online help menu for instructions on how to import or view the contents of a CSV file.



How to Print from this Site


There are two options for printing a “hard copy” of information found on this Web site.
Option 1. – Web browser “Print” button
You can click on the “Print” button on your Web browser toolbar at any time to print a copy of the currently displayed Web page.

Option 2. – Web site Print icon
Due to the nature of the text formatting and images used within our Web site, some pages may not print properly if you simply click on your Web browser’s Print toolbar button.
We have included special Print icons on key information pages (such as pages displaying your Transaction history or Account information).
When you click format for print, a special, “printer-friendly” version of the page will be displayed ready for you to proceed with clicking the print button on your web browser.



Performing a Search


To perform a simple search, type one or more search words in the search textbox, and then click on the Submit button.
The search results will contain a hyperlinked list of matching documents. To view a matched document, click on its title.
For advanced searches, configure one or more of the search options:
With Title: Match only those documents with the specified word(s) in its title.
Area: Restrict your searches to a specific area of the Web site.



Search Tips


Our search software will automatically search for both your search word and words with the same prefix. For example, if you perform a search using invest as your search word, our system will also find matches for invests, investing and investment.
To search for a specific phrase, place your search words in quotation marks (e.g. “tax benefit”).
To search for documents containing two or more words but not as a phrase, separate them with AND (e.g. tax AND benefit will locate documents containing both of those words anywhere in the document)
To search for documents containing any of your search words, separate them with OR (e.g. commission OR fee).
To exclude words from the search process, use NOT (e.g. taxation NOT rollover will find documents that contain the word taxation but that do not contain the word rollover).
To find documents with words on the same page, use <NEAR> (e.g. foreign <NEAR> currency will match documents in which those two words appear on the same page of text).
To match documents containing similar words, use <THESAURUS> (e.g. <THESAURUS> profit will match documents containing words such as gain, dividend, earnings, returns and revenue, in addition to those containing profit).



Site Security



Encryption


Our Web Servers use a 128-bit Server ID (also known as a “digital certificate”) issued by Verisign (www.verisign.com).
The Server ID offers peace of mind to our members, as it provides authoritative proof that the Web site is owned and operated by BlackRock.
It also works in tandem with our encryption software to ensure that when you log into a secure area of our Web site (which you must do before you can access account information, transaction histories etc.) all communications are secured using “best of breed” cryptography.


Firewalls


We share your concern for privacy and confidentiality. That is why our internal databases and systems are protected by layers of firewalls. Our firewalls are upgraded regularly and we maintain strict control over firewall rules to ensure we can counter current threats.
If someone attempts to compromise or access our member database, for example, they must not only breach our first layer (Internet facing) firewall, they must then breach at least 2 internal firewalls each with its own rule set.
The degree of security offered by our internal and external firewalls means that the risk of unauthorised access to our database is minimised.



Cookies



What are Cookies?


A “cookie” is a small text file sent by a Web site to your computer’s hard disk to store limited, internal information so that it can be retrieved by the Web site later.
This allows the Web site to give the appearance of “remembering” things about you.
For example, a cookie might be used to record your name, so that the Web site can greet you personally when you next return. Similarly, when you buy goods online, the vendor’s Web site may use cookies to temporarily store details of items that you have selected to buy so that they can be recalled when you complete the purchase.
We use cookies on our site so that we can offer a more personalised service.
As you move through the site and view the different content areas available, the site notes which pages you view. These statistics help us in our ongoing efforts to make this site more interesting and user-friendly.
We also use cookies as part of our security system. Certain areas and tools on our site are restricted to registered members. When you complete the login process, a cookie is set confirming that you are authorised to access secure areas. This allows you to move freely within the secured area of the Web site without being prompted to login each time you attempt to view a new Web page.
If you disable cookies, you will not be able to access the secure areas.


Enabling Cookies


To access the secure areas of our Web site, your Web browser must be configured to accept cookies. Most Web browsers are configured to accept cookies by default.
If you experience difficulties using the secure areas of our Web site, it may be that your Web browser’s default configuration has been changed to block or reject cookies.
To reconfigure your Web browser to accept cookies, follow these steps:

Internet Explorer v.4
  • Click on the View pull-down menu.
  • Select Options. This displays the Internet Options dialog box.
  • Click on the Advanced tab.
  • Use the scroll-bar to scroll through the various settings until you reach the Cookies settings (which are in the group of Security settings).
  • Toggle the “Always accept cookies” option by clicking on it once (the small circle next to it should be filled in).
  • Click the OK button to dismiss the Internet Options dialog box.

Internet Explorer v.5
  • Click on the Tools pull-down menu.
  • Select Internet Options. This displays the Internet Options dialog box.
  • Click on the Security tab.
  • Click on the Custom Level button. This displays the Security Settings dialog box.
  • Use the scroll-bar to scroll through the various settings until you reach the Cookies settings.
  • Toggle the “Enable” option setting by clicking on the Enable setting once. Do this for each of the cookies settings.
  • Click the OK button.
  • A dialog box may appear asking: “Are you sure you want to change the security settings for this zone?” Click on the Yes button.
  • Click on the OK button to dismiss the Internet Options dialog box.

Netscape Communicator v.4 & Netscape v. 6
  • Click on the Edit pull-down menu.
  • Select the Preferences option. This displays a list of categories.
  • Click on the Advanced category. The configurable options are displayed to the right.
  • Select the “Accept all cookies” option by clicking on it once.
  • Click on the OK button to close the Preference dialog box.



Caching



What is Caching?


As you explore the Web, your Web browser automatically makes copies of recently visited Web pages and stores them in a folder on your hard disk, which is known as a “cache”.
It does this to enhance the speed at which Web pages are displayed.
If you instruct your Web browser to connect to a Web page that you visited recently, it will check to see if it has a copy saved in the cache. If it does, it will load the cached copy, rather than download the Web page again, which can save considerable download time.
While caching speeds up Web access, it has a downside.
If the Web page that you are seeking to view is updated regularly (such as share prices, news and other time-sensitive information), the copy that your Web browser loads from the cache may not contain the most recent information.
To ensure that you are viewing the latest version of a Web page, it is recommended that you clear or “flush” the Web browser’s cache.


How do I clear the Cache?


To clear the Web browser’s cache, follow these steps:

Internet Explorer v.4
  • Click on the View pull-down menu.
  • Select Internet Options. This displays the Internet Options dialog box.
  • Click on the General tab.
  • Click on the Delete Files button.
  • It may take a minute or so for all the files to be deleted. Once this is done, click the OK button.

Internet Explorer v.5
  • Click on the Tools pull-down menu.
  • Select Internet Options. This displays the Internet Options dialog box.
  • Click on the General tab.
  • Click on the Delete Files button.
  • It may take a minute or so for all the files to be deleted. Once this is done, click the OK button.

Netscape Communicator v.4 & Netscape v. 6
  • Click on the Edit pull-down menu.
  • Select the Preferences option. This displays a list of categories.
  • Click on the Advanced category. The configurable options are displayed to the right.
  • Select the “Cache” option by clicking on it once.
  • Click on the Clear Memory Cache button.
  • It may take a minute or so for all the files to be deleted. Click on the OK button to close the Preference dialog box.