Anti-money laundering

Providing identity documents can help fight financial crimes such as money laundering. As a regulated financial services company, we must verify the identity of all new investors, we will also ask existing investors to provide identity documentation if we don’t hold up to date identity on file.

Why have I been asked to provide identity documents?

This may be for one or more of the below reasons:

• You are a new investor or have been appointed as an attorney
• You are applying for a new product or service
• We have not been able to successfully verify your identity in the past
• We want to ensure our records are up to date to avoid possible delays in administering your account in the future, such as when you wish to receive proceeds of a withdrawal
• We did not hold your correct contact details for a substantial period of time; or
• We want to protect you and us from fraud

This guide will assist you in providing the correct documentation to help avoid any future delays in administering your investment.

We ask you to provide two pieces of identity documentation:

• One government-issued document to evidence your personal identity – such as a driving licence or passport; and
• One to evidence your address – such as a utility bill or bank statement dated within the last 3 months

If you are unable to provide these documents or have any questions, please see ‘Your questions answered’ below.

You can also visit www.mjrfinancialservices.co.uk/identity for further information, including a full list of the documents you can send us.

Your questions answered

My documents show my previous name. What can I do?
We can accept documents in your previous name, provided you also send us an original or certified copy of your marriage certificate/change of name deed to evidence the link between your old and new name. If you wish to change your name on our records, please contact us for full details of our requirements.

I have recently changed my address and have no documentation for my new address; what documents can I provide?
Any solicitors’ letters that you may have received during the process of purchasing your house or any rental agreement that states your name and full address.

I don’t have the documents you have requested – what should I do?
We understand that some investors may not have the documents we have requested. Please contact us for full details of other documents we can accept, including those acceptable for investments placed in the names of minors, or visit www.mjrfinancialservices.co.uk/identity

I am a resident in a nursing home and don’t have a passport, driving licence or utility bill – what can I send you instead?
We will also accept a signed letter on headed paper from the care home or warden of sheltered accommodation or refuge, confirming your residence.

All my utility bills are in another person’s name – can I send another type of document?
There may be other documents that you can provide that are in your name. Please contact us for full details of all the types of documents we can accept, including those acceptable for investments placed in the names of minors.

All my utility documents/bank statements are in electronic format – will you accept a print-out?
We are unable to accept documents printed directly from the internet as they may be easily altered. Bank statements can be accepted if they are certified by your bank as a true copy of the online statement. Details of how your statement should be certified can be found on the last page.

I use a PO Box address/care of address for security reasons – how else can you verify my address?
For tax reasons we are required to hold the residential address of our investors and it is this address we need to use to verify your identity. If you do not hold any documentation that shows your physical address, please contact us to discuss alternatives.

I don’t want to send original documents to you, can I send copies instead?
We encourage investors not to send original documents through the post using a non-secure service as we cannot accept responsibility for their safety while they are in the post. We do return all documentation to you using a recorded delivery service. We are able to accept copies of documentation if they are certified by a professional person. Details of the professions that may certify your documents can be found on the last page.

What will happen if I don’t provide the documents?
We are required by law to cease transactions with any investors whose identity we are unable to verify within a reasonable time. This includes paying withdrawal and income proceeds and accepting further investments.

What law is it that MJR Financial Services is abiding by?
The UK and all regulated financial services firms have an obligation to have effective procedures in place to detect and prevent money laundering, this includes verifying the identity of our investors, as detailed in the UK Money Laundering Regulations 2007.

I work overseas in the armed forces, what can I do?
We will still require you to verify your identity using documentation. We will accept copies, certified by a senior ranking officer. Details of how to certify documents can be found on the last page.

Who can certify my copy documents?
Any of the following professions can certify your copy documents for you:

• Solicitor or Lawyer
• Accountant
• Stockbroker
• Bank or Building Society official
• Post Office® Identity Checking Service
• Embassy or Consular official (for investors residing overseas)
• If you reside overseas, we may also accept a registered Notary Public or Justice of the Peace.

To certify the document the person should review the copy and the original, and write the following statement on the copy:

I, [name of certifier], certify that this is an authentic copy of [full name of investor]’s [full description of document] as witnessed by me on [date of certification].
The certifier must sign the copy, stating their job title and professional address or their contact telephone number. The certification must be no older than six months and must be written in English.