Latest Comments
Mark you are absolutely correct that to set a one year time frame for an opt-in is not practical. I think an up to three year opt in time frame, where...
In my humble opinion the key to all the debate is as Mark says, "What is the problem that we’re trying to solve?” The Ripoll report sights financi...
Vested interest If you look at the research conducted by such organisations such as Buisness Health how we get paid ranks way down the list of why we ...
To those who constantly harp about the shortcomings of the FPA, they are the only professional body of substance with any ability to make change in a ...
Self-Managed Super
Wednesday, 26 May 2010 | Bryce Figot
In mid-2009, the Federal Government announced a comprehensive review of Australia’s superannuation system to be headed by Jeremy Cooper. The review was broken into several stages. The stage involving the review into... Read more...
Wednesday, 26 May 2010 | Tony Negline
A general compliance clause is intended to automatically incorporate super legislation changes into the trust deed. An example of a general compliance clause is: “Where compliance with a SIS requirement ... Read more...
Monday, 12 April 2010 | Bryce Figot
Bankruptcy and other insolvency activities are on the rise, increasing 11 per cent in the 2008-09 year, compared to the 2007-08 year. An important question now is how superannuation is treated upon bankruptcy.... Read more...
Friday, 09 April 2010 | Tony Negline
A key objective of business succession in many small or medium businesses involves seeking to ensure that a business survives after a significant event such as death, permanent disablement, temporary disablement, imprisonment... Read more...
Costs make reserves hard to justify Thursday, 28 January 2010 | Tony Negine
A reserve occurs in a superannuation fund when it has surplus assets. That is, when the net market value of assets in a fund exceeds the net value of benefits payable to its beneficiaries. Reserves have been used by larger... Read more...
Practice Management
Planner Profiles
Into clear air Monday, 23 November 2009 | Simon Hoyle
“There are some things that occur that one would argue are outside of one’s control,” says Michael Guggenheimer, chief executive of AMP Financial Planning (AMPFP). It’s a familiar feeling for many people involved in... Read more...
Strength In Numbers Thursday, 01 October 2009 | Simon Hoyle
By the end of June, 2011, Steve Walpole aims to have moved his financial planning business to 100 per cent fee-only advice. Not one cent will come from investment products. It won’t have been an easy journey, and that date is... Read more...
Parallel Paths Monday, 27 July 2009 | Simon Hoyle
Tina Zekants and Greg Batterham graduated from the AMP Horizons financial planning academy on the same day, but their business paths have turned out to be very different. Simon Hoyle reports. Read more...
Pure & Simple Tuesday, 02 June 2009 | Simon Hoyle
Late in 2008, Luke Rathborne faced a choice. Having spent several years working for large financial institutions in Australia and overseas, and convinced that financial planning was a long-term career option, Rathborne had to... Read more...
A family affair Wednesday, 01 April 2009 | Simon Hoyle
When Securitor’s planners gather in Darwin this month for their 2009 national convention, it will be against a backdrop of global financial turmoil and market dislocation the likes of which many planners have never experienced... Read more...
Investor Psychology
Wednesday, 26 May 2010 | Bob Van Munster
In the wealth management industry we constantly advocate the need for investors to take a long-term view - we have even written about this many times ourselves in this column. Sadly though, many continue... Read more...
Monday, 12 April 2010 | Bob Van Munster
Long periods of market volatility and uncertainty are sure to inject fear into investors. The recent global financial crisis is a prime example. During such periods, there tends to be a rise in the number of unopened... Read more...
Anchoring and aversion to ambiguity Thursday, 28 January 2010 | Bob Van-Munster
Last year finished up being a real surprise for many investors and commentators alike. After dipping 15 per cent in the early part of the year, the Australian sharemarket looked set to repeat 2008’s 38 per cent fall. But how... Read more...
Why smart people do dumb things Thursday, 01 October 2009 | Craig Hobart
After receiving average annual returns of around 25 per cent for four consecutive years, Australian share investors have experienced a rude shock over the past two financial years, with the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index... Read more...
Opinion
The increasing strength and importance of the self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) sector is now being formally recognised on more than one front by the big players in the market, including the Federal Government. The Self-Managed Super Funds Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) has...
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My New Year’s resolution is to increase my advocacy of green investment. Let me also immediately declare an interest, in that Industry Funds Management (IFM) has been a long-term investor in green energy through its ownership of Pacific Hydro, which is a leading developer and operator of wind power...
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One key recommendation outlined in the Parliamentary Joint Committee (PJC) Inquiry into financial products and services report relates to the need for a legislated fiduciary responsibility between financial planner and client. Since the release of the report, the speculation about what this means exactly...
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As part of our ongoing commitment to the improvement of professional standards, the Self-Managed Super Fund Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) believes that self-managed super fund (SMSF) auditors should be encouraged to aspire to higher levels of achievement, post-graduate education...
Read More...Special Reports
Capital-protected and income-protected products are a little like the proverbial duck. On the surface - from the investor’s perspective - they seem serene, paddling around unperturbed, oblivious to any turmoil in markets around...
An overlooked investment vehicle is getting another look-in, as planners begin to reassess the benefits of listedinvestments. Simon Hoyle reports.
Planners whose thinking on fixed income extends no further than managed funds and government bonds might be doing clients a disservice as other opportunities present themselves. Simon Hoyle reports
