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Opinion
It’s the conflicts of interest, stupid! The uncomfortable truth about reform
The industry’s longstanding failure to deal with conflicts of interest is the main reason why governments will talk about removing ineffective regulation, but rarely follow through, writes Robert MC Brown.
Robert MC BrownApril 24, 2026
Industry
HUB24 moves ahead with acquiring trustee service
Platform provider HUB24 has decided to move ahead with acquiring HTFS Nominees, bringing the trustee service in-house as the government considers banning the trustee-for-hire model. The firm was owned by EQT Holdings, which also owns the troubled Equity Trustees which is being sued by ASIC over due diligence failures for onboarding the Shield and First Guardian master funds.
Chris DastoorApril 21, 2026
Industry
Overwhelming majority of shareholders vote for Insignia sale
Shareholders have given the nod to CC Capital’s $3.3 billion acquisition of ASX-listed Insignia Financial, bringing the firm closer to de-listing pending court approval later this week.
Chris DastoorApril 13, 2026
Regulation
Ferras Merhi says courts will vindicate his Shield, First Guardian advice
The man ASIC alleges played a key role in the distribution of the Shield and First Guardian funds says the case against him is based on a “misunderstanding” of financial advice by the regulator. In an exclusive interview with Professional Planner, Ferras Merhi claims any adviser who fights ASIC’s allegations in court will win, and that the Albanese government should remediate investors for losses ultimately caused by the operators of the now-defunct funds.
Chris DastoorApril 20, 2026
Education1
Licensee leaders call on minister to expedite education changes
The Licensee Leadership Forum – made up of the country’s largest licensee owners – has written to Minister for Financial Services Daniel Mulino and pushed for progress on “timely” education reforms.
Chris DastoorApril 17, 2026
Retirement
Changing the focus, from ‘nest egg’ to ‘income for retirement’
Minister for Financial Services Daniel Mulino writes that superannuation fund members deserve a dignified retirement, consistent with the objective of super, and it is well past time to move the public conversation from super providing a lump sum to it being the source of ongoing and reliable income.
Daniel MulinoApril 15, 2026
Superannuation
Industry funds use Canadian PM visit to push investment diplomacy
If anyone needs a measure of the superannuation system’s growing clout in global geopolitics, look no further than Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to prioritise a meeting with industry super fund bosses in Sydney over meeting the Australian Prime Minister. It’s a reminder that in the face of an increasingly hostile relationship with the US, the so-called “middle power” nations are using pension capital to rewrite the rules.
Darcy SongMarch 5, 2026
Licensees
Sequoia admits misleading ASX on media engagement
Sequoia Financial Group has admitted inaccurately representing to the market that Professional Planner breached an agreement to embargo a report of the sale of InterPrac Financial Planning. In a letter to the publication’s editors, Sequoia managing director Garry Crole apologised and praised their editorial integrity.
Chris DastoorApril 9, 2026
Technology
Beware AI ‘blast radius’ in financial advice: Tech veteran
John Wise, a top Silicon Valley investor who co-founded some of the major US wealth tech firms, has warned on the dangers of incorrect application of AI, noting the right skill and expertise are needed to make use of the emerging technology. The comments come as Wise's Communify inked a deal with the country's largest licensee owner, Entireti.
Chris DastoorMarch 26, 2026
InFocus
Volatile markets put minimum volatility strategies in the spotlight
The assumption that higher risk equals higher returns is generally true, however, BlackRock believes there is empirical evidence that less risky stocks deliver similar or even better risk-adjusted returns than higher volatility stocks over the long term.
Professional PlannerApril 7, 2026
Roundtables
Role of advice central to defaults, decumulation debate
As a wave of super fund members approaches retirement, funds are grappling with how to help as many of them as they can to enjoy their best possible retirement. The Defaults, Decumulation and Demographics roundtable, hosted by Retirement Magazine in partnership with The Conexus Institute and Royal London Asset Management, heard that defaults, nudges and access to ‘gold standard’ personalised financial advice must all be part of the mix.
Simon HoyleApril 15, 2026
Profiles
Lessons from the middle: Leadership, resilience and the courage of conviction
The principles of high-performance leadership – whether in business or sport – remain remarkably consistent and include the ability to maintain clarity, integrity, and conviction under immense pressure. Former Australian test cricketer Usman Khawaja told the Top1000funds.com Fiduciary Investors Symposium that the only time you really lose is when you stop trying.
Simon HoyleMarch 31, 2026
Profiles
Reflecting on nearly half a century in financial advice
After an extensive 47-year career, Paul Harding-Davis says that while every decade has seen a significant step change that has felt like an “Armageddon” it has instead only seen the standard of the industry improve. Reflecting on his long career to Professional Planner, he is still evangelical about recruiting young people to advice.
Chris DastoorFebruary 3, 2025
Productivity fix needed to boost capacity to 200 clients per adviser