PictureWealth becomes mega-licensee with Capstone takeover
PictureWealth continues to evolve from its fintech heritage with the acquisition of Capstone Financial Planning, turning it into a licensee owner with scale. CEO Allan Maitland tells Professional Planner the group still has the desire for further M&A.
Shield and First Guardian AFCA complaints almost 3500 amid awareness drive
AFCA complaints about Shield and First Guardian have reached 3429 as ASIC has spent the past few weeks catching the attention of investors who are unaware they may have been invested in the schemes.
AFCA halts InterPrac determinations amid court battle
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has halted its work on completing InterPrac Financial Planning determinations while it manages court proceedings brought on by the licensee, which accused the complaints authority of lacking “fairness” by not apportioning blame across the system.
Advisers are satisfied with licensees… except in one area
Advisers are satisfied with their licensee in all but one area: helping business growth, according to annual research from CoreData. That factor may be the difference that motivates self-licensed practices to join larger networks as the data shows that the impact of those responsibilities is leading to sleepless nights.
‘The money always wins’: Access to capital a defining test for licensee growth
Whatever model a licensee operates, the ability to fund growth now turns on access to capital. The Professional Planner Licensee Summit heard how four different businesses set out how, and from where, they will get the capital they need.
Balance of power shifting back to licensees
Under Australian law, financial advice licensees are recognised as powerful intermediaries between the distribution of financial products and household wealth. Now, licensees are starting to enjoy economic conditions commensurate with that heightened liability.
What I took away from the world’s ‘festival of private capital’
The on- and off-stage antics at the extravagant Milken Global Conference in Los Angeles tell us a lot about where institutional capital is right on the money – and where it is putting its head in the sand.
Sequoia chair resigns amid InterPrac turmoil
Mike Ryan, chair of ASX-listed Sequoia Financial Group which owns under-fire InterPrac Financial Planning, has resigned from the company as the group grapples with multiple legal troubles in the aftermath of the $1 billion Shield and First Guardian collapse.
Why the CEO of CFS created an AI clone of himself
Colonial First State group CEO Clive van Horen has turned to AI to create an agent “clone” of himself to help boost his own productivity as the emerging technology continues to reshape all levels of financial services organisations.
Crunch time: Why less is often more in private credit
Produced in partnership with Barings. The private credit sector has had a pretty good decade, with the exception of the last 12 months. After a period of strong performance and record inflows, conditions are turning, although the broad themes that underpinned the rise of private credit haven’t changed. There is still a credit demand and
Researcher Forum
Advice Policy Summit
This event is open to CEOs and senior leaders of financial planning licensees, dealer groups and boutique advice firms, along with C-suite executives in superannuation funds with oversight of advice, education and guidance.
CALI calls for insurer lead generation carve-out
The Council of Australian Life Insurers has called for a carve-out from any regulatory restrictions on lead generation, arguing the potential for damage isn’t as significant as in investment advice and that adding restrictions would prevent Australians from using market comparison sites to change insurance coverage.
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.
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.
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