FAAA board elections attract 18 candidates for three board seats
Voting for three seats on the board of the Financial Advice Association Australia has opened, and a total of 18 candidates have put up their hands. Results will be announced before the association’s annual general meeting in November, which will also be when chair David Sharpe hands over to Michelle Vietch.
Profiles and pitches of 18 candidates for the FAAA board of directors for 2026
The 2026 election for three seats at the FAAA board of directors has attracted 18 candidates. Here is their profiles and main pitch points for the 2026 election. CEO and managing director of Kingdom Financial Group Ben Ellingsen serves as treasurer of The Advisers Association. He has been chair of the Wide Bay Federal Divisional
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So long and farewell
Several months ago, I made the difficult personal decision to step down as Professional Planner editor. While I look forward to my future plans, it has been bittersweet to leave behind a masthead I have loved leading and a financial advice profession I have great respect for.
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CALI life code response backs half of Kell’s recommendations
The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) has released its formal response to 85 recommendations included in a review of the Life Insurance Code by former ASIC deputy chair Peter Kell. The peak life insurance body says it supports 47 of the recommendations fully or with some qualification and has set out a timetable for working through the rest.
Victims’ advocate: Investors could ‘end up with breadcrumbs’ in class action
A class action brought against Macquarie in its capacity as trustee of a platform that hosted the collapsed Shield master fund may take longer to settle and yield poorer results for investors than pursuing claims through AFCA and the CSLR, a leading victims’ advocate has warned. And investors attracted to the class action in the hope of being compensated twice will likely be disappointed.
How Nvidia’s Jensen Huang could reshape geopolitics for investors
Stanford University professor Stephen Kotkin says computing power will become the key geopolitical contest between the US and China, predicting Nvidia founder and chief executive Jensen Huang will become an increasingly central figure in international relations. The comments came as Kotkin met with Conexus Financial founder Colin Tate AM and chair Geoff Lloyd in the famed Hoover Tower ahead of the Top1000Funds.com Fiduciary Investors Symposium at Stanford.
Competence, judgement, diligence the minimum required of licensees
ASIC’s finding that former InterPrac boss Garry Crole was neither fit and proper nor competent, and lacked diligence and judgement, is a timely warning: licensee leadership isn’t always what advisers assume. Advisers who don’t hold their licensees to account might find they only have themselves to blame if something goes catastrophically wrong.
‘Growth is key’: New AMP CEO says platform flows won’t come at expense of margin
AMP’s platform flows hit a record high in 1H26, but competition for industry fund outflows is heating up and ASIC has put platform governance under the microscope. But new CEO Blair Vernon tells Professional Planner the business can keep growing.
Redesign the work, don’t just adopt the technology
A technology strategy shouldn’t start with the technology, and activity should not be confused with progress. Licensees in fear of being left behind by AI advances should think carefully before heading off on a strategy and before they start make sure they can provide clear answers to a few basic questions.
ASIC’s ‘guide’ for advisers considering private credit funds
ASIC’s 10 principles for “private credit done well” provide a timely and useful roadmap for financial advisers considering whether exposure to the asset class is right for clients. In a speech last week, Commissioner Simone Constant flagged fee transparency, liquidity mismatches and complex underlying structures as being among the things to watch out for.
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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.
APRA expects proposed reforms to hit platforms hardest
APRA has proposed requiring super trustees to limit members’ exposure to high-risk investment options as part of a package the regulator expects to have the greatest impact on platform trustees following the $1 billion collapse of Shield and First Guardian.
Shadforth is buying businesses, not books
Not even a year on from its acquisition of Melbourne-based financial advice firm PMD Financial Advisers, Shadforth is still looking for M&A opportunities but strictly to add like-minded advisers, rather than just client books. CEO Terry Dillon tells Professional Planner what those ideal businesses looks like.
How pro-bono work helped adviser Nicola Beswick create new firm
Lawyer turned financial adviser Nicola Beswick recently launched her own financial firm White Rabbit Advisory. Through her experience on the board of the Pro Bono Financial Advice Network, she learned valuable lessons which helped her navigate the challenges of setting up her own business.
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