Shield, First Guardian adviser has travel ban lifted
Ferras Merhi, the financial adviser central to ASIC’s investigation into the $1 billion Shield and First Guardian collapse has had his travel ban lifted by the Federal Court, despite opposition from the corporate regulator.
‘Best possible outcome’ sees First Guardian investors cop massive loss on failed property deal
First Guardian investors will get 8 cents on the dollar back on a loan the fund made to a property developer in western Melbourne, with liquidators FTI Consulting saying they believe this was the “best possible outcome” for unitholders.
APRA targets executive pay packets of under-fire Diversa Trustees
APRA has commenced an investigation into Diversa Trustees’ executive remuneration decision-making and processes, but says the move is unrelated to any enforcement action stemming from to the collapse of the First Guardian Master Fund.
Retirement Income Covenant, not the ‘Retirement Performance Covenant’
The government is consulting on changes to the APRA performance test which could see the inclusion of retirement income products and managed accounts, but The Conexus Institute has argued that expansion doesn’t address the spirit and intent the test was designed for.
APRA deputy chair appointment sparks political backlash
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has appointed APRA insider Therese McCarthy Hockey and former Labor Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury to the prudential regulator to replace Margaret Cole, citing “increasing scale and complexity in the financial system”. But Bradbury’s appointment has sparked swift backlash from the Coalition.
What the new CGT rules mean for SME clients
The federal government’s recent announcement regarding small business capital gains tax concessions introduces significant changes that financial advisers must prepare for, writes financial adviser Sheshan Wickramage. By increasing the turnover threshold for the 50 per cent active asset reduction from $2 million to $10 million, the government has fundamentally altered the exit landscape for SME clients.
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.
Financial advice can avoid AI-driven ‘Kodak moment’
Financial advice is positioned to avoid a “Kodak moment” and being made obsolete by AI and technology, as human-led interactions will continue to be a driving force in its proposition, the Professional Planner Licensee Summit heard. But while AI might be part of the model of the future, a panel also discussed whether a key model from the past, vertical integration, will still have a place.
Licensees team up on AI governance due diligence
The Licensee Leadership Forum has been working on an AI governance due diligence program to develop best practice guidelines to lift industry standards, as some high-performing networks have leveraged AI to lift adviser output to serving over 200 clients.
Beware ‘unconscious concentration’: Rethinking diversification
Diversification is one of the most familiar ideas in investing. But Orbis Investments’ Eric Marais writes that looking around at the concentration risk that now defines large parts of today’s market, it is also one of the ideas most in need of a rethink.
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.
One philosophy but many models to solve the retirement advice challenge
Advice firms running multiple advisers, and licensees overseeing hundreds or thousands of them, are finding that the hardest part of retirement advice is not the technical work but agreeing on a consistent way to do it. Tying together the disparate elements of a solid retirement plan can present real challenges in the absence of a clear philosophy.
The biggest game in town: Inside AustralianSuper’s retirement income strategy
Since Jacki Ellis joined the nation’s biggest profit-to-member super fund as head of retirement just over one year ago, she’s been assessing and building the fund’s capabilities with the aim of delivering a fully personalised experience to all members by 2035. But that’s not to say there won’t be benefits for members who retire before that.
The ‘powerhouse’ women driving AZ NGA’s next growth phase
AZ NGA has grown into a $700 million behemoth under the leadership of co-founder and CEO Paul Barrett, who has become the public face of the group. But as the advice equity aggregator moves into its next phase of growth, it’s the counsel and experience of four key women that has become critical to driving the business forward.
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