Featured content
On Practice
How the traditional family office model is transitioning to outsourcing
Shifting away from the limitations of single-family offices, outsourced multi-family offices present a more cost-effective way for advisers to provide a broader range of services.
Beata KuczynskaApril 29, 2025
Industry
Centrepoint deal proposes Brighter future for fund members
Centrepoint Alliance has entered into a deal with Brighter Super that could see up to 400 members transition to external advice partnerships. The super fund is conscious of the risk members could move at the recommendation of an external adviser, but is confident its value proposition hold up.
Beata KuczynskaApril 16, 2025
Superannuation
SCA calls cyberattack ‘a failure’ by ASFA
Super Consumers Australia believes the cyberattack that hit major super funds is “a failure” by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, who had previously dismissed the vulnerabilities in the system. It’s called on the government to add funds to the Scams Prevention Framework and expedite creating the mandatory member service standards.
Beata KuczynskaApril 7, 2025
Analysis
DBFO Tranche 2 fills gap in super fund retirement guidance and advice
Tranche 2 of the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes reforms establish a foundation for provision of financial advice to super fund members who would otherwise miss out. However, The Conexus Institute's David Bell and Geoff Warren write that funds still need to rise to the challenge of using an expanded capacity to better assist their members.
David Bell and Geoff WarrenApril 23, 2025
Regulation
FAAA election hub tracks advice-related positions of candidates
The Financial Advice Association Australia launched the Federal Election Hub, outlining the policy positions for candidates running in the upcoming Federal Election. The Coalition offered the FAAA a detailed letter outlining their responses to each policy position, which largely align with the association’s goals.
Chris DastoorApril 22, 2025
Opinion
Advice businesses stunted by ‘Peter principle’
Corporatising a mid-tier advice firm requires unique skills and experience, requiring advice principals to make the choice to either be a great adviser or a great CEO. At scale, they can’t do both, according to Vital Business Partner’s Nathan Jacobsen.
Nathan JacobsenApril 22, 2025
Analysis
The ghosts of super’s original admin sin have come back to haunt it
Back in 2015, five big superannuation funds thought their administration nightmare was finally over. But it was only just beginning – and they still might not have reached the end.
Lachlan MaddockMarch 19, 2025
Industry
Insignia platform breached amid ‘unsettling’ super sector cyber attack
Advisers have been warned as approximately 100 customer accounts on the Insignia Financial-owned Expand wrap platform have been breached in a cyberattack. The breach of the retail platform came as the industry super fund sector suffered a large and co-ordinated attack on Friday.
Chris DastoorApril 4, 2025
On Practice
The merit of alleviating key-person risk via process documentation
The importance of comprehensive process documentation is overlooked, with a mere 10 per cent of advice practices having their processes clearly documented. With most small businesses having a ‘key person’ holding the information in their head, the risk of that information disappearing is significant.
Beata KuczynskaMarch 17, 2025
Alternatives
Why PE investors are going downtown for deals
For many high-net-worth individuals, the family business represents a significant chunk of their wealth, and the wealth of friends and colleagues. They have seen, first-hand, the many potential benefits of private investment, contributing to the growing wholesale support for private equity, writes Claire Smith, head of business development, private markets, Schroders.
Claire SmithApril 28, 2025
23 - 24 June, 2025
Licensee Summit
2 - 3 December, 2025
Researcher Forum
For key influencers in portfolio construction for financial advisers, including executives across research houses, asset consulting, responsible entities and managed accounts/platforms.
Superannuation
Research pinpoints the Big Three factors for attracting and keeping members
The factors that attract new members to a superannuation fund are broadly the same as the factors that keep them there, with the proviso that funds communicate effectively about how they’re going on those factors. Research produced jointly by CoreData Research and Conexus Financial, publisher of Professional Planner, has found value for money is currently top of members’ minds.
Simon HoyleApril 17, 2025
Profiles
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.
Beata KuczynskaMarch 27, 2025
Profiles
When articulating value results in referrals
One of the biggest lessons learned in advice for Merideon Wealth Strategies managing director Mark Rattigan has been that articulating value to clients will mitigate any concerns about the cost of advice – so much so that justifying fee rises inadvertently boosted referrals because clients better understood the value of the advice they were being given.
Chris DastoorSeptember 30, 2024
Business is increasingly risky, giving good advice is not