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Advisers left behind with DBFO fee consent deficiencies: FAAA

Advisers left behind with DBFO fee consent deficiencies: FAAA

Fee consent issues that were meant to be addressed by the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes reforms have only left advisers with further business inefficiencies, the Financial Advice Association Australia has told members.

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Industry
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First Guardian liquidation continues to eat up recovered funds

First Guardian liquidation continues to eat up recovered funds

First Guardian liquidators want to “temper expectations” over the return of funds to investors as the cost of the liquidation continues to grow with the amount recovered, leaving estimated net cash of $326,000 after expenses.

Insignia to delist with all hurdles for sale completed

Insignia to delist with all hurdles for sale completed

Insignia Financial will delist from the ASX at the end of the month as the Federal Court has given approval for the acquisition of the ASX-listed wealth giant by CC Capital.

Regulation
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Why most financial advice scandals give a sense of Déjà vu

Why most financial advice scandals give a sense of Déjà vu

Most financial advice scandals are depressingly familiar, often following a similar playbook with predictable results, writes Simon Hoyle. While the players involved may change, the fundamental story doesn’t and it won’t be the last time it’s told.

Fintech looks to add 50 advisers in three years with private advisory launch

Fintech looks to add 50 advisers in three years with private advisory launch

Wealth management fintech Openmarkets has revealed plans to expand into private wealth with the goal of adding 50 financial advisers to its AFSL in the next three years as it pivots to a B2B model in the aftermath of regulatory action that has been settled with ASIC.

Opinion
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Evolution of the CIO: Why retiree clients need a Chief ‘Interpretation’ Officer

Evolution of the CIO: Why retiree clients need a Chief ‘Interpretation’ Officer

For years, the ‘CIO’ has been synonymous with strategic asset allocations, but in a world refined by government policy uncertainties and growing retirement planning complexities, the ‘CIO’ acronym is evolving, writes Generation Life’s Vincent Stranges. Today’s ‘CIO’, increasingly is a reference to the Chief Interpretation Officer, and its financial advisers who are fulfilling this role, interpreting policy changes and complexities into clarity for their clients.

Shield, First Guardian reforms must not become a covert operation to restrict competition

Shield, First Guardian reforms must not become a covert operation to restrict competition

There is broad consensus in industry and Canberra that the collapses of the Shield and First Guardian master funds – and failures that led to them – demand a regulatory response. But getting that response wrong could create an uneven playing field in the industry and some counterproductive consumer outcomes.

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On Practice
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Netwealth rolls out changes to fine print in wake of Shield, First Guardian

Netwealth rolls out changes to fine print in wake of Shield, First Guardian

Netwealth has updated its terms and conditions to allow it to directly correspond with clients without necessarily needing to inform the adviser or licensee and potentially limit user access. The move comes as part of the regulator-enforced governance uplift across the platform sector in the aftermath of the collapse of the Shield and First Guardian master funds. 

When scaling up is the right path for your practice

When scaling up is the right path for your practice

Smaller businesses aspire to scale up and corporatise, but corporatisation isn’t for everyone. AZ NGA chief operating officer Nathan Jacobsen writes for those looking to make the transition, it has the power to transform businesses, accelerate growth, and reward business owners.

Upcoming events
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10 – 11 June, 2026Hydro Majestic & Lilianfels, Blue Mountains, NSW,

Licensee Summit

1 – 2 December, 2026Hydro Majestic & Lilianfels, Blue Mountains, NSW,

Researcher Forum

Profiles
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Lessons from the middle: Leadership, resilience and the courage of conviction

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

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.