Govt to ban advice fee deductions from super for fund switches
A ban on advice fee deductions from super for switching funds, requiring platform trustees to compensate members for losses, ending ‘but for’ determinations from the CSLR, and higher restrictions on lead generation are among the suite of reforms proposed by the government across three different consultations launched on Wednesday.
April 08, 2026
‘No Shield or First Guardians’ in managed accounts
Scrutiny of managed accounts is unwarranted given their track record which is yet to see a collapse like Shield and First Guardian or Dixon Advisory, according to a pair of proponents of the vehicle, which has layers of fiduciary responsibility preventing a similar type of failure.
April 07, 2026
MWL adviser banned 3 years for Shield breaches despite 3-month tenure
A financial adviser who spent three months with MWL Financial Services has received a three-year ban for breaching best interests duty when he advised six clients to invest in the Shield Master Fund.
April 07, 2026
Volatile markets put minimum volatility strategies in the spotlight
The assumption that higher risk equals higher returns is generally true, however, BlackRock believes there is empirical evidence that less risky stocks deliver similar or even better risk-adjusted returns than higher volatility stocks over the long term.
April 07, 2026
Building resilience when traditional diversifiers disappoint
Investors are paying more heed to diversification after an exceptionally bumpy start to the year in equity markets. For those after global equities exposure without the rollercoaster ride, minimum volatility strategies may offer an attractive alternative.
April 07, 2026
Only 12 super funds meet adviser-ready standard as industry funds underwhelm
Only three industry funds have made the list of 12 'adviser-ready' funds launched by the Financial Advice Association Australia and Chant West to help advisers assess which super funds are easiest to work with, despite the inroads that the profit-to-member sector claims to have made over the past few years.
April 01, 2026
Count to acquire advice firm Oracle in $72m deal
ASX-listed Count will acquire financial advice firm Oracle Group for $72.2 million, further expanding the national footprint of one of the country’s largest license owners. Count CEO Hugh Humphrey says the Oracle AFSL will be left behind and the firm’s 22 advisers will join Count’s employed advice channel.
March 31, 2026
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.
March 31, 2026
InterPrac adviser banned for impersonating other advisers on SOAs
ASIC has banned InterPrac Financial Planning adviser Nicholas Hogan for four years for being involved in allegedly presenting Statements of Advice in the name of other advisers. The banning comes after a Professional Planner investigation cast a spotlight on Shield and First Guardian clients receiving fraudulently signed SOAs.
March 30, 2026
Sequoia delays dividend payment pending InterPrac sale
Sequoia Financial Group will delay the payment of a 10 cent per share dividend to shareholders while finalising the sale of InterPrac Financial Planning to little-known Conquest Investment Partners.
March 30, 2026
