Research reveals clients do know what they want to ask, after all
As AI is adopted more in financial advice, firms are experimenting with conversational AI to make first contact with clients who are unsure if they need financial advice or who are not yet ready to speak to a person. An Otivo and Borromean report shows that unlike what has been believed, clients do know the questions they want answers to.
October 20, 2026
Pick one task, hasten slowly: How to avoid AI decision paralysis
For an advice practice just starting out, AI implementation is daunting and can lead to decision paralysis, and Iress and Signal Advisory research found that 34 per cent are unsure where to begin or which tools to trust. But rushing in with inadequate policies and governance can cause just as many problems as doing nothing.
October 19, 2026
Brighter Super adds indexed options in further support for advisers
The addition of two new indexed investment options by the $38 billion profit-to-member super fund Brighter Super follow its Adviser-Ready certification and Epic Retirement Tick and continue a deliberate decision to work with external financial advisers rather than compete with them.
October 16, 2026
Why the personal conversation matters in financial advice
Having the answer to a client’s problem isn’t always the same as being helpful. Nicole Bendeich writes that simply providing clients with more information is not the same as understanding their fears and what gets in the way of making a decision.
October 16, 2026
Why Flourix Wealth’s Rachel O’Connor focuses on advising women
Rachel O’Connor was already an experienced financial adviser when she went through her separation and found herself overwhelmed by it and surprised, given her existing knowledge. It made her realise others would probably go through the same experience, so she started a more direct approach of delivering financial advice to women.
October 15, 2026
‘But-for’ compensation will live on, just not at the CSLR
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority will continue to issue controversial “but-for” determinations after 30 June next year, even though investors who lodge complaints with it after that date will not be eligible for “but for” compensation from the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort. This is one of the reforms aimed at putting the CSLR on a more sustainable financial footing, and at easing the funding burden on the advice sector.
October 15, 2026
Claude for Advisors hints at a bigger problem than just meeting prep
If advice businesses need an AI orchestrator like Claude for Financial Advisors to connect multiple systems in order to gather information for client meetings, then the problem they have is not just prepping for meetings, but the multitude of systems and fragmented data.
October 14, 2026
Regulator ‘closely scrutinising’ Sequoia’s second crack at selling InterPrac
In a second go at offloading its beleaguered financial advice licensee InterPrac, listed wealth management group Sequoia Financial has sold the business to Bellbird Australia. A deed of cross-guarantee with other entities in the Sequoia group has been revoked, raising the concerns of investors seeking compensation for losses in the failed Shield and First Guardian master funds.
October 14, 2026
Pricing advice to reflect value, profitability and sustainability
The most effective pricing models align with a firm's target clients, value proposition, operating model and commercial objectives. But VBP’s Sue Viskovic writes that what firms charge is only one element of a sustainable business model.
October 13, 2026
Fortnum Private Wealth pays $1.35m to resolve cyber case
The Entireti-owned Fortnum Private Wealth has agreed to pay $1.35 million to resolve a lawsuit brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission over alleged failures to manage and mitigate cyber-security risks.
October 12, 2026
Lifespan’s strong growth sparks significant investment in marketing, brand and technology
Lifespan Financial Planning has experienced a growth spurt in the last five years which sparked a change in the company's logo and website. With $17 billion under advice, chief executive Eugene Ardino talks about opportunities and challenges for the firm.
October 12, 2026
