Industry Updates

‘Licensee for hire’ taken to court by ASIC

The corporate regulator commenced civil proceedings against Lanterne Fund Services for failing to have risk management and other licensee services in place. Despite having $1 billion in funds under management and collecting $180,000 in fees monthly, the company only had one employee.

Advice competing with big tech for talent

Financial advice is not only competing with traditional professions like law and accounting to attract talent, but also big tech firms and other new industries according to recruitment firm Striver. While much of the focus is on competing for people currently in the industry, the profession must punch above its weight to attract talent at the university stage and make a career in advice seem appealing.

AMP backs standardised fee consent forms

Advisers would see an efficiency boost from uniform fee consent forms according to AMP. It argued moving to a consistent industry-wide approach will improve client experience and reduce the compliance burden for advice practices.

ASIC updates retirement calculator guidance

The corporate regulator has updated its guidance for trustees that provide superannuation calculators and retirement estimates. Providers are continued to be exempt from certain advice laws, but there are strict requirements on not promoting products.

Growth begets patience in race for advice business capital

Many advice businesses face major challenges such as succession planning, generational transitions and achieving growth. Addressing these challenges requires patient capital. In the first of a series of articles on the professional services firm of the future, AZ NGA’s Paul Barrett looks at how to attract the right capital partner.

ANZ life business to become Zurich Assure

From the start of next month ANZ’s risk advice business will be re-launched as Zurich Assure. With the big four bank almost completely leaving advice, Zurich swooped in to take over the risk advice arm.

Your new SOAP box: FPA releases video SOA toolkit

The Financial Planning Association has released the Statement of Advice Project (SOAP) Box Set to help members create video advice documents. It’s time to adapt to the digital video era, the association believes, rather than utilising old methods that aren’t always client friendly.

Licensees should train advisers in litigation: Veteran lawyer

Licensees should be doing more to train advisers in legal proceedings to better help protect against business risks according to Coleman Greig Lawyers principal lawyer Peter Bobbin.

Mercer sued for fees-for-no-service

Another superannuation fund’s advice arm has been taken to court by the corporate regulator for charging without service provision and failing to provide fee disclosure statements.

90pc mispriced: More rigour needed in post-subsidisation era for advice

As subsidisation has been stripped out of advice, practices all over the country have raised prices in line with the true cost to serve. Advisers are getting better at matching value to cost, but with “90 per cent of clients" still mispriced there is a long way to go.

‘Not going to cut it’: Advisers can’t restrict themselves to under 100 clients

Without an influx of new talent coming in, the industry will be left with the challenge of boosting client capacity to bridge the advice gap. This means having 80 to 100 clients per adviser will not be sufficient according to Elixir Consulting managing director Sue Viskovic.

Insignia maintains platform dominance

Insignia Financial has maintained top spot in platform funds under management after its acquisition of MLC Wealth consolidated a fifth of the market according to data from Plan for Life.

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