Govt was warned MIS reform alone would not have stopped Shield, First Guardian
Freedom of Information documents reveal that Treasury told the government the 2023 managed investment scheme review would not have stopped the Shield and First Guardian collapse, and that a broader policy response was needed.
March 13, 2026
AustralianSuper’s call for leverage is bold but unnecessary
AustralianSuper's chief liquidity officer Chandu Bhindi has publicly proposed the idea of allowing some super funds to directly use leverage, enabling them to better manage liquidity requirements in crisis situations rather than being forced to sell assets at stressed prices. The Conexus Institute writes that while the idea has some merits, overall it is not necessary and could increase system risk.
March 13, 2026
Policymakers will never be convinced about deregulating advice if conflicts remain
While there is merit in advice reform, the advice profession and financial services industry can’t expect policymakers to work on the assumption that the whole industry will do the right thing and a stringent regulatory floor will always need to be in place, the Professional Planner Advice Policy Summit heard.
March 12, 2026
FSC calls for pragmatic regulatory approach to related-party arrangements
The Financial Services Council has suggested a more pragmatic approach to prohibiting related-party investments and that Treasury should investigate the drivers of loss that lead to unpaid AFCA determinations, in a pair of submissions to consultations addressing the fallout of the $1 billion Shield and First Guardian collapse.
March 12, 2026
Behind Royal London Asset Management’s Australian expansion
After a decade of quiet groundwork down under, Royal London Asset Management has launched four funds with seed capital of $1 billion, hired an experienced funds management leader to build its local office and is engaging advisers and investors at pace.
March 12, 2026
ASIC says there are too many MISs to effectively review
ASIC has told a parliamentary committee that it can’t functionally monitor all managed investment schemes (MISs) as the government considers policy changes that would strengthen MIS standards.
March 11, 2026
Why modern retirement demands better conversations and smarter technology
When Kristine Goodwin, director of growth and distribution at North, sits down with Ashley Tilston, CEO of Spectrum Wealth Partners, the conversation quickly moves beyond markets, products and performance. Instead, it lands on a far more complex question facing advisers today: what does retirement actually mean now and how should advice businesses evolve to support it?
March 11, 2026
‘Disgraceful’: Infocus’s dire review of Shield, First Guardian advice
After taking on former Shield and First Guardian clients to help do what it could to mitigate the damage of the $1 billion collapse, Infocus was left in dismay over what they discovered from the advice provided to clients. Managing director Darren Steinhardt flagged it as “disgraceful” and was disappointed that type of misconduct still permeates in the industry.
March 10, 2026
The evolving retirement ecosystem: What shape will it take?
After attending the Professional Planner Advice Policy Summit in February, executive director of The Conexus Institute David Bell reflects on the roles of super funds, financial advisers and the government in an evolving retirement landscape, and how these sectors failing to work together will result in an unstable and vulnerable ecosystem and eventually hurt retirees.
March 10, 2026
The onus is on advisers to embrace technology
The application of technology, including but not only AI, will clearly address efficiency issues within advice firms, but zoom out and the impact on Australian society is potentially profound. A widening advice gap only amplifies the differences between the “haves” and the “have-nots” which must be addressed by improving both the efficiency and affordability of financial advice and HUB24 believes technology enables both.
March 09, 2026
