Industry Updates

The value of a licensee: Have your say

Overall satisfaction with licensee support rebounded in 2020, after taking a big dip in 2019. It hasn’t returned to levels we saw in 2018, but it’s on its way – and the 2021 Licensee Research will show us where the number settles this year, Simon Hoyle writes.

The qualified adviser who prefers to operate as a money coach

Karen Eley is a qualified and experienced adviser, yet she prefers to operate as a specialist money coach for women. As Synchron’s first and only general authorised representative, she may well be forging a path for others to follow. "I'm the guinea pig," she says.

Beginning of the end for tough PI insurance market

Class actions and regulatory pressure will keep the professional indemnity insurance market tough for another two to three years, consultants say, but a smattering of new market entrants may hint at relief for advisers down the line.

Three regulatory must-haves for an advice investment service

Financial advisers will need to provide evidence of three critical elements if strategic investment advice goes under the regulatory microscope, Neil Younger writes.

Departing riskies face halved valuations by delaying book sales

Many insurance advisers are expected to leave the industry rather than sit and pass the adviser exam before the end of the year, but brokers report there are almost no risk books on the market. A flood of these businesses in the final quarter of the year could cut valuation multiples in half, they warn.

ASIC to avoid unnecessary enforcement: Chester

With its new enforcement powers ASIC's Karen Chester said she wants the regulator to focus its radar on harmful misconduct rather than harm-free process breaches.

Code of Ethics obligations an afterthought for licensees

Licensees were given responsibility to monitor advisers’ adherence to the statutory Code of Ethics while ASIC has regulatory oversight which applies to all registered financial advisers giving advice to retail clients from January 1, 2020.

Advisers hindering consumer access to managed funds: Deloitte

Commissioned by ASIC, the consultancy’s interim report into competition within the managed funds market says advisers and other intermediaries can help perform due diligence on products, but can also create “suboptimal outcomes” for consumers.

Industry rails against ‘kick in the guts’ ASIC adviser levy

It’s rare that the industry speaks as one voice, but the latest increase in adviser levies has united stakeholders against a model that seems to punish compliant, independent advisers for the sins of outgoing institutional ones.

Stop pretending there’s an answer to the conflicts issue

All forms of remuneration are potentially conflicted so the ongoing FFS V FUM debate is a wasteful distraction, says adviser Maurice Nistico. Figure out what works best for your business and your clients and ignore the dogma.

M&A is not permission to get fat and lazy

The act of buying a business does not guarantee sustainable growth any more than buying flowers guarantees a healthy relationship, Paul Barrett writes. Success is the result of consistent effort and hard work post-sale.

ASIC’s gaze to fall on smaller advice groups: CoreData

With the banks gone ASIC is sure to focus more on smaller advice groups, Andrew Inwood said. The speed – and eventual cost – of that might have a lot to do with the regulator's new leadership team, he reckons.

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