‘A whole-of-system approach’ necessary to address advice gap
While licensees can play a significant part in closing the advice gap, a whole-of-system approach is required to make meaningful change in the profession. Licensees, advice practices, platforms and product providers should work together to fix the supply chain and increase capacity for more Australians to receive advice.
June 25, 2025
Understanding clients a ‘fantastic’ starting point but frequently stops there
Advice practices seeking to understand their clients’ needs is a great starting point as part of building their methodology for delivering retirement advice, Challenger head of technical services Andrew Lowe told the Professional Planner Licensee Summit. But he also warned quality retirement advice means going beyond just understanding client needs.
June 25, 2025
Shadforth’s dramatic plan to double
in size
With around 100 advisers and more than 250 staff, Shadforth is seeking to dramatically improve productivity and enhance adviser efficiency. It’s in the first year of a journey that will overhaul its advice tech stack which it expects will help the group double in size.
June 24, 2025
Small licence, conflicted SMSF advice models driving CSLR claims
Only a handful of players are behind the major failures heading to the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, led by conflicted advice through an SMSF, the Professional Planner Licensee Summit heard. Despite these issues coming from a small group of individuals, the consequences have been catastrophic.
June 24, 2025
ASIC ‘agnostic’ on offshoring arrangements by licensees
ASIC will maintain a wait-and-see stance on offshoring arrangements by licensees as it carries out a review of how licensees and advisers are managing risk, with findings due later this year, commissioner Alan Kirkland has told the Professional Planner Licensee Summit.
June 23, 2025
Licensee growth isn’t about chasing advisers
The future of licensee growth will be about expanding their available services and equity partnerships rather than licensing more advisers, the Professional Planner Licensee Summit has heard. While there is a view that advice might be in a new “golden age”, licensing continues to be challenging with tight margins and heavy regulation.
June 23, 2025
Lifting the super tax changes the rules mid-game with no way out
The Albanese government's proposed changes to super tax concessions may seem like no big deal since it increases taxes for only an estimated 80,000 Australians, but Simon Hoyle writes those people accumulated their account balances legitimately and under the rules that applied at the time in good faith.
June 20, 2025
How advisers can provide clients with quality private market exposure
Advice firms, whether operating on a retail or wholesale basis, are fundamental to guiding individual investors when accessing private markets, writes The Conexus Institute. The asset class provides an exciting opportunity, but care is needed to ensure the trend to private markets by private wealth doesn’t lead to case studies of poor client outcomes.
June 20, 2025
National firms should bring professional development in-house
With a growing number of advice firms operating in multiple locations, a proprietary education and training program can be effective at establishing one clear way of doing things, developing people, and bringing corporate values to life, according to Fitzpatricks Advice Partners’ Jasia Fabig.
June 19, 2025
Super funds to close out FY25 with ‘astonishing’ result
Super funds are expected to finish the financial year in a strong position with the median growth fund returning around 9 per cent, according to research from Chant West. The researcher describes this as an "astonishing" result despite the market volatility over the last six months due to US President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements.
June 19, 2025
Consumer group rebukes super fund retirement advice as ‘sales pitch’
Super Consumers Australia has joined the chorus of criticism of the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes Tranche 2 draft bill, believing it “falls short”. The consumer advocacy group is concerned there aren’t enough guardrails as super funds have been given the green light to give advice about their own retirement products and called for performance testing to maintain a minimum industry standard.
June 18, 2025
Greg Bright honoured in launch of FEAL scholarship
In memory of industry veteran journalist and entrepreneur Greg Bright, who passed away in August last year, the Fund Executives Association Limited is launching the Greg Bright Scholarship for Excellence in Member Communications, an educational scholarship for an emerging leader in a role involving member communications.
June 18, 2025
