Calls to fix Shield, First Guardian anti-hawking loophole
Consumer advocacy body Super Consumers Australia has called on the government to end the loophole in anti-hawking laws that helped lead generators drive thousands of consumers toward the failed Shield and First Guardian funds.
August 21, 2025
Life insurers must lift product, distribution game: ASIC
ASIC says it will take action in response to conduct of concern in the life insurance industry as it calls on insurers and distributors to improve their product, sales and complaints handling processes as they look to expand direct sales to consumers.
August 20, 2025
Is it time to currency hedge your portfolio?
For those not wishing to express a tactical view on currency, leaving a portion of your global equities exposure unhedged can lower portfolio volatility and drawdowns in periods of strong equity market drawdowns, writes Betashares investment strategist Tom Wickenden.
August 20, 2025
All eyes on income, as economic conditions change
Attention on income is set to intensify for all investors with further rate cuts expected in coming months, increasing the probability of the cash rate falling below 3 per cent at a time when dividend yields from Australian equities are sub-4 per cent for the first time in a long time.
August 20, 2025
Shield, First Guardian failed to get past HUB24 platform DD
One of the country’s fastest-growing platforms declined to host the Shield and First Guardian Master Funds after both products failed to pass due diligence screening. The revelation comes as several of its peers are under investigation by ASIC for the role they played in the oversight of the conflicted and high-risk investment schemes.
August 19, 2025
Unchecked CLSR will ‘bankrupt everybody’: FAAA
The Financial Advice Association Australia believes the current consultation on the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort special levy will set a precedent over how the financial burden is shared and says the levy should be spread as widely as possible. But this will only be a "band-aid" fix to the scheme and the association is concerned that not enough is being done to directly hold the actors responsible for the claims that are heading the CSLR.
August 19, 2025
Shield-connected practice sees adviser receive four-year ban
Gold Coast-based adviser Andrew Rankin has been banned for inappropriate advice and failing to act in the best interests of his clients over advice connected to the Global Capital Property Fund. His firm, Next Generation Advice, is alleged by the regulator to be one of the practices that switched clients into high-risk products including GCPF and the Shield Master Fund.
August 18, 2025
The hidden challenges of managing significant wealth
In society, there’s often one set of rules for the rich and one set of rules for everyone else, and it’s no different in wealth management. When it comes to building and managing investment portfolios, the general rules that apply to most people around matters like time horizon, liquidity and risk tolerance, apply differently to high-net-worth clients, writes Andrew Fairweather, chief executive of Fitzpatricks Financial Group.
August 18, 2025
Recruiters say support staff still in demand despite rise in outsourcing
Strong demand for senior advisers still drives the recruitment market, but client services candidates are highly sought after even as outsourcing has become a popular alternative. Despite the competitive landscape for talent – whether for advisers or support staff – salary expectations across the industry have remained broadly flat.
August 15, 2025
