Unadvised investors face acute private market risks: FSC
In response to ASIC's major report into private market risks, the Financial Services Council has recommended any potential regulatory changes pertaining to retail investors should only target the unadvised cohort, arguing existing laws and regulations sufficiently protect the profession's clients.
May 30, 2025
Reactive, populist super tax grab no match for real reform
Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ proposed levy on unrealised gains in super funds isn’t reform, it’s our home-grown equivalent to “Liberation Day”: reactive, populist and a money grab as a budget filler, write University of Technology Sydney's Rob Prugue and Lorenzo Casavecchia. Reform is indeed needed, but one which equally builds a moat around our $4 trillion super from self-serving political grabs from both sides of the political fence.
May 30, 2025
Coalition back to the drawing board on financial services policy
New Shadow Minister for Financial Services Pat Conaghan says the Coalition will review the policies taken to the election by Peter Dutton and his portfolio predecessor Luke Howarth. The National Party MP tells Professional Planner he will work with industry bodies and put a big focus on regional and rural issues in any policy position.
May 29, 2025
Advisers need ‘to be Beyoncé’ and spend more time performing
Advisers spending a minority of their time in front clients is like Beyoncé acting as her own road crew: practitioners should be spending more time in front of their audience rather than backstage tasks.
May 29, 2025
Count cleared in fees for no service class action
The Federal Court has dismissed a class action suit brought against Count subsidiary Count Financial over fees for no service and failure to act in client best interests. The class action alleged the formerly big four bank-owned licensee failed to ensure adviser remuneration was free from conflict after the FOFA reforms were brought into place.
May 28, 2025
How advisers can learn from the thinking of First Nations people
After meeting Indigenous scholar Tyson Yunkaporta six years ago, financial adviser Paul Kearney has found inspiration and lessons in the deep understanding of country and nature that First Nations people possess.
May 28, 2025
CSLR underspend due to slow claims processing
The $18.5 million collected by the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort in FY25 will not be fully utilised due to slow claims processing. Advisers will get some relief as the unallocated funds will be carried forward – but not until FY27 – and CEO David Berry says the exact figure won’t be confirmed until after an audit is completed in August.
May 27, 2025
What no one tells you about choosing a capital partner
Advice practices are grappling with how to choose a capital partner to capitalise on an environment where lucrative M&A deals are taking place, writes Encore Advisory’s Brendan Johnson. But first you must also consider if a capital partner is needed – and in most cases it isn’t.
May 27, 2025
Meet the advisers pioneering the profession’s AI adoption
The advice profession’s understanding and adoption of AI is still developing, with the majority of advice businesses just starting their journey given the nascency of the technology. But a small number of pioneering practices are already well advanced.
May 27, 2025
Associations release guide to navigate complex advice-fee tax deductibility rules
The Financial Advice Association Australia, in conjunction with three major accounting bodies, have set a guide to navigate the complicated regulatory regime that dictates the tax deductibility of advice fees. Because financial advice is unlikely to be solely comprised of tax advice, full tax deductibility of fees will be rare.
May 26, 2025
A minor tweak that can make advice firms ‘high performing’
The way advice firms structure their team is essential to the sustainability and efficiency of the business. According to research there’s one potentially overlooked staffing call that could make the difference to become a “high performing” firm.
May 26, 2025
‘Reeks of inconsistency’: Advisers furious over HESTA outage
Advisers have grown frustrated over the six-week service blackout by HESTA and say it restricts the onboarding of clients who are members of the fund, hampering the resources of practices. While the outage is due to conclude within a couple of weeks, the industry fund says it has tried to direct advisers to a dedicated support line until the planned admin transition project finishes.
May 23, 2025
