New White Paper assesses the five key mega-trends affecting SMSFs and their advisers
The Self Managed Superannuation Fund Association (SMSFA) begins its state technical conference road show on Tuesday, opening in Sydney, and then traveling through Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. To coincide with the technical conferences, Professional Planner and technology provider Bravura will progressively release a seminal white paper on the SMSF sector. The white paper, authored
July 26, 2015
Results of the Professional Planner reader survey are in, and we have a winner
Thank you to everyone who participated in Professional Planner’s recent reader survey. We received a lot of information and ideas, and it has taken us quite some time to sift through it all. There was an iPad or a charitable donation as a prize for one lucky reader; the winner has been identified and we’ll
July 26, 2015
NAB confirms Navigator Wrap platform review outcome
In May 2014, NAB announced we were commencing a program of work to review how income and tax was being applied to customers’ accounts on our Navigator Wrap platform. This work followed an independent review into Navigator that PwC was commissioned to conduct. As part of this review, NAB has identified errors and processes dating
July 24, 2015
Shifting focus from markets to clients can build a more valuable financial planning practice
A key element in shifting an advice proposition from being market-centric to being client-centric is to prove to advisers that they can create greater enterprise value in their advice practices by changing, according to Russell Investments’ managing director of capital markets insights and US private client services, Tim Noonan. Noonan says a business model built
July 23, 2015
Self-Managed super fund clients are a doubled-edged sword for financial planners
New research on self managed super funds (SMSFs) has identified areas of opportunity for financial advisers, particularly around SMSF trustees’ ongoing perceptions of advice deficiencies. While the report showed negative perceptions of advisers persist, SMSF specialists who can win trustees’ confidence may find opportunities to fill the gaps in SMSF advice needs. More than 60 per cent of SMSFs still
July 23, 2015
The 2015 financial year in review: the outlook remains unpredictable
Despite a range of economic and market “challenges” during the year, markets have delivered good returns, especially for global shares and Australian listed property investors. Central bank policy stimulus remained an important influence and source of support for asset prices around the world. Several central banks, including the Bank of Japan and the European Central
July 23, 2015
No plans to drop risk premiums as upfront commissions decline
BT Financial Group is not intending to reduce its premiums in line with falling commission liabilities resulting from the Life Insurance Framework (LIF). “Our behaviour today is that we don’t intend to [reduce premiums]…but we’re obviously looking at a whole of industry approach,” says Scott Moffitt, national manager – life insurance products, BT Financial Group.
July 21, 2015
The Life Insurance Framework has a fatal flaw – but here is how to fix it
The Life Insurance Framework (LIF) announced recently by the Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg put forward a new model of maximum life insurance commission payments and potential clawbacks to be implemented over the coming years. If you closely examine the model’s planned commission and clawback rates, you can’t help but come to the startling conclusion that
July 21, 2015
More acrobatics as the AFA backflips again on risk reforms
A pattern is starting to develop as attempts at a self-regulatory response to conflicts within the life insurance advice sector roll on. The Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) took an early role in efforts to address the concerns raised publicly by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which ultimately led to the latest proposed
July 21, 2015
Zurich life insurance now offered on Praemium’s award-winning SMA platform
Praemium and Zurich Life & Investments are pleased to announce a partnership that will see Zurich’s suite of life insurance solutions offered as an option on Praemium SuperSMA, the retail super version of its award-winning SMA platform technology. Advisers using the Praemium platform will be able to recommend and offer Zurich’s comprehensive range of protection
July 21, 2015
Key findings of the Investment Trends 2015 Planner Technology Report
Financial planners’ freedom of platform choice is at its highest level ever The formula for success has changed, platforms now need to help planners demonstrate value netwealth has the highest satisfaction amongst its users BT Wrap and CFS FirstChoice are the most-used platforms, but third place is hotly contested In its twelfth year, the May
July 21, 2015
MLC’s three new SMA products see $7million uptake
Three separately managed accounts (SMAs) added to the MLC Wrap and Navigator platforms have had a combined intake of more than $7million since their launch in May. The recent JBWere/Investment Trends SMA Report 2015 highlighted the increasing use of SMAs, with one in five financial advisers now using an SMA for a portion of their
July 21, 2015
