ETFs deemed ‘not the enemy’ as the sector’s assets poised to surpass hedge funds
Deborah Fuhr’s message for financial planners about exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is simple: they are not the enemy. They may in fact be at the front-line of planners’ defences against the rise of the machines. Fuhr says ETFs give to financial planners an ability to efficiently implement low-cost, diversified portfolios, freeing up time and thinking for a
April 20, 2015
More advisers are joining ARRIA for a real dialogue on real return strategies
More advisers who want absolute return/certain portfolio outcomes are joining ARRIA for a real dialogue on real return strategies and to gain access to exclusive tools only available to ARRIA Members. On 15 April, ARRIA hosted presentations from Profile Financial Services and Pengana Capital with 25 advisers and industry executives attending. “Momentum is building for
April 17, 2015
All eyes turn to Westpac as ANZ’s ‘epic fail on advice’ pushes consumers closer to voting with their feet
Yesterday the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) declared it had found “multiple instances” of clients of vertically integrated advice businesses being charged fees where no services had been provided; and ANZ announced it will reimburse as many as 8500 clients of its Prime Access advice business who have been charged for services the bank
April 17, 2015
Hewison passes the baton but independence, education are still core
Control of Hewison Private Wealth passed to Andrew Hewison in January this year, 30 years after his father, John Hewison, founded the practice. Hewison senior is a former chairman of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA), and also a life member, having served a number of FPA boards and committees. “As a fierce advocate
April 17, 2015
Australian Ethical: Europe looks to have stolen Japan’s mojo
Australian Ethical observes indicators that track the production and movement of goods and services through an economy’s supply chain to gauge current trading conditions. Each month they update their proprietary model for the latest figures. International Equities Portfolio Manager, Nathan Lim, provides this month’s update: United States European Union China Japan Australia Positive Positive Neutral
April 16, 2015
New mobile app makes professional standards more accessible
The Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board (APESB) today released a new smartphone and tablet app that will make it easier for professional accountants and other stakeholders to access APESB’s professional and ethical standards. APESB is the first accounting standards setting body in Australia to develop an app for accessing its standards and one of
April 16, 2015
Government is cautious on Trowbridge report, cagey on PJC inquiry
Assistant treasurer Josh Frydenberg has suggested the government will not provide unconditional support for John Trowbridge’s recommendations around life insurance advice remuneration. “I’m sympathetic to some of the points made by the smaller players in the sector that some of the bigger shops could cross-subsidise their advisers in a way smaller insurance advisers couldn’t. “Again,
April 15, 2015
Standard Life Investments grows retail presence as absolute return global bond fund added to Macquarie Wrap
Standard Life Investments, the global asset manager, is pleased to announce that the highly successful Absolute Return Global Bond Strategies (ARGBS) Australian Trust (ARSN 125 897 261) has been added to the Macquarie Wrap platform. ARGBS is the second multi-asset fund from Standard Life Investments available to wholesale investors, following strong demand for their Global
April 15, 2015
How forging closer links with academia will pay off for the financial planning profession
Stronger links between academia and the financial planning profession will pay off in in the form of better-equipped new entrants, a body of independent and evidence-based research, and greater public trust and confidence in the profession and its practitioners, according to a leading financial planning academic. On Monday Professional Planner reported the results of research
April 15, 2015
How to answer some of the most contentious pension questions
Financial planners and investors frequently ask the following three questions when determining how to pay pensions from a self-managed super fund. If rolling a pension from one fund to another, must the pension first be commuted? Common sense has a very simple answer: no. When rolling a pension from one fund to another, the pension does not
April 15, 2015
Time is right to revisit exciting European equity opportunities, says AB
Europe is once again offering exciting opportunities in equities, global investment manager AllianceBernstein (AB) said today. The fundamental picture has improved and evidence is growing that conditions for active stock pickers are better than they have been for years. “Many investors are understandably paying attention to the US economic recovery as an important opportunity, but
April 14, 2015
Records broken for FUM and trading value in March
The Australian exchange traded fund industry hit a new record high of $17.6 billion in funds under management (FUM) in March, up from $16.8 billion in FUM recorded in February, according to the BetaShares Australian ETF Review – March 2015. Growth in the industry over the last 12 months has been a rapid 66%. The
April 14, 2015
