Centric invests $50 million in international equities with Maverick Capital
Centric Wealth, part of the Findex Group, has announced the selection of Maverick Capital for a $50 million allocation following a review of global equities managers. The US based Maverick Capital was founded in 1993 by Lee Ainslee, who was formerly at Julian Robertson’s Tiger Fund and has in excess of $9 billion FUM. Kieran
January 30, 2015
FTSE RAFI Index selected for first Australian ETF based on US fundamental factors
FTSE Group (‘FTSE’), the global index provider, announces that BetaShares, one of Australia’s leading providers of exchange traded products, has chosen the FTSE RAFI US 1000 Index for its latest Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). The index was developed in association with Research Affiliates®, LLC and is the basis for the first US fundamental equity index
January 30, 2015
As its submission deadline looms, is the latest life insurance review fatally flawed?
Today marks the final business day before submissions to the Life Insurance Advice Working Group (LIAWG) close. In the absence of any new information from the working group, it is worth considering its structure. No insight has yet been provided by the LIAWG into how many submissions have been received, nor which organisations or individuals
January 30, 2015
AFA chief urges planners to ‘see through the noise’ and to own the past – the good and the bad
The chief executive officer of the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA), Brad Fox, has urged the financial planning community to accept accountability for errors committed in the past, but refuse to take the blame for issues that are not advice-related. Speaking at an event organised by the Value Alliance – a joint venture between media
January 30, 2015
What lies ahead for the self-managed super fund sector in 2015
Overall, 2014 was a good year for self managed super funds (SMSFs). Aside from the introduction of new trustees penalties, which after a false start in 2013 finally came into effect in July, there were very few rule changes that directly impacted SMSF trustees. In fact, 2014 saw the continuation of a period of relative
January 30, 2015
JPMorgan emerging markets opportunities fund receives Zenith rating
Research house Zenith has rated JPMorgan’s Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund ‘Recommended’, stating that J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s emerging markets equity team “is one of the strongest within the emerging market sector.” J.P. Morgan Asset Management manages USD$6.3 billion in this strategy globally. Zenith commented in its report that the research process for the Fund is
January 29, 2015
Volatile markets to challenge investors in 2015
Triple3 Partners have warned that quantitative easing, an expected increase in global interest rates and falling oil prices will present investors with a challenging set of circumstances in 2015. “The investment environment for 2015 will be very different to last year, and investors should be prepared for new challenges as well as new opportunities,” says
January 29, 2015
Smarter Money Investments approved for BT Wrap
The boutique fixed-income manager Smarter Money Investments (SMI) is pleased to announce that its flagship “active cash” fund has been added to the BT Wrap Platform for use by advisers and their clients both inside and outside superannuation.  SMI’s active cash strategy is already available on other leading platforms, including Macquarie Wrap, Onevue, Netwealth,
January 28, 2015
Lonsec releases 2014 Fixed interest Sector Review
Leading research house Lonsec today released its Fixed Interest Sector Review, highlighting 2014 as a reversal of 2013 with traditional bond funds outperforming more credit intensive counterparts. Australian Fixed Interest managers, after a strong 2013, generally had a tougher year; while Global Fixed Interest, after a dismal 2013, was the top performer within the fixed
January 28, 2015
BetaShares launches Fundamental Index ETF for US equities
BetaShares, a leading provider of Australian exchange traded products, today announced the launch of the first US equities ETF traded on the ASX to use the Fundamental Index® methodology. The BetaShares FTSE RAFI U.S. 1000 ETF will trade under the ASX code “QUS” and aims to provide an investment return that tracks the performance of
January 28, 2015
Advisers on notice as spike in SMSF breaches puts spotlight on new ATO powers
The Australian Taxation Office’s enhanced range of powers could see an increase in penalties levied against trustees of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), when funds begin lodging returns for the current financial year. Martin Murden, director of SMSF consulting with Partners Group, says the ATO has in the past been circumspect in using its powers against
January 28, 2015
Tucker: new-generation firms set new benchmarks for financial planning businesses
The financial planning and wealth management profession is quickly heading toward a seismic shift in form and operation – under pressure from both the government and clients. The recent financial advice scandals have placed the profession directly under the spotlight and a radical change in its structure is now inevitable. Despite the many government inquiries
January 28, 2015
