Creating capacity to solve the advice dilemma
Advice businesses are on a transformative journey to reduce their cost to serve, expand their capacity and boost profitability by optimising the tools and technology that’s already at their disposal.
March 26, 2025
After Friday night DBFO drop, budget offers little to help advisers
Just days after delivering incomplete draft legislation for the second tranche of the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes legislation, the government has handed down another budget that fails to address systemic issues for advice.
March 25, 2025
Infocus reveals ‘flexible partnership’ models for advisers
Infocus has unveiled a new adviser licensing structure, creating three distinct options that it believes will cater to all advice models. But founder and managing director Darren Steinhardt tells Professional Planner the new “flexible partnership” structure isn’t about attracting more advisers.
March 25, 2025
Private credit fundamentals remain strong, despite the noise
A small number of troubled Australian private credit transactions have raised questions about the sector’s transparency, risks and sustainability. This scrutiny should be seen as a good thing, as it reflects growing interest in the asset class and presents an opportunity for the industry to educate investors about the role of private credit in a diversified portfolio, writes Nehemiah Richardson, managing director and CEO of Pengana Credit.
March 25, 2025
New look SOA proposal ‘disappointing’
The government’s proposed replacement of Statements of Advice with Client Advice Records will bring little regulatory relief, according to former FPA policy adviser Ben Marshan. In reality, advisers will still be subject to the compliance demands of licensees.
March 24, 2025
DBFO Tranche 2 arrives, swapping SOAs for ‘CARs’
The Albanese government has released draft law on Tranche 2 of Delivering Better Financial Outcomes, unveiling the replacement of Statements of Advice with the new "Client Advice Record" required to be kept on file but not issued to clients unless requested. The more controversial changes to the Best Interests Duty and introduction of a “new class of adviser” were left out, as foreshadowed by Professional Planner.
March 21, 2025
If the safe harbour steps remain, so does Australia’s advice gap
Stephen Jones’ pre-Budget release of the second tranche of the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes laws will be welcomed by advisers still penning lengthy SOAs and super funds seeking clarity on nudges. But until the old chestnut of reforming the Best Interests Duty is cracked, accessible forms of digital and scaled advice will remain a pipedream.
March 21, 2025
Research house commences ‘sector watch’ on troubled private credit market
SQM Research has placed the private credit sector on “watch” in response to the heightened scrutiny of the asset class. Among an exhaustive list of concerns cited by the researcher, including transparency and conflicts of interest, SQM believes the growth of offerings comes as more investors qualify as wholesale.
March 20, 2025
How Liz Truss’ brief tenure as UK PM inspired peculiar AFCA case
The unexpectedly short 49-day tenure of former British Prime Minister Liz Truss led to a chain reaction for one client’s portfolio that ultimately led to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority finding they were incorrectly labelled as a wholesale investor.
March 20, 2025
The ghosts of super’s original admin sin have come back to haunt it
Back in 2015, five big superannuation funds thought their administration nightmare was finally over. But it was only just beginning – and they still might not have reached the end.
March 19, 2025
