Licensees will require ‘a complete restructure’: CoreData
A “reset of the advice industry” will require licensees to restructure how they operate and provide a better risk/return profile to be sustainable businesses, according to CoreData. The researcher’s consulting director Grahame Evans, who once led GPS Wealth, believes the bigger players exiting the industry means smaller licensees will have to drive progress in the profession.
March 18, 2025
Deja vu as ASIC liquidates fund with ties to Shield
ASIC has moved to wind up the First Guardian Master Fund, after concerns from the regulator investors were misled, including conflicts of interest with its director David Anderson. The same advice firms caught up in the Shield investigation have also been implicated with the First Guardian fund, and the regulator has frozen assets of another lead generation service with ties to both funds.
March 18, 2025
The merit of alleviating key-person risk via process documentation
The importance of comprehensive process documentation is overlooked, with a mere 10 per cent of advice practices having their processes clearly documented. With most small businesses having a ‘key person’ holding the information in their head, the risk of that information disappearing is significant.
March 17, 2025
Getting in early helps boost women’s superannuation savings
As women face the risk of having less in retirement than men, advisers share how they help their female clients improve their super balances. This can vary from obscure government incentives to spousal co-contributions.
March 17, 2025
Research touts managed account efficiency benefits as regulatory scrutiny mounts
Advisers who use managed accounts are saving three days a week on average, according to research from Investment Trends and State Street Global Advisors. The findings come as the regulator says the sector “remains an area of interest” of its regulatory scrutiny, but proponents say the main catalysts for uptake are cheaper fees and better performance.
March 17, 2025
Why members shouldn’t pay when trustees misbehave
A case brought by ASIC against AustralianSuper sets out how and why profit-to-member fund trustees are treated differently from for-profit trustees when it comes to penalties imposed by the courts. But while ASIC has been accused of going soft on profit-to-member funds, it’s appropriate that when trustees misbehave it’s not fund members who are left to carry the can.
March 14, 2025
‘Lack of diversification’ leaves advice on the hook for product failures
Despite calls for product manufacturers to take more accountability for remediation when a product fails, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority has made clear it’s the responsibility for advisers to make sure clients have a diversified portfolio that mitigates risk across investment options.
March 13, 2025
Europe, Asia to drive green bond demand amid US uncertainty
In an era where anti-ESG political forces have become dominant, AXA IM expects green bond issuance to continue to grow amid significant net zero investment requirements. The US market may remain muted, but Europe and Asia are expected to be developing areas of growth.
March 13, 2025
Green bonds on course to shed niche label
After a slow start, the green bond market has hit the accelerator, as countries and corporates ramp up efforts to reduce carbon emissions by financing projects that have a positive environmental impact. The sector has amassed around $2 trillion to date and is set to continue growing strongly but there are unique risks to consider.
March 13, 2025
AusSuper allegedly took up to four years to process death benefit claims
AustralianSuper will be taken to court by the corporate regulator again, this time over failures to process death benefit claims, after paying $27 million last month for failing to merge duplicate accounts. But as pressure mounts on industry funds to correct their failings on member outcomes, ASIC chair Joe Longo believes there isn’t a double standard over regulatory enforcement and criticised funds for "not knowing" their business.
March 12, 2025
Commercial property market has reached ‘inflection point’
After one of the most significant property valuation downturns in 15 years, commercial property, which includes office, retail and logistics, is showing signs of valuation stabilisation. The sector appears on track for a comeback, buoyed by Australia’s increasing population, a growing demand and supply imbalance, and workers back in the office, according to Charter Hall’s Steve Bennett.
March 12, 2025
