Advisers urge new Minister to pick up pace of reform
New Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Daniel Mulino has a daunting task ahead of him, taking over from former minister Stephen Jones at a critical time in the reform of financial advice.
May 12, 2025
Discovering your current staff are paid under market
When a firm discovers their salaries are below market, it sparks a chain reaction of challenges: team morale, retention, and profitability are all at risk. This case study reveals how they turned a $133,800 problem into a $305,175 benefit by rethinking salaries, workflows, and pricing—proving that strategic change can drive remarkable results.
May 12, 2025
Advisers, super funds at odds over offshore information processing
The $30 billion Vision Super has refuted claims that it will not work with financial advice firms that employ offshore staff, after a complaint raised by an adviser. The fund says it will only provide information to advice staff located within Australia, highlighting a vulnerability for advice firms using third-party support services based overseas.
May 09, 2025
ATO alarming clients with incorrect excess NCC determinations
The Australian Taxation Office has issued a number of incorrect determinations regarding excess non-concessional contributions, alarming clients and resulting in extra work for advisers.
May 09, 2025
FAAA ‘concerned’ about anti-competitiveness in the DBFO
The expansion of intrafund advice in the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes draft legislation has been labelled as anti-competitive by the Financial Advice Association Australia, as options better suited to members would be overlooked by super funds that will only consider products within their fund.
May 08, 2025
BlackRock joins the retirement income fray with Generation Life deal
The world’s largest asset manager has taken a minority stake in Generation Development Group and will partner with Generation Life to deliver a “turnkey” retirement solution for Australian super funds. But solving the “annuity puzzle” won’t be easy.
May 08, 2025
‘Big and close and strong and rich’: Investors ponder Indonesia’s rise
The end of a US-led world order won’t see China alone take its place but rather “a number of powers” will emerge, including Indonesia, according to defence expert Hugh White. The Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University has argued the nation will be among the four biggest economies by the middle of the century.
May 08, 2025
Balancing the separation of upfront and ongoing fees
How to communicate the cost of upfront and ongoing fees is the prerogative of the adviser, as some businesses opt to charge nothing until the client has committed to receiving advice and others prescribe an onboarding fee at the first meeting.
May 07, 2025
FAAA pushes back on intrafund advice expansion in DBFO
The Financial Advice Association Australia has further pushed back on the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes draft legislation, arguing retirement advice is too complex to be collectively charged and has referred to the new class of adviser as the “new class of provider”.
May 07, 2025
Licensee spend on compliance in decline: Research
Licensees are cutting back on their spending with planned expenditure on internal and external compliance support decreasing, according to the 2025 Compliance Trends Survey by law firm Holley Nethercote. Despite the reduced spend, the report found breach reporting and cybersecurity were among the top compliance concerns.
May 06, 2025
Bigger isn’t necessarily better for AI models
HUB24’s Innovation Lab has been experimenting with smaller AI models as they are easier to keep track of, allow for more transparency and have a lower energy consumption. The platform provider’s AI strategy also includes forming partnerships and fostering academic collaboration to advance innovation.
May 06, 2025
Reaping the potential benefits of commercial real estate debt
It is possible to earn income from commercial real estate without buying a stake in property, writes Metrics Credit Partners managing partner Andrew Lockhart.
May 06, 2025
