Centrepoint appointments continue mission to lift practices’ efficiency by 50 per cent
Listed financial services group Centrepoint Alliance has continued on its strategy of improving its financial planners’ productivity with the announcement yesterday of four key appointments, spanning distribution strategy and marketing, life insurance, research and a regional manager for Queensland. Centrepoint, the parent company of Professional Investment services (PIS) and Associated Advisory Practices (AAP), has appointed Neil
February 04, 2014
AFA’s 2014 GenXt Roadshow Kicks off
The Association of Financial Advisers (AFA)’s industry-leading new-adviser event, the AFA GenXt Roadshow launched in Hobart this morning [Tuesday]. “The AFA’s theme in 2014 is INNOVATE: Think; Create; Act and the AFA GenXt Road Show, which also visits Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, is the perfect opportunity for advisers to embrace the new opportunities
February 04, 2014
Global research demonstrates value of CFP certification to financial services firms
Financial services firms around the world report that Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professionals are more productive, generate higher revenue and profit, and reduce corporate risk and client complaints, according to the results of global research released today by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB), owner of the international CFP certification program. The research, conducted on
February 04, 2014
BT’s Phil Hay: Addressing the insurance image gap a virtue borne of necessity
Many improvements to the customer experience have been borne out of one simple necessity: to improve the life insurance industry’s reputation. It’s no secret that our industry has an image problem. Many people either don’t trust life insurance providers or they don’t see the value in obtaining cover. To reverse this perception, the industry has
February 03, 2014
FPA members urged to get involved in Ask an Expert Week
Today marks the start of Ask an Expert Week – a seven-day period when members of the public can have questions about their finances answered free of charge by members of the Financial Planning Association. The week is designed to showcase the expertise of financial planners, and to increase the number of people use the
February 02, 2014
Removal of ‘safe harbour’ improves best interests certainty: Sinodinos
The Assistant Treasurer, Senator Arthur Sinodinos, says the government has ditched the so-called “safe harbour” step in the Future of Financial Advice (FoFA) legislation because of its potential to undermine the other six steps underpinning the best interests duty and to make financial planners too risk-averse in the advice provided to clients. “The best interests
February 02, 2014
Retention key to acquisitions as Findex offers financial planners an alternative to institutions
The days of Financial Index Wealth Accountants (Findex) flying under the radar are long gone. An acquisition reportedly worth $130 million will tend to do that. Over the past 10 years, Findex has averaged four to five acquisitions a year. The Findex team has become adept at identifying potential targets, negotiating deals, integrating businesses and
January 30, 2014
An association with teeth is a step towards self-regulation
With the release of draft legislation to amend the Future of Financial Advice (FoFA) legislation – and a three-week consultation period – it seems as though the end might finally be in sight for this regulatory saga. I know, I’ve said that before. But this time it might be true. The changes seem to have taken
January 30, 2014
What the past can teach us about the current emerging turmoil
Hang around for long enough in investment markets and you’ll see it all roll around again. As Sir John Templeton pointed out, it’s never really different this time. This week’s developing world turmoil is familiar territory to anyone who showed an interest in financial markets in the 1990s. Emerging markets toppling like dominos as the
January 30, 2014
Time to reward and recognise professional behaviour
The financial advice industry must recognise and reward its best advisers running professional sustainable businesses, in order to ensure a viable profession into the future, said Suncorp Life’s Head of Dealerships, Simon Harris. Mr Harris said it was unfortunate a small share of rogue advisers had been the focus of industry attention. These advisers are
January 30, 2014
More than meets the eye in an ‘alarming’ decline in use of advice
There’s more than meets the eye in research released yesterday by Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) that finds an “alarmingly low” proportion of investors rely on a financial adviser to make investment decisions. The research found the proportion of people relying on investment advisers had declined from 17 per cent in 2012 to 10 per
January 28, 2014
Old technology holding back development says netwealth
Technology solutions based on the capability of the technology provider more than on the needs of advisers must become a thing of the past, according to an executive director of netwealth, Matt Heine, As netwealth finalises the mid-year launch of a separately-managed account (SMA) option for its investment and superannuation platform, Heine says independent organisations
January 28, 2014
