Retail life insurance set to dominate risk market landscape
Retail market participants in Australia’s $12.4 billion risk insurance sector are increasing their grip on future growth potential, spearheaded by new, low cost personal superannuation products. This is a key insight with the release today of Rice Warner’s latest Risk Insurance Market Projections Report. The report reveals a dynamic market with growth of 5.1% per
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
Bennelong Long Short Equity Management launches Alpha 200 Fund
Bennelong Long Short Equity Management (BLSEM) has launched a new Australian equities strategy, the Bennelong Alpha 200 Fund (the Fund). The Fund is a long/short market neutral strategy with the objective of generating consistent returns regardless of market conditions. The investment team applies fundamental research to identify pairs of securities, seeking to capture alpha whilst
January 28, 2014
Most IPOs over-promising, under-delivering: Skaffold
Stock research application house, Skaffold, has warned investors to remain cautious and stay focused on value, when considering IPOs. According to Skaffold, Investors who believed the 2013 resurgence of IPOs would deliver them above-average returns for their portfolios have received a rude awakening. CEO of Skaffold, Chris Batchelor, said Skaffold had run the ruler over
January 28, 2014
E-commerce a key theme at 2014 SPAA conference
Delegates at the SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) national conference will gain a better understanding of the significant e-commerce challenges of new contribution arrangements that come into effect on July 1. SPAA’s director of technical and professional standards, Graeme Colley, says a key underlying message from the event will be “the impact of e-commerce
January 28, 2014
Want to target SMSFs? Forget FUM
Financial planners who want to most effectively service the burgeoning self-managed super fund market need to abandon a traditional reliance on funds under management to generate revenue and concentrate instead on charging a fee for providing professional services, a leading industry consultant says. Tony McDonald, the former managing director of the ASX-listed Snowball Financial Group
January 23, 2014
SPAA backs review of SMSF borrowing, advice
The SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) has thrown its support behind reviewing limited-recourse borrowing arrangements (LBRA) and a proposal that anyone providing advice on any aspect of a self-managed super fund’s investments should be licensed. SPAA’s director of technical and professional standards, Graeme Colley, says the Cooper review of the superannuation system recommended such
January 23, 2014
TAL and UniSuper preview the future of tech in the insurance sector
It is fair to say life insurers have not been at the vanguard of technology; but consumer and customer needs are driving the transformation of systems, processes and a service culture in an industry that historically has changed little over a long period. But within this industry, TAL has been at the forefront of technological advances in the domestic life sector. This
January 23, 2014
Macquarie Specialist Investments launches three new Significant Investor Visa funds
Macquarie Specialist Investments (MSI) has broadened its current Significant Investor Visa (SIV) offering with the launch of three new funds. The new funds – Conservative, Balanced and Growth – offer investors access to a diverse range of Australian-based asset classes including cash, fixed interest, listed property and equities. They complement two cash-only funds launched by
January 22, 2014
John de Zwart on a mission to “bring back the fun”
John de Zwart is on a mission – a mission to improve the professionalism and profitability of financial planning, and to restore to the business much of the satisfaction and fun that it used to provide to practitioners. Since mid-April 2013, de Zwart has been redefining the strategy for Professional Investment Services (PIS) and Associated
January 21, 2014
A true independent is born as Smythe strikes out on his own
The number of financial planning businesses that meet the Corporations Act definition of “independent” is tiny, but that number has now grown by one, after Heffron director Ben Smythe established his own firm in the Sydney suburb of Brookvale. Smythe Financial Management was established in October 2013 after a year of planning, operating with its
January 21, 2014
