Are DIY SMSF clients ready for power tools?
Self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees often believe they have good reason to mistrust professional financial advice but perhaps some pointers on dealing with these sorts of clients can be gleaned from reality television. SMSFs are often referred to as do-it-yourself super funds and while this may be a clever catch phrase for a nation addicted
June 06, 2013
AMP: raise quality of advisers
Financial advisers have little hope of becoming fully fledged professionals while rogue advisers are allowed to jump between dealer groups with impunity. AMP Financial Planning managing director Michael Guggenheimer believes the problem is ongoing and that it is time for dealer group heads to take action. “I would welcome a conversation among licensee heads… about
June 03, 2013
In Focus: Getting a bigger bang for your buck
The boutique fund manager NovaPort Capital declared at the end of March that a third of all Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed small-capitalisation companies will increase their net earnings by at least 10 per cent a year over the next three years. NovaPort, a specialist small-cap fund manager, said that almost two-thirds of the small-cap sector
June 01, 2013
Enshrinement bill passes but policy questioned
The financial advice industry has welcomed enshrinement of the terms “financial planner” and “financial adviser” after the Corporations Amendment (Simple Corporate Bonds and Other Measures) Bill 2013 passed through the House of Representatives last night. The bill must still be approved by the Senate but this now seems inevitable given the coalition’s decision not to oppose
May 29, 2013
The Asia Pacific dividend sweet spot
The search for income has grown in importance amid continued market volatility. Investing to provide a regular source of income has also increased in ageing societies with the need to support a longer retirement. A stampede into traditional safe havens, such as high quality bonds, and prevailing low interest rates globally have seen yields fall
May 28, 2013
Behavioural finance: getting into a client’s head
In any investment category there is invariably a broad spectrum of views, many of which are in outright opposition. This article by Nick Armet, an investment director at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, looks at behavioural problems and suggests some practical workarounds for investors and their advisers. Cognitive dissonance is the feeling of discomfort we have when
May 21, 2013
Budget wrap: industry welcomes continuity
Sighs of relief greeted Tuesday’s federal budget, which contained few surprises and no further changes to personal superannuation. While some in the industry had predicted changes that would reduce incentives and benefits, Treasurer Wayne Swan resisted the urge to further tinker with the superannuation system. The Financial Planning Association (FPA) said there were plenty of
May 15, 2013
In Focus: On the REIT track in Asia
A healthy economy begets a healthy property market, and there are few healthier economies around at the moment than those in Asia. The full version of this article was originally published in the May 2013 edition of Professional Planner. Economic growth in 2014 is forecast at 6 per cent year-on-year for some countries, and this is underpinning
May 14, 2013
