‘Get it wrong and you are in a world of hurt’: Zurich
The UBS trading scandal last September was a stark reminder that some of the basic tenets of running a large global business are timeless Corporate complexity arises from multiple sources Get it wrong though and you are in a world of hurt.
February 14, 2012
‘Best interest’ has IFAs reconsidering market risk
Equities are not top of mind for many financial advisers at the moment but the IFA of the future will need to be part fund manager, with a close eye on both risk and return. While Lucas has a vested interest in risk with his boutique fund manager currently pushing a new service, Instreet Portfolio Check-Up, he claims too few financial planners understand the nature of market, sector and company specific risk when picking stocks.
February 09, 2012
Trio investors get day in sun after collapse
Compensation payments to more than 5300 superannuation fund members with investments in the Trio Capital Limited (Trio) managed investment scheme, the Astarra Strategic Fund, began this week. According to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), Trio invested some assets of the funds into a managed investment scheme, Astarra Strategic Fund.
February 09, 2012
Planner background a path to SPAA
A former national technical manager at OnePath Australia has been appointed to the top professional standards role at the Self-Managed Super Fund Professionals' Association of Australia (SPAA). Graeme Colley will fill the new role of director of education and professional standards, which has been established to drive the development of SPAA's established professional standards and education program.
February 09, 2012
Risk advisers look on bright side of life
Financial advisers active in the Australian life risk market are "moderately positive" about the outlook for themselves and their practices despite a challenging year ahead. In constructing the index, Beaton surveyed over 300 advisers actively writing life risk insurance.
February 07, 2012
Life ban for Trio manager
ASIC has accepted an enforceable undertaking from the former operator of the ARP Growth Fund (ARP), permanently preventing him from working in the Australian financial services industry.
February 02, 2012
In Focus: Small cap funds give performance edge
Over the past 10 years, the managers of Australian small company funds have produced some startling performance figures. Data provided to Professional Planner by Morningstar suggests that the best funds have generated returns of more than 10 per cent a year, through some of the most tumultuous economic conditions in recent memory. The best funds
February 01, 2012
In Focus: The good life after FoFA
There’s a growing chorus of voices with good news for independent or non-aligned financial planning businesses: There is life after FoFA. And not only that, there’s a very good life to be had, as the Future of Financial Advice changes take effect and as the public begins to grasp just what professional financial planning is
February 01, 2012
Shock treatment: “Never waste a good crisis”
Zurich’s Matt Drennan see encouraging signs emerging in Europe but wishes the Eurozone would stop hogging the headlines and let the positive news from the US and China get some air time. Sure, the Euro zone still has a mountain to climb, but the US and China have definitely turned the corner
January 31, 2012
Are income-based strategies the ‘new black’?
Income based investment strategies have in part become the ‘new black’ because of a period of disappointment with traditional investment approaches that have high equity exposure. Many investors have found favour in income based investing
January 24, 2012
New year, new look for Professional Planner
Four-and-a-half years after the launch of Professional Planner magazine and it is time for a new look, fresh feel and a reaffirmation of exactly what the publication stands for. Highlights of the February edition of Professional Planner:
January 20, 2012
Gloom but not all doom for Aussie investors
Plunging consumer confidence is challenging financial planners with research finding that investors are now less confident about investment markets than they were during the global financial crisis (GFC).
January 19, 2012
