Industry

Managing the ultimate conflict of interest

Inside every business, the interests of three key stakeholders are continuously at odds. This natural, unavoidable tension is intensified during M&A discussions, Paul Barrett explains.

Paul BarrettSeptember 25, 2020

PI insurance market tipped to turn mid-to-late 2021

Specialists say it’s the hardest professional indemnity insurance market for advice in 20 years, with annual premiums starting at $10,000. But a stabilised economy and improved compliance levels could see insurers come back into the fold and premiums soften in 2021.

Tahn SharpeSeptember 23, 2020

Industry

Regulatory reform, but not as you know it

The ALRC’s financial regulation review won’t follow the normal template, lawyers say, as the focus will be more on structure than policy. This may mean a swing back towards more prescriptive regulation for advisers, but don’t hold your breath for a quick result.

Tahn SharpeSeptember 22, 2020

Industry

ASIC tells fundies to be ‘true to label’

ASIC has cracked the whip on misleading fund managers after surveying 37 funds with a total of $21 billion under management. Being true-to-label is a "must have", not a "nice to have", said deputy chair Karen Chester.

Tahn SharpeSeptember 22, 2020

Licensees

‘Vanilla’ AFSL prices surge as advisers disperse

Empty AFSL’s with no client books have gone from having virtually no value to being sold for an average of $70,000, with ex-institutional advisers clamouring for an independent ticket yet reluctant to wait on ASIC to approve a new license.

Tahn SharpeSeptember 21, 2020

Licensees

Institutions absent in Licensee of the Year award

GPS Wealth and Affinia were the big winners at this years' awards, while no award was given for the Institutionally Branded Licensee of the Year due to "an insufficient number of qualifying licensees".

Tahn SharpeSeptember 18, 2020

Industry

Advice demand doubles in 5 years

Latest studies reveal that the need for advice has surged in the last few years, while existing clients are clamouring for engagement from their financial advisers.

Tahn SharpeSeptember 17, 2020

Industry

Clitheroe flags advice gap

Consumer finance expert Paul Clitheroe, FPA chair Marisa Broome and CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland highlighted the importance of financial planning and lamented cost burdens that kept ordinary Australians out of the advice system.

Tahn SharpeSeptember 16, 2020

<1of241>