Govt releases draft legislation for adviser exam changes
The government has introduced draft legislation to modify the financial adviser exam by adding more multiple choice questions and opening up who can sit the exam.
ART taps Mercer executive to succeed Reilly as CEO
Australian Retirement Trust has appointed Mercer executive David Anderson as chief executive, replacing Bernard Reilly who resigned earlier this year.
Insignia’s investment solution Expand Essential launches updates
Insignia Financial’s super, pension and investments wrap platform Expand Essential has announced a slew of new menu functions to help advisers better serve their clients.
COP28: Green steel, hydrogen and the role for super funds
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks with Conexus Financial editor-in-chief Aleks Vickovich.
Poor valuation practices threaten super sector’s reputation
Asset consultant Frontier Advisors, alongside AustralianSuper and Cbus, have called on the broader superannuation industry to treat the development of a well-governed valuation process as a top priority, suggesting that bad practices are not doing anyone a favour and send a wrong message from the sector.
Trustees will need to upskill as super funds become the new finance titans
As superannuation funds increase in size and complexity, chairs and trustee directors need to be across a wide range of specialisations from retirement strategies and advice, to M&A and dealmaking, data, marketing, digital and IT. These myriad skills will come in handy as they face the politics that inevitably comes with a system that faces constant criticism and scrutiny.
FAAA welcomes revised ATO guidance on advice fee tax deductibility
The Financial Advice Association has welcomed the Australian Taxation Office’s revised guidance on tax deductibility of financial advice fees, suggesting that it’s a positive development in clarifying relevant rules.
Sequoia acquires its legal service provider
Sequoia Financial Group has acquired its legal service provider Australian Business Structures (ABS) for a cash consideration of $2 million.
AusSuper expands Churchill Asset Management partnership to US$1.5b
AustralianSuper has upped its partnership with Nuveen affiliate Churchill Asset Management to US$1.5 billion ($2.3 billion).
Retirement planning must evolve and embrace non-financial factors
Society has changed dramatically since German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck first forced 70-year-olds into retirement in the 1880s. Advancements in education, culture and life span mean many now view “life after full-time work” as a productive period, with specific health and lifestyle goals.
Retirement advice a key differentiator for super funds
Australia’s biggest super funds are quietly plotting their path into playing a bigger role in financial advice, committing to more personalisation and better education to help build retirement confidence among members alongside advisers.
The forces putting retirement high on the national agenda
With regulations and economic headwinds pushing retirement income solutions to the top of national priorities, the financial service players who embrace the right technology and better product flexibility for retirees will emerge as winners.
