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.
SMSF Association appoints board member
SMSF Association has appointed Christine Franks to the board as its governance expert, effective 1 January 2024.
Aware Super’s London launch sparks debate over Australian-style super
The much-publicised launch of a UK office for Aware Super’s international business has helped start a conversation in British political circles about a compulsory defined contributions system. The now London-based deputy CIO, Damien Webb says the fund will invest $10 billion in British property, infrastructure and private equity as the country’s authorities roll out the red carpet.
Australians expect to retire with higher debt: AMP
Almost 90 per cent of Australians aged 50 and over believe they will still be paying off a mortgage when they retire, as AMP research finds that older Australians are preparing to head into retirement with higher debt.
How to handle a ‘misshapen’ yield curve
The Fiduciary Investors Symposium heard from leading fixed income investors that the unusual behaviour of the yield curve is both a challenge, but also an opportunity to benefit from smart positioning.
Super funds’ sustainable aviation fuel foray won’t be plane sailing
AustralianSuper, ART, CareSuper, Cbus, HESTA, Hostplus, Rest Super, UniSuper and IFM Investors are backing the development of a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia. But given a number of serious headwinds, they may experience a turbulent glidepath.
Growth drives funds to private markets, but caution urged
Super funds are big fish in Australia’s relatively small public markets. As they grow even bigger, they’re increasingly looking overseas and to private assets, but taking a cautious approach to what they invest in, often driven by the fundamental characteristics of their membership.
TAL launches SpotChecker program for the eighth consecutive year
Life insurer TAL has launched its SpotChecker program for the eighth consecutive year in 2023, encouraging more Australians to embrace skin safety.
