The $3 billion Perpetual Investments suite of multimanager funds has doubled its investment team in preparation for an expected $600 million investment in alternatives over the next two years.
AustralianSuper fends off sec lending protest
AustralianSuper has been asked by one of its small cap managers to cut back on the lending of securities in its portfolio, because the manager believed its performance was being eroded.
Contango moves to Melbourne-based custodian
Contango Asset Management has flagged geography as a reason for moving away from RBC Dexia Investor Services as provider of backoffice services to its pooled funds.
Precedent for Citistreet to be left alone: ING Australia chief
Citistreet’s “;business to business”; model is different from the ING Australia (INGA) corporate super admin approach, and may be left as a standalone entity here following its global purchase by ING, according to acting INGA chief Ross Bowden.
The 'good' MFS hires first Sydney-based analyst
Boston-based global equities manager Massachussetts Financial Services (MFS) will welcome the head of Merrill Lynch’s equity sales desk as its first Australian-based stockpicker this month.
Law and war: HostPlus director serves in Baghdad
Last year, the US military built a heavily-fortified compound in Baghdad to protect judges and to secure the trials of criminal suspects. Peter Collins, best known as a former NSW Opposition leader but also an independent director at HostPlus, volunteered to help. A reserve officer in the Australian navy and former NSW attorney-general, Collins signed … Read more
Super Safeguard – an Absolute debacle
It is one of life’s unavoidable ironies: plumbers’ homes have leaky taps, mechanics’ cars break down… and journalists who write about super all day have accounts that are in disarray. Before embarking on a successful career with Investment & Technology, Unbalanced endured a series of unsuccessful jaunts in a variety of professions. Subsequently, we now … Read more
Pretty in pink: Mothers Day Classic 2008
Last year, Mothers Day Classic walkers and runners helped the event organisers to achieve their long-standing goal of raising $3 million within a decade of bringing the annual event into being – proving that all of those early Sunday morning efforts from participants have been well worth the strain. The 2007 turnout, numbering 50,000 nationwide, … Read more
How communication can boost your insurance take-up
Funds need to engage with members and their insurance providers in order to help overcome the under insurance problem in this country. A recent roundtable held by Investment & Technology, in conjunction with MetLife Insurance, discussed the mechanisms by which funds can engage with members including better data mining and tailoring of communication to certain … Read more
New fund linked to ‘third’, non-profits sector
Investment management legend and new philanthropist, Chris Cuffe, has created a fund aiming to assist social entrepreneurs while delivering returns to investors. Meanwhile, a domestic microfinance pilot run by NAB has helped people excluded from mainstream credit establish their own businesses. SIMON MUMME writes. Chris Cuffe has combined his experience in investment management and philanthropy … Read more
NAB’s microfinance pilot fuels new small businesses
Seventy-one new small businesses have been built using microenterprise loans supplied by National Australia Bank (NAB) in a one-year pilot program launched in March 2007. The loans were provided to people with sound business plans but no access to affordable business credit from mainstream lenders, due to a lack of assets or high level of … Read more
Superannuation news not all bad
It’s both a puzzle and a source of frustration to many in the superannuation industry that the average Australian has so little interest in their superannuation. We all recognise that retirement is a long way off for most people and that many households are more concerned with paying next month’s mortgage than reading about the … Read more
