Editorial

FOFA reforms raise more questions than answers

The Federal Government may have handed down its Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) proposals but that has not served to end uncertainty in the financial services industry....

Editorial

Independents’ critical FOFA roles underscored

The Opposition spokesman on Financial Services, Senator Mathias Cormann, unquestionably hit a strong note with financial planners when he late last month told an Associat...

Editorial

FOFA needs a balanced approach

The Government needs to consider all sides of the debate as it prepares to release the Future of Financial Advice draft legislation, writes Mike Taylor....

Editorial

Narrow focus limits broader FOFA vision

A strong line of argument is being pursued by sections of the financial planning industry that the Government has been focusing its Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) chan...

Editorial

Sectional groups signpost FOFA changes

Recent reports suggesting that a group made up of industry funds, consumer groups and trade unions was ready to drop support for ‘opt-in’ if planners agreed to no longer ...

Editorial

FOFA's air of inevitability

Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Bill Shorten, stirred up a great deal of anger and resentment recently by saying that he did not believe the key ...

Editorial

FOFA squeezing smaller players out

It is now becoming increasingly clear that one of the major consequences of the Government’s Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) changes will be further industry consolidat...

Editorial

ISN's FOFA politicking finally attracts FPA criticism

The Financial Planning Association (FPA) has finally called a spade a spade. It has accused the Industry Super Network (ISN) of using its political influence and the Futu...

Editorial

Intra-fund advice class order removal a relief

ASIC's guidance document on scalable advice should be welcomed for one thing, the manner in which it proposes to remove the class relief granted to superannuation fund tr...

Editorial

Government's weak hand forces a FOFA bluff

Financial planners have finally been given the details of the Government's FOFA reforms. In an editorial written prior to the release of the reform package Mike Taylor wa...

Editorial

MySuper the lowest common denominator

Amid all the discussion around the recent release of the Government’s Stonger Super package, there existed the strong assumption that low-cost, low-fee MySuper products w...

Editorial

Superannuation bungle reveals Gillard’s hand

Prime Minister Julia Gillard recently revealed the degree to which the Government viewed the Industry Super Network as not only a close political ally but also a key sour...