The multi-million dollar reasons Westpac exited wealth

australian-securities-exchange/ASX/westpac/BT-Panorama/protecting-your-super/

5 November 2019
| By Mike |
image
image
expand image

The reasons for Westpac exiting its wealth management business were laid bare on the company’s balance sheet when it released its full-year results to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on Monday.

The company’s detailed analysis of its operations painted a gloomy picture, even with respect to those elements of the wealth business Westpac retained – the insurance and platforms business.

The analysis showed that net wealth management and insurance income decreased by $994 million or 49% compared to 2018, impacted by additional provisions for notable items mostly related to financial planning of $531 million.

However, it said that excluding notable items, net wealth management and insurance income was down $463 million or 23% mainly due to:

  • No contribution from Hastings, following exit of the business in full year 2018 (down $203 million);
  • Insurance income decreased $116 million (general insurance down $69 million, life insurance down $39 million);
  • Lower platforms and superannuation income (down $98 million) primarily driven by margin compression from full year impact of platform repricing, implementation of regulatory reforms (Protecting Your Super), product mix changes and outflows in legacy platforms; and
  • Cessation of grandfathered commission payments (down $42 million).

The banking group said the lower platforms and superannuation income had been partly offset by an 89% increase in BT Panorama funds to $23 billion due to inflows and higher asset markets.

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest news and developments in wealth management industry

MARKET INSIGHTS

So we are now underwriting criminal scams?...

2 months ago

Glad to see the back of you Steve. You made financial more expensive, not more affordable as you claim, and presided ...

2 months ago

Completely agree Peter. The definition of 'significant change is circumstances relevant to the scope of the advice' is s...

4 months ago

Entireti has unveiled the new name for the AMP financial advice businesses that it acquired last year....

4 weeks 1 day ago

A Sydney financial adviser has been permanently banned from providing any financial services, with the regulator deriding his “lack of integrity, trustworthiness and prof...

2 weeks 6 days ago

Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones, has provided further information about the second tranche of the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes (DBFO) reforms....

1 week 5 days ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS