Super body supports value of advice



Pauline Vamos
The new chief executive of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, Pauline Vamos, has given a commitment to supporting the value of financial advice in the context of superannuation.
Vamos, who assumed leadership of ASFA just 10 days ago, told Money Management she believed there were misconceptions about ASFA’s position with respect to the value of advice.
“We support, and we understand and we promote the value of good quality advice in the superannuation industry,” she said.
“What is important and what we will work closely with the Financial Planning Association on is the types of advisory services, the choice of advisory services and choice of payment,” Vamos said.
The new ASFA chief executive agreed that what she was talking about was the scaling of advice to meet the needs and financial capacity of superannuation fund members.
“It’s not just about the scaling of advice but the other ancillary pieces of advice helping people understand the risk-return profile,” she said.
“We want people to understand why people are in a superannuation vehicle, where the money is and what they are paying for it,” Vamos said.
She said that to some degree the industry had failed to understand and take advantage of the relevant legislation when it came to providing some types of advice, such as the product issuer exemption under the Corporation Act, which allows issuers to talk about their products.
Recommended for you
AZ NGA has entered into a strategic partnership with national advice firm MiQ Private Wealth, as a way to provide a succession solution, as well as career development opportunities for staff.
While the advice profession struggles under growing operating costs, Adviser Ratings has found more than half of practices – some 58 per cent – that generate less than $250,000 in revenue report no profit at all.
The Federal Court has ordered the freezing of assets and the appointment of receivers to two entities linked to Australian Fiduciaries, ASIC’s latest move in an ongoing investigation into the company’s managed investment schemes.
Off the back of the August adviser exam results, the profession has seen 17 new entrants hit the Financial Adviser Register (FAR) this week, helping numbers return to positive territory.