AFA

Financial planning

The reality of advisers discarding C-grade clients

Grandfathered arrangements may have ended on 31 December, last year, but many clients and potential clients are only now getting some hard news from advisers about what a...

People & Products

AFA adds to leadership team

Cameron Burne has been appointed general manager – partnerships for the Association of Financial Advisers....

Financial planning

Treasury, not ASIC will ultimately determine 'general advice' outcome

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission was never really empowered to seriously change the status of ‘general advice’ when Government reviews were on foot....

Financial planning

AFCA panel's $30,000 lookback fee

An Australian Financial Complaints Authority review of a lookback complaint resulted in a fee of nearly $30,000....

Financial planning

Major planning groups in policy discussions

The major financial planning representative groups have met informally to discuss the direction of policy amid the Australia Securities and Investments Commission’s conti...

Financial planning

AFA declares win for advisers on claims handling

Financial advisers can comfortably continue to provide clients with assistance around life insurance claims handling thanks to greater regulatory clarity provided by the ...

Financial planning

Give clients choice between commissions and upfront fees

According to the Association of Financial Advisers, this will help make advice accessible for lower income clients....

Financial planning

Advisers worried about the cost of the single disciplinary body

The Federal Government faces strong lobbying from financial planning organisations to ensure that the new single disciplinary body does not become yet another impost on a...

Financial planning

Salaried advisers and the lack of client ownership

Salaried advisers may have fewer administrative headaches when compared to their self-employed counterparts but, ultimately, they do not legally own their clients. ...

Financial planning

Eagle or vulture? ASIC levy invoices are landing on advisers

Financial advisers may be unhappy with the increased Australian Securities and Investments Commission levy but their invoices are arriving nonetheless. ...

Policy & Regulation

Want the ASIC levy decreased? Lobby Josh Frydenberg

The Association of Financial Advisers has urged members to directly lobby the Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg if they want ASIC’s proposed levy increase reduced....

Financial planning

Will ASIC's adviser breach regime overwhelm its own resources?

The increased volume of reports generated from upcoming changes to the Australian Securities and Investments Commissions new breach reporting regime runs the risk of over...

Financial planning

Will reference-checking be the big cost in adviser recruitment?

As the major licensees compete to attract advice businesses and individual advisers, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s new approach to reference-chec...

Features

Where do we go from here?

There was support for increased standards in the financial advice industry, Chris Dastoor writes, but any goodwill was destroyed by FASEA in just a few years. Where did i...

Financial planning

No one yet prosecuted for calling themselves 'financial adviser'

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has prosecuted many people for operating without an Australian Financial Services License but it appears no one has b...