financial advice

Financial planning

Guardian offers financial planners free SOAs

Guardian has begun offering free risk-based statements of advice to its financial planners using an in-house paraplanning service....

People & Products

Lambert Investments joins ClearView

ClearView has added five-adviser practice Lambert Investments to its network....

Financial planning

Financial planners need protection on 'best interests'

ASFA urges better clarity on FOFA legislation to ensure planners are not exposed to vexatious litigation over scaled advice and best interests....

Policy & Regulation

FOFA unlikely to increase uptake of financial advice, says survey

While the majority of self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) professionals believe the proposed Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) changes will improve the standard of fi...

Financial planning

Patron opposes FSC's 'churn' proposals

Patron Financial Advice has opposed a Financial Services Council proposal to introduce a binding standard for insurance business, saying it would restrict consumer choice...

Editorial

Financial planning licensees defy ASIC's expectations

Despite some media reports to the contrary, Mike Taylor writes that the top 20 licensees in the financial planning industry emerged in reasonable shape from ASIC’s review...

Editorial

Time for financial planners to let go of trailing commissions

Putting aside the increasingly open question of whether the Gillard Labor Government will remain in power long enough to oversee the implementation of its Future of Finan...

Policy & Regulation

FPA concern on FOFA valuations impact

The FPA has expressed concern that lack of clarity in the FOFA legislation could undermine practice valuations....

Financial planning

ISN calls for stronger consumer protection

The Industry Super Network (ISN) has called for "watertight" consumer protection requirements to guard against future financial planning "scandals"....

Financial planning

FPA looks to online push

The FPA will leverage Google to push traffic to its consumer planning site....

Financial planning

Accountant exemption removal could lower financial advice access

The IPA says removing the accountants' exemption for financial advice on SMSFs could potentially lower access to advice rather than improve it....

Financial planning

Unclear best interest guidelines spell trouble

Treasury should fix the uncertain best interest guidelines so that advisers are clear on the extent they are protected from legal claims brought by disgruntled clients, a...

Superannuation

Removing accountant exemption good for SMSFs

If the accountant's exemption is removed when the second tranche of draft Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) legislation is released shortly, it will have positive implica...

Policy & Regulation

Delay FOFA implementation, says AFA

With the only winners from FOFA likely to be industry funds and the big end of town, the AFA has called on the Government to delay its implementation beyond 1 July, next ...