financial services reform

Financial planning

The proliferation of financial planning professionals puts potential clients in a quandary over how to choose an adviser. TOM COLLINS writes we may be at the point where ...

Financial planning

BT to start in-house financial planning arm

BT Funds Management will introduce an internal financial advisory business, to increase its service offering and meet demand from its existing base of direct clients. ...

Financial planning

Advisers still unaware of jail terms under FSRA

Many financial planners are still unaware they could face hefty fines or even jail terms for not providing ‘wholistic, appropriate or reasonable’ advice to their clients ...

Financial planning

Are we succeeding for ourselves or for consumers?

A Measuring success in this industry depends on your starting point. But, as TOM COLLINS writes, how often does the industry define success in terms of the benefits it ha...

Financial planning

Scale may not be the right answer

By now most of the financial services industry has heard that Westpac, in one of the industry’s lesser kept secrets, will buy Rothschild Australia Asset Management from i...

Financial planning

Are new dealer models the promised land?

Practice management has become a big topic in financial planning and the resources expended on ensuring it happens well in a planner’s business is constantly increasing....

Financial planning

Telstra Super launches financial planning business

Corporate superannuation fund Telstra Super has set up an in-house financial planning arm for its member base....

Financial planning

ASFA gives up on Govt review of super

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has given up on its call for the Government to conduct a wholesale review of superannuation and will instead c...

Financial planning

Zurich contracts investments to Deutsche

Deutsche Asset Management (DAM) has been contracted by Zurich to implement the investment mandates formerly carried out by Scudder, effectively making Zurich a client of ...

Financial planning

Before the fall comes pride

The link between advice and implementation should be broken, according to TOM COLLINS, and this means a re-examination of the thorny issues of commissions and disclosure....

Financial planning

Groups increasingly stand alone on name

There is a growing trend for dealer groups to be branded distinctively separate from their owners. FIONA MOORE reports on the benefits of the strategy and its history....

Financial planning

IntegraTec OnTrack with adviser training

IntegraTec Training launched its new adviser training service today, OnTrack, an online continuing education solution for financial planners....

Financial planning

ASIC urges planners to act now

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has called on planners to prepare and apply for the new financial services licence now instead of putting it o...

Financial planning

Departures highlight need for exit plans

THE RECENT departure of Greg Perry from Colonial highlights the critical role of key people in an organisation. Perry has stated many times in the past that he is ably su...

Financial planning

Zurich rolls out risk management tools

Zurich Financial Services Australia has rolled out a set of risk management tools designed to help financial intermediaries meet new obligations under the Financial Servi...