FOFA

Financial planning

The retail funds management space in Australia is highly intermediated, resulting in high costs to the end investor - something that fee-for-service advice could help red...

Financial planning

The global economy - lessons learned

In mid June, eight members of the PortfolioConstruction Forum Academy travelled to Boston, to undertake a four-day Harvard Business School short course on the global econ...

Editorial

The global economy - lessons learned

In mid June, eight members of the PortfolioConstruction Forum Academy travelled to Boston, to undertake a four-day Harvard Business School short course on the global econ...

Financial planning

Reforms to boost indexing appeal

Financial planners have already started to focus on costs as a result of the proposed Future of Financial Advice reforms package, which could significantly boost the appe...

Superannuation

The business of preparing for retirement

It is critical for the financial services industry to work with business owners to help them prepare for comfortable retirement. Sam Rubin examines different strategies p...

Policy & Regulation

Confidence waning as FOFA looms

The Government's Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) proposals combined with the long delays in delivering the actual legislation have served to drive down confidence among...

Financial planning

Insto demand elevating practice values

Institutions desperate to meet profit expectations in the face of lost legacy business are desperate to snap up increased distribution, artificially elevating financial p...

Financial planning

Valuations moving from revenue to earnings basis

The industry is clearly moving away from valuing financial planning practices based on multiples of revenue towards valuing on an earnings basis, according to Hunts' Grou...

Editorial

Who dares wins in FOFA lobbying games

Assistant Treasurer, Bill Shorten, has pointedly excluded the Association of Financial Advisers from those who convinced the Government to concede ground on risk commissi...

Editorial

Why financial planners must reassure their clients in hard times

If Australian financial planner sentiment is to follow the patterns of the past decade, the global markets meltdown experienced in the opening days of August is likely to...

Financial planning

Financial planning business loan approvals tighten

Financial planning practices looking to expand are finding it increasingly difficult to source funding, as banks tighten their lending criteria amid economic and regulato...

Superannuation

Corporate superannuation fund members could lose advice <br /> under opt-in

Opt-in could result in corporate super fund members having to individually opt in to advice fees every two years, reducing their access to advice, corporate super represe...

Policy & Regulation

FOFA doubts and criticisms continue to mount

The admission by Federal Treasury that no international comparison modelling has been done on the Government's proposed FOFA reforms has added to concerns surrounding the...

Policy & Regulation

Asteron announces pre-FOFA upgrades

Asteron has announced a range of product enhancements as part of a stated plan to help its advisers navigate through upcoming Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) reforms. ...

Editorial

Intra-fund advice class order removal a relief

ASIC's guidance document on scalable advice should be welcomed for one thing, the manner in which it proposes to remove the class relief granted to superannuation fund tr...