government

Financial planning

Administration service and efficiency is the number one thing that advisers would like their platform provider to improve, while cost and remuneration models came in at s...

Financial planning

Opposition under pressure on policy

Both the Government and elements of the industry are demanding the Government produce a comprehensive policy on superannuation....

Superannuation

Hockey dodges super policy but slams MySuper

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey has yet to commit to the Opposition's stance on an increase in the superannuation guarantee from 9 to 12 per cent, and has also taken aim at J...

Editorial

How technologies can help financial planners cut costs

New technologies and, in particular, software will help financial advisers compete in a hyper-competitive, post-commission environment....

Financial planning

Cooper Review ignores investor education

The Cooper Review is focused almost exclusively on fee reductions through the introduction of the “paternalistic” MySuper, while ignoring the importance of fi...

Financial planning

Ripoll scotches tax deductibility of planning advice

According to the chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services, Bernie Ripoll, it is unlikely the Government will move to make financi...

Financial planning

Planners being unjustly targeted

There is an unfair bias in the reform agenda against advisers, and more attention should be paid to researchers and product providers, according to the Financial Planning...

Policy & Regulation

FOFA reforms outweigh need for MySuper

Financial Services Council chief executive John Brogden has argued that the Cooper Review’s MySuper proposals will be unnecessary if the FOFA changes are implemente...

Financial planning

Bowen points to policy differences

Stark differences exist between the financial services policies of the Government and the Coalition, according to the Minister for Financial Services, Chris Bowen....

Financial planning

Equity release regulations may be unnecessary: SEQUAL

In response to the Government’s election promise of greater consumer protection measures for reverse mortgages, the Senior Australians Equity Release Association (S...

Financial planning

Is the retirement products sector prepared for an ageing population?

As Australia's population continues to age, Virginia Harrison looks at the recent developments in the retirement products sector, and asks: is enough being done to addres...

Financial planning

Takeovers Panel gets new president

The Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation, Chris Bowen, has announced the appointment of Kathleen Farrell as president of the Takeovers Panel from 1 Septembe...

Financial planning

Fee-for-service doesn’t alter fundamentals

The transition to fee-for-service has not changed the fundamentals and has not had a dramatic effect on the cost of advice either, according to long-time AMP financial pl...

Financial planning

Time for adviser action on financial literacy

Australians need to be educated at an early age about financial matters, and it’s up to advisers to take that step, according to Novus Capital’s Sara Harman....

Financial planning

FSU calls on parties to battle off-shoring

After last week's comments on off-shoring made by Coalition leader Tony Abbott, the Finance Sector Union has again called for all political parties to voice concerns and ...