treasury

Policy & Regulation

Choice wants voice on RC rectification taskforce

Consumer group Choice wants the Federal Government to fund a Royal Commission rectification taskforce and, furthermore, it wants recognition as a key stakeholder in imple...

Financial planning

Financial adviser exam will cost millions

The Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority’s business plan has revealed the financial adviser exam will cost millions and be the authority’s single biggest expe...

Outsider

Nag, nag, nag but the horses have bolted

Outsider spent a reasonable portion of his working life strolling the corridors of the Federal Parliament and thus, he thinks he knows a thing or two about how the system...

Superannuation

ASFA urges Govt to expand work test exemption

ASFA is encouraging the Government to consider expanding access to the exemption from the contributions work test to individuals with a total superannuation balance under...

Financial planning

Advice carve-outs undermine RC findings, says ISA

Industry Super Australia has accused the Government of caving into the retail banks and the wealth management sector in allowing ‘carve-outs’ from the design and distribu...

Financial planning

Exclude advice from product intervention, says FPA

The Financial Planning Association (FPA) has welcomed the fact that financial advice and how it is delivered has been excluded from draft legislation handing the Australi...

Policy & Regulation

Government creates second APRA deputy chair role

In an effort to strengthen the regulator, the Turnbull Government has nominated Treasury veteran John Lonsdale to fill a newly created second deputy chair role at the Aus...

Policy & Regulation

Treasury targets foreign investors

The Turnbull Government has released draft legislation on the tax treatment of stapled structures aimed at ensuring foreign investors pay their fair share of tax....

Funds management

PFA warns that regulation could hurt retail investors

A proposal by Treasury to increase regulation for unlisted property products could lead to fewer products being available to retail investors, the Property Funds Associat...

Financial planning

Morrison tests banks with Open Banking regime

The Federal Government will further test its relationship with the major banks after initiating an Open Banking review aimed at giving consumers greater transparency and ...

Policy & Regulation

Make product manufacturers provide warranties says CFP

Financial services product manufacturers should not be allowed to weasel out of their obligations and should be made to provide warranties around their retirement income ...

Superannuation

SMSF Association urges policy certainty

SMSF Association chief executive, Andrea Slattery, has pointed to the need for super policy certainty amid the current market volatility....

Features

Laying down the law – legislation in limbo: SMSFs

Malavika Santhebennur looks at what legislative changes the SMSF sector can expect in 2016 and what remains in limbo in part two of this feature on SMSFs....

Financial planning

FPA concerns over ASIC funding model

The FPA has provided Treasury with its submission on the proposed industry funding model for ASIC. In its submission, the FPA has highlighted its concerns about the equit...

Financial planning

Existing planners in limbo over FSI response

The Government’s decision to lift minimum education standards for new planners puts 22,500 existing financial planners in limbo, DeakinPrime warned. ...