BDMs and lawyers pose risk to simple advice
|
|
Superannuation funds must ensure that impediments such as overly competitive business development managers and excessively conservative lawyers do not get in the way of simple advice.
That was the warning of the former chief executive of Westpac, David Morgan, to the opening plenary of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia conference in Melbourne.
Morgan said there was a need to provide simple and easy advice, and that he had been told the necessary regulatory environment was now in place.
“But the industry needs to ensure that the picture is not complicated by BDMs looking to cross sell or lawyers who are too conservative,” he said.
Morgan also pointed to the manner in which consolidation in the banking industry had lowered costs, and said super funds should consider the benefits of similar consolidation.
“Industry consolidation dramatically lowered costs in banking to some of the lowest in the world,” he said. “Super may well benefit from similar consolidation.”
Recommended for you
While M&A has ramped up nationwide, three advice heads have explored Western Australia’s emergence as a region of interest among medium-sized firms vying for growth opportunities in an increasingly competitive market.
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has reported an 18 per cent increase in investment and advice complaints received in the financial year 2025, rebounding from the previous year’s 26 per cent dip.
EY has broken down which uses of artificial intelligence are presenting the most benefits for wealth managers as well as whether it will impact employee headcounts.
Advice licensee Sequoia Financial Group has promoted Sophie Chen as an executive director, following her work on the firm’s Asia Pacific strategy.

