FPA backs removal of stamping fees
Fees for financial planning services should be paid by clients, not by product providers and stamping fees do not promote clients understanding and comparing the fees they are paying, according to the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
In a submission to Treasury, the FPA said it supported the removal of the exemption that allows stamping fees on listed investments and, in doing so, drew parallels with the removal of commission arrangements for financial planners.
“All commissions on investment products have been trending down for FPA members for many years and now account for an average of just 7% of members’ remuneration. This figure will reduce to close to zero with the phasing out of grandfathered commissions by the end of 2020,” it said.
“Stamping fees on listed investment entities make up a tiny proportion of commission revenue for financial planners overall. Removing the exemption for stamping fees would not have major consequences for the vast majority of financial planners,” the submission said.
It said that, as with all changes to allowable revenue, any decision to remove the exemption on stamping fees should be accompanied with appropriate transition timeframes.
Recommended for you
Sharing his reasoning in joining the FSC board, WT Financial chief executive, Keith Cullen, believes “product and advice cannot be separated” from each other in the current environment.
The Emerge Foundation, a charity run by financial advisers and fund managers, has announced a scholarship program to help veterans transition into tertiary education.
In an open letter, Sequoia chief executive Garry Crole has hit out against shareholders “with a personal axe to grind” as he fights for his job ahead of an EGM.
The JAWG has announced it is in talks with Treasury around five “core principles” to strengthen the education standards for new entrants to the financial advice space.