financial advisers

Financial planning

2012 financial planning tax checklist

Although clients’ tax issues are the main focus for financial advisers at this time of year, as business owners and employers they also need to ensure enough time is set ...

Policy & Regulation

Strong response to AFA/FSC FOFA forum

A surprisingly large response to a combined Association of Financial Advisers and Financial Services Council forum on the Future of Financial Advice changes indicates fin...

Financial planning

Life insurance and annuities embedded in financial planner revenue

Life insurance and annuities have become far bigger parts of the revenue model for financial planners, according to the latest data compiled by Wealth Insights....

Financial planning

Financial advisers in dark on advice provision cost

As the industry moves towards a fee-for-service model, financial advisers need to better understand their service costs per client and adopt scaled advice solutions to se...

Financial planning

Colonial First State's FirstChoice reaches $50 billion

Colonial First State's FirstChoice platform has reached a milestone, achieving $50 billion in funds under administration....

Policy & Regulation

Financial planners move on from FOFA 'wedge'

The Association of Financial Advisers tells its members it is time to move on with the new post-FOFA environment despite being wedged by the Govt and Industry Super Netwo...

Editorial

Why bother with fixed interest?

With term deposit rates still on a relative high and the annuities which help fund investors’ years in retirement, why should one bother with fixed interest? Tim Wong ans...

Financial planning

No clear line between holistic and scaled advice: ASIC

All financial advice is scaled to some extent, and 'there isn't some form of separation between holistic and scaled', according to ASIC senior executive leader Ged Fitzpa...

Financial planning

Financial adviser sentiment lifts in Asia/Pacific

A new survey has revealed Asia/Pacific wealth managers are more optimistic about the outlook for 2012 and a soft landing in China....

Financial planning

Financial planning industry still highly competitive

Despite the largest institutions holding almost half the market share, the financial planning industry remains highly competitive, according to a report published by IBIS...

Life/Risk

Avoiding excess baggage when making life insurance claims

With life insurance being placed in the ‘too-hard’ basket for many Australians, the industry has developed simple and convenient methods to take out cover. However, as Ti...

Policy & Regulation

FOFA unknowns still a concern

The Future of Financial Advice reforms may have passed through the House of Representatives but there is plenty of unknown detail causing concern to the major association...

Financial planning

Financial advisers need to be realistic when seeking an independent licensee

Financial advisers seeking more independence in providing a broader range of products and services need to take a pragmatic approach when making the decision to switch li...

Editorial

Will Bill Shorten deliver on his FOFA promise?

In the lead up to the Federal Budget it remains to be seen whether the Minister for Financial Services, Bill Shorten, will deliver on legislating the restricted use of th...