Royal Commission

Financial planning

Are advisers being asked to ‘dob’ each other?

Proposed new legislation would have the effect of compelling advisers or licensees to breach report competitors if they believed something adverse was happening....

Policy & Regulation

Legislation passes to impose mortgage broker best interest duty

Mortgage brokers will find themselves dealing with a similar environment to financial advisers under new legislation passed by the Parliament stemming from the Royal Comm...

Editorial

Objectively, Hayne barely earned a pass mark

Much of the commentary attaching to the first anniversary of the Hayne Royal Commission recommendations has tended to flatter what was, objectively, a flawed outcome thor...

People & Products

Lifespan launch new service for self-licensees

Lifespan Partnership will offer support for self-licensees and advice businesses wanting to transition to their own individual Australian financial services licence....

Features

In times of drought

Jassmyn Goh speaks to rural advisers to find out how the years long drought has affected their clients and what other hidden challenges they face in these trying times....

Financial planning

Frydenberg continues his tick and flick approach to RC

The Government’s latest exposure draft legislation around the recommendations of the Hayne Royal Commission suggest little has been paid to the lobbying of the major fina...

Financial planning

AMP urged to commit to mediation with planners

As AMP moves to exit up to 250 financial planning business over 80 planners say they will face financial ruin as a result....

Financial planning

Advice bodies brace for opt-in outline

How the Government proposes to approach yearly opt-in and fee arrangements is expected to be made clearer in the next week or so and financial adviser groups are bracing ...

Financial planning

Advice in a ‘state of flux’

The exits of the banks and the exodus of financial advisers has left the industry in a state of flux, according to HLB Mann Judd head of wealth, Michael Hutton....

Superannuation

Call to place employers under legal obligation on default super

A leading plaintiff law firm has called for employers to be placed under a legal obligation to select the right default superannuation fund for their employees at the sam...

Policy & Regulation

Govt accused of reneging on RC over default super

The Federal Government has been accused of pandering to the big banks and reneging on the recommendations of the Royal Commission by pursuing new legislation to alter def...

Policy & Regulation

Make annual opt-in flexible, workable says AFA

Advisers and their clients should retain control of opt-in arrangements and there should be flexibility for low fee-paying clients with less frequent interactions, accord...

Life/Risk

Insurers and claim-related parties may look to merge under one AFSL

Legislation surrounding the regulation of claims handling may have insurers and related parties look to fall under a single Australian Financial Services License to ease ...

Life/Risk

ASIC’s TAL case will test insurers’ rights

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s Federal Court case against major insurer, TAL, will test the circumstances and extent to which life insurers can ga...