wealth insights

Editorial

Recruitment does not mean the economic crisis is over

Employers may have started hiring again, but that doesn't mean the global financial crisis is over, writes Mike Taylor....

Financial planning

Opt-in hurts planner sentiment

Nearly half of Australian financial planners expect their practices to be adversely affected by the Government’s proposed annual opt-in provisions for ongoing adviser ser...

Financial planning

Platforms in Pursuit of IOOF

IOOF's Pursuit platform has broken the dominance enjoyed by Colonial First State in the Wealth Insights Platform Service Level Survey....

Editorial

Uncertain road ahead for financial planners

In the wake of the Federal Budget, and with sovereign debt worries in Europe, the future is uncertain for financial planners....

Financial planning

Planner sentiment slips as markets slide

A levelling off in share market returns combined with the Government's pronouncements on financial planner remuneration appear to have dented confidence in the financial ...

Editorial

The fallout from the ACCC's veto of NAB's acquisition of AXA

As the dust settles on the ACCC's decision to veto NAB's acquisition of AXA Asia Pacific, Mike Taylor writes that many have noted the degree to which the regulator's view...

Financial planning

Questions raised over ACCC decision

The ACCC appears to have significantly over-estimated the impact on the Australian platforms market of NAB gaining control of AXA Asia Pacific....

Financial planning

All talk little action on remuneration

Australian financial planners might be talking the talk when it comes to how they bill their clients but that does not translate to walking the walk, according to new res...

Editorial

The future for the investment platform market

It may have taken 10 years, but predictions that the platform market would shrink to a handful of providers have finally come true. Yet Jason Spits discovers that it's no...

Financial planning

Planner sentiment on the rise

Financial planner sentiment is climbing back towards the positive levels that prevailed before the global financial crisis, according to new research released by speciali...

Editorial

The fight for AXA Asia Pacific and the implications for consolidation

Mike Taylor looks at the ACCC's report on NAB's and AMP's bids for AXA Asia Pacific, as well as industry consolidation in general....

Financial planning

ACCC to release report on AMP bid for AXA AP

The ACCC will release its findings on AMP’s now defunct bid for AXA AP today. The report is expected to give an indication of the areas of concern that may affect the NAB...

Editorial

Banks tighten grip on platforms market

While much of the debate around NAB/MLC’s acquisition of AXA Asia Pacific has focused on who controls which dealer group, Mike Taylor argues that control of the platforms...

Financial planning

Banks carve up platform market

Control of the Australian platform market has nearly halved in the past four years to be dominated by three of the nation's big four banks, a situation that would be exac...