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Financial planners

This Month

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones says the bill doesn’t reflect the government’s position.

Stephen Jones is (still) out of his depth

Stephen Jones aimed for “quick wins” on his legislative agenda. Instead, the government introduced a bill accidentally banning insurance commissions.

  • Updated
  • Myriam Robin
Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones says wording in the legislation that would have turned off commissions for insurance brokers was an error.

Labor scrambles after accidentally axing insurance commissions

A wording error in financial advice reforms tabled to Parliament last week would have inadvertently banned commissions for insurance brokers.

  • Hannah Wootton and Lucy Dean

March

Torty Howard, co-CEO at Escala Partners.

Escala Partners dials up client fees after LGT Crestone snares advisers

Dragging its top revenue-writers to court didn’t work for Escala Partners. Now it is ready to pull another lever in its quest to plug talent (and revenue) leakage to rival LGT Crestone.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport

February

Kenneth Hayne’s uncomfortable gaze lingers for the financial services sector.

Confessions of a royal commission survivor

Renato Mota took on one of the biggest post-royal commission rebuilds at Insignia. He leaves after five years with questions over where advice and super are heading. 

  • James Thomson
Greg Ward, head of Macquarie’s banking and financial services division, which wants to take more market share from major lenders.

Macquarie’s war on big four escalates with business lending assault

Macquarie said it had appetite to deploy its retail banking technology into the business market to grow deposits and lending against CBA and NAB.

  • Updated
  • James Eyers
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January

Koda Capital chief executive Paul Heath said there was a place for cryptocurrencies in some portfolios but only in small proportions, just like gold.

Financial advisers likely to give bitcoin ETF a ‘wide berth’

But some say there is a place for cryptocurrencies in portfolios – although in small proportions, like gold.

  • Joanna Mather

December 2023

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones wants to see super funds seizing opportunities to give members more advice and guidance.

Simple financial advice requires tax reform to end complexity

A thicket of rules around retirement planning means making it easier for super funds to provide guidance will not be as transformational as some seem to think.

  • Brad Ruting and Emily Millane
Michelle Levy says financial advice will be far more accessible now Labor is enacting her recommendations for reform.

Super funds, insurers line up to get into financial advice game

Michelle Levy, whose review into financial advice led to many of the proposed new laws, said the changes would go “a long way” to making advice cheaper and more accessible.

  • Hannah Wootton
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Safer, simpler financial advice to deliver the best outcomes for all

While we have been pretty effective at protecting Australians from bad advice, we have also protected them from good advice. This is now going to change.

  • Stephen Jones
Stephen Jones is overhauling financial advice laws.

Banks, insurance, super win financial advice relief

Financial institutions will be able to give personal advice to customers at scale, with Labor announcing wind back of rules which followed Hayne royal commission.

  • Hannah Wootton

November 2023

AMP will pay more than $100 million to exiting financial advisers under a proposal to bring a long-running class action to an end.

AMP share price jumps after $100m class action settlement

Analysts previously predicted the financial services giant could be on the hook for even more than this amount over the case, which related to its controversial adviser payout policy.

  • Hannah Wootton
Complaints from retirees about the super sector are increasing, say regulators.

Super funds on spending spree to improve customer service

But there are concerns the cost of improving service could drive up fees, even as the government and regulators warn of a crackdown on poor standards across the $3.5 trillion sector.

  • Hannah Wootton
Pinnacle-backed wealth administration platform OpenInvest was founded by Andrew Varlamos in 2017.

Pinnacle-backed wealth platform OpenInvest seeks buyer pre-Xmas

Sources say the platform is in ongoing discussions with a handful of interested parties.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport

October 2023

Private wealth sits within Macquarie’s banking and financial services.

Macquarie advisers out the door, Crawford cites ‘cost management’

Sources said the private bank’s division head cited cost management and poor performance in other areas of the business.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
88 Phillip Street in Sydney, known as Aurora Place, is regarded as  home to the mid-tier broking set.

Get back to the office, Bell Potter tells staff

Street Talk understands staff at the full-service stockbroker have been told they can only work remotely 10 days per year.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
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September 2023

AFR

AI can be the solution to retirement financial illiteracy

Technology is likely to play a critical role in unlocking digital solutions for providing retirees with simple, affordable advice.

  • Alexis George
AZ NGA was founded by Paul Barrett, who is now the company’s chief executive.

TA Associates closes in on financial planner roll-up AZ NGA

It looks like AZ NGA has done some soul-searching since then, and is ready to meet TA Associates at a mutually agreeable price.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport

August 2023

The United Capital acquisition was part of chief executive officer David Solomon’s plan to broaden Goldman’s reach beyond a traditional focus on ultra-wealthy individuals.

Goldman is selling a wealth-advisory unit to Creative Planning

The decision to sell signals the Wall Street firm’s intention to refocus its attention on the ultra-rich segment where it has a dominant presence.

  • Sridhar Natarajan
Superannuation funds want Financial services minister Stephen Jones to advice on the end game for advice reforms before they commit to filling the gap for affordable advice to members.

Federal public servants pleading for advice on $63b in super

The federal public sector superannuation agency is being flooded with calls from a wave of retirees, but with only handful of advisers to manage the tsunami of members needing advice

  • Tom Burton
Morgan Stanley’s Nathan Lim.

Lonsec names Ex-Morgan Stanley operative as chief investment officer

Nathan Lim will oversee the research houses $9 billion in funds under management.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport