Succession planning the weak link for planners
26 June 2007
Succession planning and spurring interest in risk-specialist careers are at the forefront of concerns for the financial planning industry, according to a specialist recruiter…
Life Insurance
Finsia members support Kaplan sale
19 June 2007
Most members of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia have endorsed the proposed sale of the financial services education business to newspaper group Kaplan for $36 million…
Waivers could protect clients: planners
19 June 2007
Protecting consumers from “mezzanine” investment products could be achieved through disclaimers accepting liability for financial planning recommendations…
FPA welcomes SOA extension
19 June 2007
The Financial Planning Association has welcomed a decision by the corporate regulator to extend the deadline for provision of a statement of advice to 30 days…
FICS upholds Westpoint complaints
13 June 2007
The Financial Industry Complaints Service panel has upheld the first claims from Westpoint investors and has ordered the property group to pay up…
FPA argues against criminal sanctions
05 June 2007
Criminal sanctions on financial planners who fail to give clients a statement of advice or financial services guide within the current timeframes are excessive, unjust and…
Finsia sale in doubt
29 May 2007
Industry practitioners are leading a backlash against the $36 million sale of the Financial Services Institute of Australia education wing, claiming the sale is premature and lacks due diligence…
IFSA still working on sales recommendation
29 May 2007
The two peak financial services bodies have welcomed the introduction of the Simpler Regulatory System Bill to Parliament, but the Investment and Financial Services Association CEO Richard Gilbert says he will continue to work with the Federal Government on areas such as the sales recommendation…
Local publisher bids for Finsia
22 May 2007
The $36 million sale of the education business of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia has taken a dramatic turn with Sydney-based Fairfax Business Media seeking…
Industry microscope on regulation
22 May 2007
The Financial Industry Council of Australia, which has the Insurance Council of Australia among its members, has called for a more consistent and clear focus…
Fund managers welcome foreign tax cut plan
15 May 2007
Labor’s plan to slash tax rates on foreign investment has been supported by the financial services industry’s funds body…
$36 million bid for Finsia
08 May 2007
The Financial Services Institute of Australasia has reached an agreement to sell its education business for $36 million…
Financial services behind tech eight-ball
08 May 2007
Australia’s financial services sector is falling behind in the technology stakes, with unanswered emails and a failure to engage customers online among the industry’s main flaws, according to a new study…
Underinsurance high in life ranks
01 May 2007
Most people in their mid-30s still have inadequate life insurance cover, despite a surge in sales and with affordability at an all-time high…
FPA brings back a reworked ‘Dazza’
01 May 2007
Despite conceding last year’s original “value of advice” campaign featuring a character named Dazza did not attract as much attention as hoped, the FPA has launched another phase…
Life premium totals rise
24 April 2007
Australian life insurance premiums for the December quarter last year stood at $9.4 billion, representing an increase of 1.3% on the prior quarter and a 2.7% increase on…
More Aussies invest in life insurance
24 April 2007
Private research has backed up the bullish official results for the life insurance market, with actuaries Plan for Life saying Australians are increasingly investing in personal insurance…
APRA appeals to go straight to court
17 April 2007
The Federal Government has decided to introduce a court-based review process for individuals disqualified by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority…
New regulatory office, and a review
17 April 2007
Just when you thought the Federal Government might be losing interest in regulating everything that moves in the financial services sector comes news that Canberra has set up…
Red tape reduction continues
17 April 2007
Federal Treasurer Peter Costello says the Government has made substantial progress over the past nine months in reducing the regulatory burden on business…