7 November 2025

Recently trending

The growing debt burden of retiring Australians Four best-ever charts for every adviser and investor LICs vs ETFs – which perform best?Preparing for aged care Our experts on Jim Chalmers' super tax backdown

Don Stammer, leading Australian economist: "Congratulations to all associated. It deserves the good following it has."

Professor Robert Deutsch: "This has got to be the best set of articles on economic and financial matters. Always something worthwhile reading in Firstlinks. Thankyou"

David Goldschmidt, Chartered Accountant: "I find this a really excellent newsletter. The best I get. Keep up the good work!"

Reader: "Keep it up - the independence is refreshing and is demonstrated by the variety of well credentialed commentators."

John Pearce, Chief Investment Officer, Unisuper: "Out of the (many many) investmentrelated emails I get, Cuffelinks is one that I always open."

Reader: "I subscribe to two newsletters. This is my first read of the week. Thank you. Excellent and please keep up the good work!"

Reader: " Finding a truly independent and interesting read has been magical for me. Please keep it up and don't change!"

Reader: "Carry on as you are - well done. The average investor/SMSF trustee needs all the help they can get."

Rob Henshaw: "When I open my computer each day it's the first link I click - a really great read."

Reader: "Best innovation I have seen whilst an investor for 25 years. The writers are brilliant. A great publication which I look forward to."

Reader: "I can quickly sort the items that I am interested in, then research them more fully. It is also a regular reminder that I need to do this."

Reader: "Love it, just keep doing what you are doing. It is the right length too, any longer and it might become a bit overwhelming."

Reader: "Great resource. Cuffelinks is STILL the one and only weekly newsletter I regularly read."

Ian Kelly, CFP, BTACS Financial Services: "Probably the best source of commentary and information I have seen over the past 20 years."

Steve: "The best that comes into our world each week. This is the only one that is never, ever canned before fully being reviewed by yours truly."

Reader: "An island of professionalism in an ocean of shallow self-interest. Well done!"

Ian Silk, CEO, AustralianSuper: "It has become part of my required reading: quality thinking, and (mercifully) to the point."

John Egan, Egan Associates: "My heartiest congratulations. Your panel of contributors is very impressive and keep your readers fully informed."

Eleanor Dartnall, AFA Adviser of the Year, 2014: "Our clients love your newsletter. Your articles are avidly read by advisers and they learn a great deal."

Jonathan Hoyle, CEO, Stanford Brown: "A fabulous publication. The only must-read weekly publication for the Australian wealth management industry."

Andrew Buchan, Partner, HLB Mann Judd: "I have told you a thousand times it's the best newsletter."

Reader: "Congratulations on a great focussed news source. Australia has a dearth of good quality unbiased financial and wealth management news."

Noel Whittaker, author and financial adviser: "A fabulous weekly newsletter that is packed full of independent financial advice."

Scott Pape, author of The Barefoot Investor: "I'm an avid reader of Cuffelinks. Thanks for the wonderful resource you have here, it really is first class."

Reader: "It's excellent so please don't pollute the content with boring mainstream financial 'waffle' and adverts for stuff we don't want!"

Reader: "Is one of very few places an investor can go and not have product rammed down their throat. Love your work!"

Reader: "The BEST in the game because of diversity and not aligned to financial products. Stands above all the noise."

Home / Conflicted Advice

Conflicted Advice

1-4 out of 4 results.

Advisers and investors in the dark on LITs and LICs

Graham Hand
18 December 2019
11

The Treasurer has announced a public consultation into whether advisers can accept selling fees on LITs and LICs to address potential conflicts and compliance with best interests duties.

Royal Commission report nails adviser conflicts of interest

Vinay Kolhatkar
22 November 2018
4

Humans “are fantastically adept at rationalising and believing what we want to believe.” The Royal Commission received fascinating research on conflicts of interest and why financial advisers compromise best interests duty.

Royal Commission 4: Perverse incentives create perverse outcomes

Vinay Kolhatkar
3 May 2018
2

Many people have changed their minds on whether the Royal Commission was a good idea. What the fact-finding reveals though is an age-old lesson in economics: outcomes gravitate toward incentives.

A tough day in the royal office for Henderson Maxwell

Tim Fuller
24 April 2018
25

The Royal Commission's attention switched from the big players to a small independent advice firm with only six staff, but it showed the potential for conflicted advice runs deep.

Firstlinks is sponsored by:

Most viewed in recent weeks

The growing debt burden of retiring Australians

More Australians are retiring with larger mortgages and less super. This paper explores how unlocking housing wealth can help ease the nation’s growing retirement cashflow crunch.

Harry Chemay
29 October 2025

Four best-ever charts for every adviser and investor

In any year since 1875, if you'd invested in the ASX, turned away and come back eight years later, your average return would be 120% with no negative periods. It's just one of the must-have stats that all investors should know.

Romano Sala Tenna
15 October 2025

LICs vs ETFs – which perform best?

With investor sentiment shifting and ETFs surging ahead, we pit Australia’s biggest LICs against their ETF rivals to see which delivers better returns over the short and long term. The results are revealing.

James Gruber
29 October 2025

Preparing for aged care

Whether for yourself or a family member, it’s never too early to start thinking about aged care. This looks at the best ways to plan ahead, as well as the changes coming to aged care from November 1 this year.

Brooke Logan
1 October 2025

Our experts on Jim Chalmers' super tax backdown

Labor has caved to pressure on key parts of the Division 296 tax, though also added some important nuances. Here are six experts’ views on the changes and what they mean for you.

James Gruber
15 October 2025

Family trusts: Are they still worth it?

Family trusts remain a core structure for wealth management, but rising ATO scrutiny and complex compliance raise questions about their ongoing value. Are the benefits still worth the administrative burden?

Peter Bardos
22 October 2025

Alliances

Site Map

About Firstlinks

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.