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3 September 2025
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If you thought fund managers were banned from paying commissions to financial advisers and brokers to prevent conflicts of interest, you have not kept up with the move to classify clients as wholesale investors.
We expect portfolio managers to invest in their own funds and executives to own shares in their companies so they have 'skin in the game'. Should government leaders have more investing and business experience?
The overhaul of financial advice practices affects not only advisers but also their clients. Legislative changes are coming by mid next year and too few people are considering them.
Thanks to the Royal Commission, everybody is aware of the problems with vertical integration and in-house conflicts for financial advisers. What should advisers and their clients look for?
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.
The Royal Commission heard how the sale of OnePath by ANZ to IOOF is at risk of being stranded in a minefield of internal and external conflicts, and commissions to financial advisers were again in the spotlight.
Following the Ripoll Inquiry in November 2009, the Labor Government formulated the Future of Financial Advice proposals. A lot has happened since, and the Royal Commission is dealing with the consequences.
ICAC has opened an important public debate on funding political parties and accepting gifts. As long as the compliance regime and corporate culture are strong, there’s not much scope for abuse in a good policy.
There’s only one way we can go with this divisive debate, as super is too important to be punted around. We need a completely independent and bipartisan group to provide guidance, opinion and direction.
Each generation believes its economic challenges were uniquely tough - but what does the data say? A closer look reveals a more nuanced, complex story behind the generational hardship debate.
Australia could unlock smarter investment and greater equity by reforming housing tax concessions. Rethinking exemptions on the family home could benefit most Australians, especially renters and owners of modest homes.
The Labor government is talking up tax reform to lift Australia’s ailing economic growth. Before any changes are made, it’s important to know who pays tax, who owns assets, and how much people have in their super for retirement.
This goes through the different options including shares, property and business ownership and declares a winner, as well as outlining the mindset needed to earn enough to never have to work again.
Everyone has a theory as to why housing in Australia is so expensive. There are a lot of different factors at play, from skewed migration patterns to banking trends and housing's status as a national obsession.
China's steel production, equivalent to building one Sydney Harbour Bridge every 10 minutes, has driven Australia's economic growth. With China's slowdown, what does this mean for Australia's economy and investments?