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2 July 2022
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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.
Popular belief is that all index funds are the same, but it pays to follow this framework, which shows there is more to consider than the cheapest management cost. Replicating an index is not easy.
Treasury has finally banned commissions paid to brokers and advisers on LICs and LITs but the exemption from FoFA rules remains for other listed products in the 'real' economy, whatever that is.
The arguments on whether advisers can accept selling fees on LICs and LITs is heating up as lobbyists work both sides of the fence. Your input to our survey will give Treasury some useful data.
The LIC/LIT stamping fee issue is hotting up, as the Federal Treasurer sets up a snap 'public consultation' to help him. Take our survey and we will present the conclusions to Josh Frydenberg.
Advisers accepting selling fees to push LICs and LITs (and hybrids) has become an industry flashpoint. The heated debate is overlooking crucial points which must be addressed in any final resolution.
Investors overlook that they are charged more as the market rises. Far more financial services should cost a flat fee, with portfolios dominated by index exposure backed by a few active managers.
Internal emails from the regulator released under an FOI request reveal warnings about advice conflict when selling fees are paid on LICs. Investors need to understand the consequences of the debate.
State Street Global Advisors is a pioneer in the Australian ETF market, but aggressive pricing from new rivals has eroded its competitive edge.
Check your fund on the heatmap. Many super trustees must decide whether to stick with their strategies or accept that APRA will take a tough approach to weeding out underperformers with high fees.
The value of financial advice is increasingly questioned after the Royal Commission and changes to advice business models, but the case for financial advice for many people remains strong.
Many people put months of effort into planning a foreign trip, only to leave FX transactions to the last minute, including the worst sin of changing currency at the airport. There are better ways.
With 62% of Australians aged 65 and over relying at least partially on the age pension, are they better off owning their home or renting? There is an extra pension asset allowance for those not owning a home.
With 700 Australians retiring every day, retirement income solutions are more important than ever. Why do millions of retirees eligible for a more tax-efficient pension account hold money in accumulation?
A fund manager argues it is immoral to deny poor countries access to relatively cheap energy from fossil fuels. Wealthy countries must recognise the transition is a multi-decade challenge and continue to invest.
Equity investing comes with volatility that makes many retirees uncomfortable. A focus on income which is less volatile than share prices, and quality companies delivering robust earnings, offers more reassurance.
Using the nine dimensions of well-being used by the OECD, and dividing Australians into Baby Boomers, Generation Xers or Millennials, it is surprisingly easy to identify the winners and losers for most dimensions.
What was bothering markets in 2006? Try the end of cheap money, bond yields rising, high energy prices and record high commodity prices feeding inflation. Who says these are 'unprecedented' times? It's 2006 v 2022.