FS Advice

Trust and trustworthiness

RAY MCHALE   Consideration of trust and trustworthiness in the financial advice industry is unavoidable. This is because the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority (FASEA) Code of ...

The human dimension of conduct risk

ATTRACTA LAGAN   What would you do if you found a colleague's behaviour unacceptable, even unethical? Most of us believe we will speak up, however, research shows we often fail to act on our ethical ...

Active investment management

MARK KNIGHT   Despite all the recent talk on the rise of passive investment strategies, their active counterparts have been steadily compounding outperformance in the wake of the worst effects ...

Have ESG funds flows reached a tipping point?

CAMPBELL HARVEY   Global sustainable funds, as identified by Morningstar, rose to a record US$ 2.2 trillion in the second quarter of 2021, up from US $1.7 trillion a year earlier, or growth of ...

Bankruptcy, life insurance and superannuation

ALEXIS KOODRIN   If your client base includes business owners, chances are you have turned your mind to what might happen to their superannuation and proceeds from life insurance policies should ...

The distribution of life insurance in Australia

MICHAEL MULHOLLAND   MetLife Australia undertakes an annual Understanding the Adviser-Client Relationship Report, which explores the attitudes, behaviours and expectations of current and potential ...

How to ready your business for managed accounts

JASON KOMADINA   Implementing managed accounts in an advice practice involves much more than simply selecting the right provider. It is an opportunity to refine the practice's value proposition ...

Using data to drive operational efficiencies

KON COSTAS   This paper looks at how financial advice businesses struggling to contain costs can use insights from benchmarking data to support better operational and strategic decisions.

Strategies to manage TPD payments through super

MARK GLEESON   As many advisers do not provide advice on managing total and permanent disablement (TPD) payments on a frequent basis, this paper provides a refresher to help them ensure their ...

Work test and the exemption for recent retirees

TIM HOWARD   One of the most significant measures announced in the May 2021 federal budget was the proposed exemption from the work test. How does the work test apply now, and what is expected ...

Specialist insights on aged care advice

RAHUL SINGH   When looking at aged care advice from an adviser's perspective, we find that there are some common themes of interest. This paper offers insights from three experienced aged care ...

Guide to granny flat interests

RAHUL SINGH   There are a number of accommodation options for older people who require assistance and may not want to live by themselves. While residential aged care homes generally suit those ...

What is the Family Tax Benefit and is it taxable income?

JUSTON JIRWANDER   The Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is a two-part payment to assist with the cost of raising children. To qualify for the FTB, a person must: have a dependent child or full-time secondary ...

Fringe benefits tax

KMT PARTNERS   Every March 31, the fringe benefits tax (FBT) year ends. With the ever-increasing budget deficits as a result of COVID-19, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will be reviewing ...

Enhanced fee disclosure statements

SEAN GRAHAM   Advisers and licensees have had a lot of regulatory reform to manage in 2021, so it is no surprise that there is still a measure of confusion and uncertainty around these new ...

Get ready for the IDR changes

VARUN BHATIA   With the implementation date of the internal dispute resolution changes imminent, many advisers and licensees will have commenced updating internal complaints procedures to comply ...

Leveraging expertise to expand your value proposition

RAYMOND MILES   This paper comprises an excerpt from Fortnum Private Wealth's The inevitable advice journey: Where professional advisory firms are set to land report. The report claimed the ...

Strategic planning and middle-market businesses

MICHAEL DUNDAS   This paper examines the relatively recent wave of business strategic planning triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and which could deliver favourable returns for many years, as ...

How advisers can obtain genuine client feedback

SIMON RUSSELL   While most would agree that getting good client feedback is desirable, it can be difficult for a financial adviser to know what their clients actually think. Clients could feel ...

Selling an advice practice

SCOTT BREWSTER   Due to tighter compliance requirements and changing personal priorities, many financial advisers are beginning to think of selling their practice. However, selling a practice ...