FS Advice

Banks and fraud prevention in the COVID-19 era

ANITA LEMAIRE   With Australia's COVID-19 vaccine program in full swing, businesses and banking institutions across the country are cautiously optimistic that the nation's economic recovery ...

Such a nice guy

ANGELIQUE AKSENOFF   Individuals like Melissa Caddick, Melinda Scott and Bernie Madoff, when first exposed, initially elicit expressions of shocked disbelief; quickly replaced by outrage, overreaction ...

PI insurers kill advisers' crypto appetite

KANIKA SOOD   If a security were to rise from 97 cents to $70,000 in 10 years, it would be hard for a financial adviser to not get calls from clients asking about it. This is what Bitcoin did ...

Non-correlated investments in a highly correlated world

ALEX LEE   The behaviour of financial assets during the 2020 pandemic triggered a re-examination of the role of correlation in portfolios. Most market participants were surprised that the ...

Insurance companies are changing the rules

RUSSELL CAIN   You might have read in the news of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) changes coming to income protection insurance contracts. APRA has announced a significant ...

Adding youth to an old problem

MICHAEL RENNY   One of the emerging risks raised in this year's Swiss Re SONAR New emerging risk insights report (SONAR report) is 'mental health among the young'. The SONAR report ...

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.

The future of data, platforms in advice

HUB24 PTY LTD   Financial advice is a service valued by many Australians, and many more are interested in seeking advice. However, it is currently not accessible to all. One of the main reasons ...

Indexing the personal transfer balance cap

TIMOTHY MILLER   The general transfer balance cap (GTBC) was introduced from 1 July 2017 and is a cap on the how much can be transferred to a retirement phase pension for a member. The cap ultimately ...

Year-end superannuation contributions and concessions

MARTIN FOWLER   With the financial year-end fast approaching, there is still time to take advantage of the various superannuation contribution strategies and concessions that are available. This ...

Super changes broaden the options for windfall contributions

ASHLEY DAVIDSON   The superannuation system is based on the notion that you can build up your nest egg steadily over the course of your working life, but that is not always the case. Breaks from ...

Does your client meet the retirement definition?

RAHUL SINGH   Accumulated through compulsory and voluntary contributions as well as earnings, superannuation is a significant source of retirement savings. As clients approach retirement, their ...

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 ...

Challenging a will based on mental capacity

APRIL KENNEDY   Capacity can be an emotionally charged topic, especially in relation to dementia or Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative conditions. This paper discusses how a Will might ...

I'm a responsible manager, what does this mean?

SAMANTHA HILLS   Many responsible managers (RMs) of Australian financial services (AFS) licensees are curious to know what they have to do and whether they are personally exposed. To get a handle ...

Course correction: Derivatives trade reporting

CHRIS CHILDS   For the past decade, individual jurisdictions have fallen short of achieving the standardisation in trade reporting that would enable regulators to reach the level of transparency ...

Realising managed accounts benefits

JASON KOMADINA   Making the most of introducing managed accounts into a financial advice practice will take a journey of two to three years. It's a process that involves defining the firm's value ...

Borrowing from others

ANDREW BROWNE   Get clear on what is at stake when you borrow with others. Understanding joint and severally liability loans and what it means for you You might think when you take out a joint ...

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 ...