Investment CHRISTOPHER BURTON , ANDREW KARSH | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 According to Christopher Burton and Andrew Karsh commodities offer significant diversification opportunities which may reduce overall portfolio risk and improve returns. Commodities pay no interest and offer investors no share of any future profits ... Read more MATT CHRISTENSEN | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 Matt Christensen is Executive Director of Eurosif which is the premier European think tank and industry association for sustainable investment. Eurosif defines Sustainable Investment as an investment philosophy that combines investors' financial objectives ... Read more DYLAN GREENWAY | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 Dylan Greenway provides a brief introduction to agricultural schemes which have recently had such bad press. Greenway argues that agricultural schemes which typically last from 6 to 25 years have low or negative correlation to traditional investments. ... Read more Ethics & Governance DAVID ANDERSON | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 Even in these difficult economic times employers are saying that it can be hard work finding quality employees. This important Mercer research presented to us by David Anderson in his paper compares what employers think employees believe is important ... Read more Communications & Marketing SAM AYLETT | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 Sam Aylett tells us how to market smarter not harder and proactively not reactively. He details how the AXA Financial Advising Network has developed tools to help their advisers. AXA based advisers are able to develop a "Real Business Plan" ... Read more Applied Financial Planning DEBORAH WIXTED | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 This paper considers some of the key issues financial planners should evaluate if they wish to go about incorporating advice on aged care needs into their financial planning business. Aged care is more than just hostels and nursing homes; it also includes ... Read more HUGH BANNISTER | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 Hugh Bannister of Optimo Financial has spent most of his working life building computer software modelling tools for the energy and finance leasing industries. Through the years Bannister has also received personal financial advice that has not served ... Read more Superannuation ALEX WERNBACHER | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 Alex Denham is a well known technical analyst at Challenger. This paper describes what options small fund trustees have when the complying pension they have been paying is not able to get actuarial sign-off as being financially viable. She particularly ... Read more Insurance HELEN MENTIPLAY , PETER RIDDELL | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 Helen Mentiplay and Peter Riddell are lawyers at TurksLegal. In this paper they explore the implications on income protection policies of a 2008 NSW Supreme Court case (Carolyn Philips (née Durrand) v Tower Australia Ltd). The case involved an ... Read more ROSS HIGGINS | SATURDAY, 10 JAN 2009 When Ross Higgins joined Austock, he was asked to develop a new type of Insurance Bond. As Ross points out the Insurance Bond market has been moribund for many years because, "the Life Industry failed to move insurance bonds with the times by introducing ... Read more |
Latest News
Entireti, Otivo enter strategic alliance for digital advice
Entireti and licensed digital advice platform Otivo have partnered up to build a scalable, low-cost solution to "meet the needs of consumers across the advice continuum."
Wealth management has never looked better: Knox
Appearing at the Stockbrokers and Investment Advisers Association (SIAA) conference this week, Otivo chair Ian Knox discussed the shifting nature of Australia's wealth management industry, saying he's never seen it look so good - but it could still be better.
Alternatives spark 'real' opportunities for HNW advisers
There are an increasing number of high-net-worth (HNW) investors using alternative assets to diversify, protect against inflation and lessen returns related to the public markets, with Praemium saying advisers should look to capitalise from this trend.
Advice bodies want efficiency, long-term solutions from Mulino
Australia's top advice associations are eagerly anticipating meaningful and swift changes to take place under new financial services minister Daniel Mulino, optimistic that critical reforms in the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) and Delivering Better Financial Outcomes (DBFO) will be prioritised.
Further Reading
Cover Story

Moving mountains
MAGDELINE JACOVIDES
FOUNDER AND FINANCIAL ADVISER
MAZI WEALTH
FOUNDER AND FINANCIAL ADVISER
MAZI WEALTH
On top of running a successful practice, Mazi Wealth founder Deline Jacovides is a fierce advocate for closing the superannuation gender gap and has built a highly popular social media presence that takes financial literacy to the next level. She tells Karren Vergara where her passion comes from and how she integrates it all with family life.