Ethics & Governance

Ethics & Governance Articles

The dangers of ignoring client vulnerability

PAUL DERHAM | Comments | FRIDAY, 27 NOV 2020

Chances are you are reading this paper on an electronic device. You may have used the same device to video-chat with others, message your team and create or send documents—in the last hour. Navigating ... Chances ... Read more

Elder financial abuse

JENNIFER SHAW | Comments | FRIDAY, 25 SEP 2020

Time and again, the courts hear cases concerning vulnerable elderly people who have been taken advantage of financially by their own family members. This paper examines the circumstances in which the ... Time ... Read more

Fairness, vulnerability and fintechs

MICHELE LEVINE | Comments | FRIDAY, 26 JUN 2020

Regulators have focused intensely on 'fairness' following the numerous scandals involving overcharging, underservicing and poor customer outcomes that were laid bare in the Royal Commission into Misconduct ... Regulators ... Read more

Overcoming obstacles to ethical behaviour

SHLOMO SHER | Comments | THURSDAY, 16 JAN 2020

The process that leads to effective moral action can be roughly divided into three components: 1. Moral awareness - the process of identifying the ethical issues involved, the parties who have a stake ... The ... Read more

Rethinking ethics and codes of conduct

ATTRACTA LAGAN | Comments | FRIDAY, 10 JAN 2020

It seems everyone has experienced a code of conduct or business ethics training session that is unmemorable, generic and fails to resonate. The unintended consequence of such training is that it leaves ... It ... Read more

Measuring risk culture

TIM AMAN | Comments | FRIDAY, 1 NOV 2019

Risk culture is a complex, forward looking and qualitative component of an organisation. Further, it requires unique approaches in relation to risk management and mitigation. Its DNA begins with understanding ... Risk ... Read more

Fifty shades of green

ELIZABETH MCARTHUR | Comments | TUESDAY, 15 OCT 2019

It's been a slow burn but environmental, social and governance concerns have finally become mainstream among institutional and retail investors. According to Rainmaker data analysing 139 multi-manager ... It's ... Read more

Converging lines

COUNTPLUS * | Comments | FRIDAY, 14 JUN 2019

The coming years may be the most tumultuous in the history of the Australian financial services sector. This paper, based on the research of CoreData, argues that one of the core predictors of future ... The ... Read more

Post-Royal Commission: Winning the long game for practices and licensees

TOM REDDACLIFF | Comments | FRIDAY, 12 APR 2019

The original version of this paper was written in August 2018 - however, we cannot ignore the potential implications of the Hayne Royal Commission Final Report (RC report). As such, we have updated our ... The ... Read more

The potential pinch of the Royal Commission

NICOLE MCMILLAN | Comments | FRIDAY, 27 JUL 2018

Financial advisers have been knowingly charging fees to customers who died up to a decade ago. Bank employees accepted cash bribes to falsify proof of employment documents in loan applications. Banks ... Financial ... Read more

The future of advice

STEPHEN ROMIC | Comments | FRIDAY, 6 JUL 2018

The Royal Commission has the financial services industry on edge. Both large institutions and small are sitting up and paying attention as they have never before. Big changes are afoot; probably the ... Read more

How the Federal Budget 2018 will impact SMSFs

DANIEL BUTLER , CHRISTIAN PAKPAHAN | Comments | THURSDAY, 21 JUN 2018

We outline below the key superannuation changes announced in the Federal Budget 2018 on 8 May 2018. Some of the proposed changes will have a substantial impact on SMSFs if they are finalised as law. ... Read more

Can the interest only bomb be defused?

DAMIEN WOOD | Comments | FRIDAY, 13 APR 2018

Interest only mortgages boomed in the U.S. in the 1920s. What followed was the Great Depression. They re-emerged Stateside in the early 2000s. What followed was the GFC and the Great Recession. In Australia ... Interest ... Read more

Expanding Australian regulatory reporting

ABRAHAM TEO | Comments | FRIDAY, 4 AUG 2017

1. Introduction The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) are making a significant number of changes to core regulatory reporting requirements, some ... 1. ... Read more

How should I price my advice services?

COUNT FINANCIAL | Comments | TUESDAY, 3 NOV 2015

For accountants who add financial advice to their offering, working out the best way to price their advice can be daunting. We spoke to Hayden Lewis from Cox Partners about his firm's pricing model. For ... Read more

Government response to the Financial Systems Inquiry

IOOF TECHNICAL SERVICES | Comments | TUESDAY, 3 NOV 2015

On October 20, 2015, the Government's response to the Financial Systems Inquiry (FSI) was released by the Treasurer, Scott Morrison and Assistant Treasurer, Kelly O'Dwyer. The Government's ... On ... Read more

Industrialising your investment philosophy - scaling your business with Managed Accounts

NETWEALTH INVESTMENTS | Comments | TUESDAY, 3 NOV 2015

A Managed Account can solve a number of practice inefficiencies for those licensees that are willing to spend time working through compliance, structure and due-diligence processes. A Managed Account ... Read more

Trust and culture - what consumers want

JOHN PRICE | Comments | TUESDAY, 3 NOV 2015

I've been at ASIC since around the time when financial institutions - including credit unions, building societies and friendly societies - transferred from the previous state supervisory regimes ... Read more

The Australian wealth management industry - 2020 and beyond

DARREN STEVENS | Comments | TUESDAY, 3 NOV 2015

In this paper we outline current global trends in wealth management platforms and identify key future social and technology trends that are going to radically transform the industry over the next five ... In ... Read more

The demise of specialisation in financial services

DAVID HEATHER | Comments | TUESDAY, 3 NOV 2015

It wasn't that long ago that financial services was all about specialisation. Stockbrokers looked after people's equities portfolio, investment managers provided managed funds, insurance agents sold ... Read more

Leverage unplugged

JULIE MCKAY | Comments | THURSDAY, 11 DEC 2014

Leverage, specifically borrowing to invest, is often viewed in terms of its features, the potential to magnify gains and deductibility of interest. Of those who appreciate the benefits of gearing in ... Read more

Life insurance, super rollovers and your client's best interests

MARTIN BRECKON | Comments | THURSDAY, 11 DEC 2014

In a post-FoFA world, it has never been more important for financial advisers to understand and ensure they meet the prescribed best interests duty for their clients. In a post-FoFA world, it has ... Read more

Learning the ropes

ELEANOR DARTNALL | Comments | THURSDAY, 11 DEC 2014

2014 Association of Financial Advisers Adviser of the Year and Dartnall Advisers principal Eleanor Dartnall discusses the importance of educating your clients. 2014 Association of Financial Advisers ... Read more

The quest for passive income

MIKE SIKAR | Comments | THURSDAY, 11 DEC 2014

Not knowing what to do with a large inheritance a few years ago, thirty-something Sydney executive John Smith decided to play it safe by simply putting it in the bank. Given the state of the share market ... Not ... Read more

Climbing China's great wall of worry

HELEN ZHU | Comments | THURSDAY, 11 DEC 2014

It's tough to get a handle on China's economic growth. Ask officials: "Why do you think growth is going to be 7%?" The answer often is: "Why do you even ask this question? We told ... It's ... Read more

Five steps to networking success

DAN RICHARDS | Comments | THURSDAY, 11 DEC 2014

Few things are more frustrating than investing the time to network with prospective clients without any results to show for your efforts. But there is good news: a few simple steps to rethink your expectations ... Few ... Read more

Understanding the nature of conflicts of interest

SIMON LONGSTAFF | Comments | MONDAY, 9 JUL 2012

Most people have an intuitive grasp of what it means to have a conflict of interest. However, it should be observed that consideration of the nature of conflicts of interest is made complex by the fact ... Most ... Read more

Rethinking Employee Attraction and Retention Strategies

DAVID ANDERSON | Comments | 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 ... Read more

Latest News


Finance is least ethical sector: Governance Institute ANNABELLE DICKSON The financial services sector has had the highest improvement on an ethics index despite still receiving the lowest score of all sectors, new research shows.	FPA announces 2020 award winners KANIKA SOOD An adviser from Western Australia has won the FPA Certified Financial Planner Professional of the Year award, as the association announces its 2020 award winners.

FASEA reveals October exam results KARREN VERGARA The majority of financial advisers who sat the most recent exam passed, according to the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority.	Advice for all could add $630bn to economy JAMIE WILLIAMSON If all Australians were to receive financial advice and properly implement that advice, the economy would grow by $630 billion a year while Age Pension spending would go down by more than 20%, new research shows.

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