Keith Ford

Just when you think the ceaseless attempts from everyone involved in the Shield and First Guardian collapses to avoid accountability can’t get more egregious, another shoe drops and the debacle descends further into farce.

Clients undergo a range of emotional responses throughout the advice process and, according to new financial adviser-led research, advisers’ ability to “translate technical complexity into accessible guidance” has a direct impact on clients’ emotional responses and engagement.

Sources close to the matter speaking on condition of anonymity told ifa that InterPrac will impose a professional indemnity insurance run-off fee of as much as $45,000 on advisers who leave the licensee. During an online town hall meeting, ifa understands that Crole, InterPrac managing director and group CEO of parent company Sequoia, told the […]

In its submission to Treasury’s consultation on combatting financial abuse perpetrated through coerced directorships, the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) said the difficulty in identifying this particular type of financial abuse makes it a tough issue to address. “Many victims may not even realise that they have been appointed as a director, or they may […]

According to Hamilton Lane’s 2026 Global Private Wealth Survey, 86 per cent of private wealth professionals expect to increase client exposure to private market investments this year, with most advisers already allocating between 1 and 20 per cent of their book to the asset class. The survey, which polled 390 advice professionals across the Americas, […]

In its lead decision for complaints against InterPrac Financial Planning and its advice related to the Shield and First Guardian collapses, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) said InterPrac denied that it was responsible for the complainant’s loss. The complainant in the case was a Macquarie Superannuation Plan member who said an authorised representative of […]

The Institute of Financial Professionals Australia (IFPA) has used its pre-budget submission to outline that current financial advice system is “not fit for purpose”. In large part, it said, superannuation fund members and SMSF trustees can’t access “good affordable financial advice when they need it”. X Continue to Website “We acknowledge that the government’s response […]

As part of the Financial Advice Association Australia’s (FAAA) pre-budget submission it has continued its long-standing push for advisers to be able to access the ATO portal to see up-to-date client data. “Financial advisers, 89 per cent of whom are Qualified Tax Relevant Providers, play a vital role in ensuring that their client’s financial plans […]

On Wednesday morning, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced a new review of advice licensees that are utilising lead generation services, which it said formed part of its work to “address practices that inappropriately or unnecessarily encourage consumers to switch their superannuation”. “Lead generation is a marketing activity designed to create consumer interest […]

Following Treasury announcing it would consult on “opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of professional indemnity insurance” in December last year, much of the response could be summed up as supportive confusion. The latest submission to the consultation from the Financial Services Council, for instance, noted that it “recognises the importance of having a well-functioning PII […]