Financial Standard

Two Brisbane advice firms merge

KARREN VERGARA   Brisbane-based financial advice firms Eureka Whittaker Macnaught (EWM) and Blue Harbour Financial Partners, which are part of AZ NGA, have announced their merger.

Financial advice exodus has 'bottomed out': ClearView

ELIZA BAVIN   The insurer says the government's response to the recent Quality of Advice Review points to a return of advice.

ATO targets crypto investors, sharing economy

KARREN VERGARA   Cryptocurrency and the sharing economy are two hotspots the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will target this financial year as too many investors continue to blunder their tax returns.

MLC Private Equity launches insto fund

KARREN VERGARA   A new private equity fund launched by MLC Private Equity has raised US$762 million ($1.2bn).

UniSuper selects new group insurer

JAMIE WILLIAMSON   After more than a decade in business, UniSuper has dropped TAL as its group insurer.

Life insurers struggle with code compliance

KARREN VERGARA   Life insurers continue to breach their own compliance code with more than 12,000 instances recorded, yet the body overseeing their conduct fears this is likely under-reported.

AFCA flags legal uncertainty on SMSF wholesale test

KARREN VERGARA   Financial advisers must be mindful of the "legal uncertainty" that exists when applying the appropriate wholesale test on self-managed super funds (SMSF), according to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

New SMSF solution for Islamic Australians launched

ELIZA BAVIN   The new SMSF solution will allow Australian Muslims to invest in property while avoiding paying interest.

Powell backflips on rates pushing back RBA cut expectations

ELIZA BAVIN   This comes as the IMF urges global central banks to remain vigilant to keep inflation down.

Income inequality elevated, spikes: Oxfam

KARREN VERGARA   Income inequality is too high and continues to balloon in 60% of low- and middle-income countries studied by Oxfam International, tipping the Gini coefficient well above acceptable levels.

Adam Blumenthal ordered to pay $850k

ELIZA BAVIN  |    12:29PM   Blumenthal is also banned from managing corporations for five years.

Blockchain mining companies sued by ASIC

ANDREW MCKEAN   ASIC has taken legal action against three blockchain mining companies - NGS Crypto, NGS Digital, and NGS Group - along with their sole directors Brett Mendham, Ryan Brown and Mark Ten Caten.

Bell Asset Management announces new chief executive

ELIZA BAVIN   The new chief executive was previously head of superannuation at Vanguard.

ASIC chief executive to depart

ELIZA BAVIN   Warren Day will leave the regulator on June 1.

State supports move to close super loophole exploited by paedophiles

ANDREW MCKEAN   South Australia has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to support a motion calling for the close of a legal loophole that protects paedophiles' superannuation from access by survivors of child sexual abuse.

Mine Super cuts fees, updates investment options

ANDREW MCKEAN   Mine Super is reducing the administration fees members pay next month as it moves forward with its merger with TWUSUPER.

The Aussie wealthtech firms that are 'most innovative'

ANDREW MCKEAN   The annual list of the world's most innovative wealthtech companies was recently released, with several Australian firms making the cut.

GBST develops private equity platform

ANDREW MCKEAN   Wealth management software business GBST has collaborated with Luna Partners to create a technology platform that connects investors and managers to the wholesale private equity market.

Wholesale investor tests up for parliamentary review

KARREN VERGARA   The federal government wants to shake up the wholesale investor tests further in launching a parliamentary inquiry into the entire framework, worrying many fund managers operating in the high-net-worth space.

ACNC tightens screws on NFPs with complex corporate structures

JAMIE WILLIAMSON   The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) announced it will focus on the misuse of complex corporate structures this year.