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Editor's Choice

Jo Townsend named chief executive of NZ Super

ELIZABETH FRY
One of Australia's most experienced superannuation executives will take the helm of New Zealand's sovereign wealth fund, following Matt Whineray's departure late last year.

QMV Legal folds, managing partner to launch new firm

KARREN VERGARA
Novigi will wind up QMV Legal as its managing partner Jonathan Steffanoni embarks on launching a new specialist superannuation law firm.

Best super fund products revealed

ANDREW MCKEAN
The best superannuation fund products, based on factors such as investment performance, insurance, fees, and organisational strength, have been named.

Platinum bleeds $1.4bn in outflows

KARREN VERGARA
Platinum Investment Management flags it will lose at least $1.4 billion as a partial redemption from institutional clients over the next month, translating to an $18 million hit to revenue.

Tranche one of advice reforms hits parliament

KARREN VERGARA   The legislation housing the first tranche of financial advice reforms that promise to reduce the red tape was introduced in parliament today.

Australia's wealthiest women not getting the advice they need

ELIZA BAVIN   The number of new female millionaires is outpacing men, but new research suggests high-net-worth women are being left behind.

Investment managers embracing AI: Mercer

ANDREW MCKEAN   According to a report by Mercer, nine out of 10 investment managers are either using or planning to use artificial intelligence (AI) in their investment strategies or asset class research.

Infrastructure a foundational portfolio asset class: IFM Investors

ANDREW MCKEAN   Infrastructure should be considered as an equally vital asset class for institutional investors as traditional asset classes, according to the latest annual IFM Investors Infrastructure Outlook.

Overhaul of TPD structure, pricing needed: MLC Life

CHLOE WALKER   Close to half of Australian workers have three months or less savings to get them through a disability impacting their ability to work, and women are particularly at risk, according to new research by MLC Life Insurance.

Major decline in group insurance coverage: ASFA

ANDREW MCKEAN   The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has reported a sharp decline in group insurance coverage, pointing the finger at recent reforms.

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.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman dies

ELIZA BAVIN   The Nobel laureate was widely acclaimed for his research into behavioural economics.

Threats outside the Australian financial system build: RBA

ANDREW MCKEAN   The Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA's) latest Financial Stability Assessment has said that although risks to global economy have been balanced as inflation has eased, risks to financial stability remain.

ASIC wins greenwashing case against Vanguard

JAMIE WILLIAMSON   The Federal Court determined Vanguard misled investors via claims it made about certain ESG screens it applied to its Ethically Conscious Global Aggregate Bond Index Fund.

Financial Conduct Authority cracks down on finfluencers, firms

KARREN VERGARA   The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is cracking down on finfluencers as more financial services firms turn to social media to promote products and services.

Legalsuper names chief investment officer

JAMIE WILLIAMSON   Paul Murray took over as chief investment officer at legalsuper on March 11, succeeding Norman Zhang who departed in December 2023 for a role at Koda Capital.

IFM Investors adds to global client solutions team

JAMIE WILLIAMSON   IFM Investors is welcoming a head of global consultant relations, leading its investment consultant and outsourced CIO strategy.

Super fund expenditure to be exposed

ANDREW MCKEAN   APRA will publicly expose the way superannuation fund trustees are spending and investing members' funds later this year.

Indigenous communities reunited with $25m in lost super

JAMIE WILLIAMSON   The total superannuation found by First Nations Foundation on behalf of Indigenous Australians now comes in at $25.2 million.

AMP upgrades North investment platform

ANDREW MCKEAN   AMP's North wrap platform has introduced a feature that enables financial advisers to select investments by entering a client's target portfolio weightings.

Experts issue warning over AI washing

ANDREW MCKEAN   Artificial intelligence is perhaps the most transformative technology since the advent of the internet, poised to herald an unprecedented digital economic revolution. To appear at the precipice of the movement, some are employing deceptive tactics tantamount to AI washing, experts say.

Family offices still love hedge funds: Preqin

CHLOE WALKER   The number of family office investors allocating to hedge funds increased by 10% from 2022 to 2023, and has doubled since 2015, according to new research by Preqin.

HNWI collecting activity stoops: Knight Frank

CHLOE WALKER   Despite a slew of record-breaking sales, luxury investment markets weakened in 2023, according to the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII).