JAMIE WILLIAMSON  |    12:26PM   CountPlus acquired 40% of a Victoria-based accounting and financial advice firm, marking its first investment under its new business model.DARREN SNYDER  |    8:28AM   Financial Planning Association of Australia head of policy and standards Ben Marshan said the FASEA-led Code of Ethics remains the biggest game changer to the advice industry.

KANIKA SOOD  |    12:09PM   Australian companies paid about $820 million less in dividends in the third quarter than the corresponding period from 2017 as dividend growth at local banks flat lined.DARREN SNYDER   Credit specialist La Trobe Financial has priced its seventh issue of Residential Mortgage Backed Securities at $750 million.

JAMIE WILLIAMSON   Zurich has entered a three-year study partnership with Oxford University to develop a means of ensuring workers are effectively protected and supported in an increasingly fragmented labour market.KANIKA SOOD   The Financial Services Council has released a new draft life insurance code of practice that makes 30 changes to the code in place since 2017.

JAMIE WILLIAMSON  |    12:05PM   About 50% of all SMSFs have more than half of their portfolio invested in one asset class, despite more than 80% recognising the importance of diversification.DARREN SNYDER   A commercial property lender believes banning limited recourse borrowing arrangements in their entirety would be too heavy handed, saying critics often cite residential property spruikers to cast shadows.

BENJAMIN ONG  |    11:07AM   The CME FedWatch Tool shows probability of the Fed funds rate at 2.75% by the Fed's last meeting in 2019 is the highest at 35.3% (up from 29.4% a month ago). Are financial markets now putting their money on just one more rate hike next year?BENJAMIN ONG   For better or poorer, economic uncertainties have now turned the synchronised global upswing of 2017 and early 2018 into a synchronised global slowing (including the US), based on Markit PMI surveys.

HARRISON WORLEY  |    11:36AM   The final round of the financial services Royal Commission will ask chief executives at Australia's largest wealth management companies how to prevent this same misconduct ever happening again.KARREN VERGARA   The newly established Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) will appoint an ombudsman dedicated to helping small businesses resolve disputes with their financial service providers.

KARREN VERGARA  |    12:12PM   ClearView has made three executive promotions coinciding with the launch of a new business offering back-office and compliance services to financial advisers.KANIKA SOOD  |    11:51AM   AMP Capital has appointed a new fund manager for its largest pooled real estate fund, as current manager moves into a different role.

KARREN VERGARA  |    12:10PM   An $80 billion superannuation fund admitted on Friday to an administrative error affecting 346 of its members.JAMIE WILLIAMSON   Superannuation funds that fail to achieve healthy long-term returns when measured against peers are in breach of their fiduciary duty to members, a former Federal politician has told the 2018 ASFA Conference.

KANIKA SOOD   Financial services companies are betting on artificial intelligence (AI) more than ever, but remain sceptical of compliance and legal risks associated with the technology.MICHELLE BALTAZAR   The race is on for the most dominant financial services provider to the $600 million millennial market segment in Australia, with local players facing stiff competition from US and Chinese fintechs.

KANIKA SOOD   A charity comparator website co-founded by a former Lonsec general manager is set to launch a premium vetting service for wealthy donors.KANIKA SOOD   Australian charities could be receiving $180 million more in donations each year if the gender pay gap was to close, according to a new report on trends in philanthropy.