Financial Standard

WT Financial takes majority stake in TNT Advisor

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   WT Financial has acquired a 70% stake in paraplanning provider, TNT Advisor Solutions (TNT), for $2.4 million.

FEATURE | Managed accounts | Industrialising advice

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   The growth in the managed accounts sector has brought scale and efficiency to advice. Rapid adoption is now reshaping the industry and drawing the regulator's attention.

IFM targets growth opportunities with new global office

MATTHEW WAI  |    12:20PM   IFM Investors has opened its first office in Singapore to capture growth opportunities in a region "under allocated" by institutional investors.

BNP Paribas AM wins additional US$600m from pension fund

VINNY VUCAGO  |    12:19PM   BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts has secured a further US$600 million investment mandate from the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) for its significant risk transfer (SRT) strategy, taking the US pension fund's total commitment to US$1 billion.

AIA Australia rolls out TPD CORE

KARREN VERGARA   AIA Australia has launched TPD CORE, a new retail product that charges lower premiums and provides clearer claim assessment criteria for total and permanent disability (TPD).

Insurer sanctioned for over 10k breaches

MATTHEW WAI   The Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee has sanctioned a life insurer after it reported more than 10,000 breaches of the Life Insurance Code of Practice in relation to failure to provide timely, completed annual notices.

Half of Australians lack retirement plan: Vanguard

KARREN VERGARA   Nearly half of working-age Australians approaching retirement do not have a retirement plan, raising concerns about long-term financial preparedness and confidence, according to Vanguard.

New platform provides guidance for retirees

MATTHEW WAI   A new artificial intelligence (AI) platform has launched to fill a gap that is persisting for retiring members seeking purpose in the retirement phase.

Australian economy growth 'stronger than expected'

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   The Australian economy grew 0.4% in the June quarter, growing 2.1% in the year to June 2026.

CEDA warns migration cuts will have economic spillover

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) has warned while a dramatic cut in headline migration figures might be seductive, changes at scale will have a spillover in the economy including the labour market.

Treasury launches minimum tax on discretionary trusts draft legislation

KARREN VERGARA  |    11:19AM   Treasury has released draft legislation on the minimum tax it is set to impose on discretionary trusts from 1 July 2028.

Mulino unveils Financial Innovation Strategy

ELIZA BAVIN   Treasury is encouraging regulators to consider opportunities to develop targeted sandboxes in priority areas such as AI enabled financial services and digital financial market infrastructure.

Schroders nabs Lazard's Australian portfolio manager

RIDDHIMA TALWANI  |    12:41PM   Aaron Binsted will join Schroders Australia in early November as a portfolio manager and analyst after 24 years at Lazard Asset Management.

Fidelity International appoints investment director

STAFF WRITER   A global and US equity strategies portfolio specialist from T. Rowe Price moves to Fidelity International to help grow the fund's fundamental equities franchise in Australia.

Sports no longer a sponsorship opportunity for super funds

MATTHEW WAI   ASFA head of research Ross Clare believes sports is becoming an important asset class for super funds, noting the dynamics in sports investment has transformed drastically over recent years, based on what he's observed at the ASFA Investment Summit 2026.

Superannuation assets inch to nearly $4.8tn

KARREN VERGARA   Total superannuation assets hit nearly $4.8 trillion in the last financial year, marking a 9% rise, namely driven by the rise of industry funds.

RBA consults on settlement infrastructure following Project Acacia

MATTHEW WAI  |    12:32PM   The Reserve Bank of Australia is consulting on its Reserve Bank Information and Transfer System's role (RITS) to support settlement in a tokenised ecosystem that was explored through Project Acacia.

SS&C wins mandate from Aussie boutique fund manager

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   Fundamental Investment Management, a Sydney-based boutique investment management firm, has mandated SS&C Technologies for its inaugural Fundamental Smaller Companies Fund.

HNWIs demand outperforming, mission-driven endowment funds

KARREN VERGARA  |    10:22AM   High-net-worth investors' (HNWIs) increasing demand for philanthropy vehicles with robust governance, a clear mission and can outperform in equal measure is helping fuel the rise of endowment funds such as the Aspect Impact Fund.

Family businesses turn to external chief executives: Deloitte

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   While family members will largely remain at the helm of family businesses post-succession, a Deloitte Private report anticipates a meaningful shift globally, with more businesses preferring outside professionals to step into the chief executive roles.