Financial Standard

Aperio joins Akumin

VINNY VUCAGO  |    10:39AM   Melbourne-based advisory firm Aperio Financial Services has switched licensees and joined Akumin as demand grows among advice practices for support to scale operations and improve efficiency.

FEATURE | Digital advice | Interlocking the pieces

MATTHEW WAI  |    9:27AM   Digital advice has become a core offering for wealth managers, yet it confuses many and implementation and use remain fragmented. Before it can achieve aspirations of scale, experts are urging for a better, unified understanding of the offering.

Brookfield wins US$1bn mandate from Nuclear Liabilities Fund

VINNY VUCAGO  |    4:22PM   Brookfield Asset Management has secured an initial US$1 billion mandate from the UK's Nuclear Liabilities Fund to manage a multi-asset portfolio.

DWS Group unveils new global identity

MATTHEW WAI  |    12:44PM   DWS Group announced that it will introduce a new global brand to reinforce its German and European heritage, reflecting its growth across regions and client segments.

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.

Labor moves to kill non-compete clauses in productivity push

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   The Labor government has put forward a draft bill to ban non-compete clauses for employees whose earnings are equal to or less than the high-income threshold, in a bid to promote productivity and competition in the broader economy.

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.

Government backs Enhance Regulatory Sandbox overhaul

VINNY VUCAGO  |    4:13PM   The Federal Government has backed an overhaul of Australia's regulatory sandbox framework, agreeing to repeal the legislation underpinning the Enhance Regulatory Sandbox (ERS) and replace it with a more flexible model designed to support financial innovation.

Shorter CSLR payout timeframe awaits major bill passage

KARREN VERGARA  |    11:06AM   The looming passage of a major bill will amend how levies are collected under the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) and, in turn, speed up compensation payments to eligible victims.

NZ Super names head of strategic titling

MATTHEW WAI  |    1:34PM   The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, the manager of the NZ Super Fund, has named its new head of strategic tilting.

Five V taps Barrenjoey finance lead

MATTHEW WAI  |    12:29PM   Five V Capital has named its chief financial officer, who most recently served as the head of finance for private markets and regulations at Barrenjoey.

Three super funds fined for misleading investment options

KARREN VERGARA  |    12:20PM   Three industry superannuation funds - Australian Retirement Trust (ART), TelstraSuper and Australian Food Super - have been pinged by ASIC for misleading members about their investment options' asset allocation and performance objectives.

Retiree super spending injects $121bn into Aussie economy

RIDDHIMA TALWANI  |    12:07PM   New research has found retirees will spend close to $121 billion from their superannuation in 2026, bolstering the Australian economy and supporting jobs.

RBA consults on settlement infrastructure following Project Acacia

MATTHEW WAI   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   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.