KARREN VERGARA  |    12:47PM   The soaring costs of funerals is an area financial advisers must factor into the estate planning process, particularly for those living in Sydney.KARREN VERGARA  |    12:44PM   A majority of financial advisers would welcome an overhaul of the AFS licensing regime, a recent survey shows.

HARRISON WORLEY  |    12:55PM   IFM Investors reported strong funds under management and bottom line growth in FY18.JAMIE WILLIAMSON  |    12:48PM   The Republic of Ireland looks set to become the world's first country to divest from fossil fuels.

DARREN SNYDER   Life insurer TAL is growing its portfolio of health-related education courses through its financial adviser training program.KARREN VERGARA   Disability income insurance (DII) continues to be a loss-making venture for life insurers as the prudential regulator undertakes a comprehensive review of its sustainability, pricing and the actual benefits delivered to policyholders.

KARREN VERGARA   The move by the Turnbull Government to change the annual audit cycle for some self-managed superannuation funds to three years has been welcomed by the SMSF Association.JAMIE WILLIAMSON   ASIC will pursue further education requirements for financial advisers in a damning report showing 90% of financial advice provided in establishing self-managed superannuation funds is non-compliant.

BENJAMIN ONG   Nominal US wages growth of 2.7% in the year to June translates to negative 0.2% in real terms (from negative 0.1% in May) when measured against the headline CPI and 0.4% (from 0.5%) less than the core CPI measure.BENJAMIN ONG   Recent history shows the effectiveness of the Australian dollar depreciation in shielding the domestic economy from worries galore.

JAMIE WILLIAMSON   The Federal Government is considering an overhaul of the rules governing residency for tax purposes in Australia, recommending a person's residency be defined by the number of days they spend in the country in a 12-month period.HARRISON WORLEY   The chairman of Australia's prudential regulator wants banks to take advantage of a relatively good climate and build financial resilience before storm clouds form.

HARRISON WORLEY  |    12:51PM   The head of strategic partnerships at a $60 billion real estate investment manager will retire at the end of the year, bringing a 40 year career at the firm to a close.JAMIE WILLIAMSON  |    12:49PM   The Federal Government appointed a new chair of the Productivity Commission.

KARREN VERGARA   The European Union is closer to establishing a cross-border pension scheme that operates under one jurisdiction and ultimately gives consumers more choice.JAMIE WILLIAMSON   AustralianSuper is launching a retirement confidence index it says will shine a light on how the superannuation system can reduce anxiety among pre-retirees.

HARRISON WORLEY  |    12:53PM   Fintech incubator Stone and Chalk has launched a national program designed to encourage cooperation between innovators based in its Sydney and Melbourne hubs.HARRISON WORLEY   AdviserLogic clients are now available to use Simple Fund 360, after the software provider integrated with the BGL platform.

DARREN SNYDER   Academics have proposed a new system to better distribute Australia's wealth - one which would see high-income earners pay a charity levy.DARREN SNYDER   Latest research shows less than one-third of family offices are using quantitative models to determine asset class allocations and position sizes. At the same time, equity allocations remain unchanged.