Financial Standard

Aperio joins Akumin

VINNY VUCAGO   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   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.

EQT ramps up investments on Asia-Pacific mid-market plays

VINNY VUCAGO  |    11:59AM   EQT has launched an evergreen private markets strategy focused on Asia Pacific, giving eligible individual and institutional investors access to the investment manager's regional private equity platform through a single vehicle.

Brookfield wins US$1bn mandate from Nuclear Liabilities Fund

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

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.

'Easy peasy, done': Senate rips Equity Trustees' checklist governance

RIDDHIMA TALWANI  |    12:23PM   A Senate committee tore into Equity Trustees' governance at a hearing today, with one senator calling its approach to onboarding Shield and First Guardian a "checklist model", a characterisation the trustee rejected.

ASIC zeroes in on recurring compliance breaches

VINNY VUCAGO  |    12:18PM   ASIC has warned financial advice licensees to address lapses in reference checking, professional indemnity insurance and superannuation advice practices in an update released this week.

End of an era as Bowater leaves Frontier

MICHELLE BALTAZAR  |    2:14PM   Industry veteran Kim Bowater is leaving Frontier Advisors after 24 years, marking the departure of one of the asset consultant's most senior figures.

Netwealth recruits AI expert to boost in-house advice tech

RIDDHIMA TALWANI  |    12:34PM   Aiming to double its funds under advice by 2030, Netwealth has turned outside financial services for its latest AI hire.

Three super funds fined for misleading investment options

KARREN VERGARA   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   New research has found retirees will spend close to $121 billion from their superannuation in 2026, bolstering the Australian economy and supporting jobs.

First-mover costs stifle digital finance: report

MATTHEW WAI  |    12:26PM   Despite Australia boasting the technology and institutional capabilities for digital finance, several factors, including high barriers to first-movers, are derailing growth.

Iress retains tech mandate with Capital Haus

RIDDHIMA TALWANI  |    11:48AM   Private wealth management firm Capital Haus has extended its technology mandate with Iress.

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.