Financial Standard

Federal Court lifts Merhi's travel ban

KARREN VERGARA   Former financial adviser Ferras Merhi is now free to travel as the Federal Court lifted travel restraint orders imposed one year ago.

Nominations open for the 2026 Power50

STAFF WRITER   Nominations for the 2026 Financial Standard Power50 are now open as we recognise the country's most influential advisers who continue to raise the standards for the profession and provide outstanding service to clients and the wider community.

oOh!media bidders up offer price

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   oOh!media has confirmed it will continue to engage with all three firms currently battling it out to acquire the outdoor advertising company.

Traditional investing principles unsuitable in decumulation: Research

KARREN VERGARA   New research from Milford Asset Management challenges widely accepted investment principles, arguing retirement portfolios require a fundamentally different approach from those built during the accumulation phase.

Final report into Life Code makes 85 recommendations

MATTHEW WAI   The final report of an independent review of the Life Insurance Code of Practice has been finalised, proposing some 85 recommendations across aspects of mental health, customer vulnerability, claims handling, and sales practices.

Treasury releases adverse genetic test results ban draft regulation

KARREN VERGARA   Treasury is seeking feedback on draft regulations that ban the use of adverse genetic test results in life insurance, which come into effect on October 8.

FEATURE | Retirement | A layer of confidence

MATTHEW WAI   Retirement is often the most vulnerable and least exciting phase for Australians, yet it can also become a fulfilling period for those who plan in advance and seek reliable sources of income. Matthew Wai writes.

Lack of awareness impacts retirement satisfaction: TAL

MATTHEW WAI   New research indicates that although around 90% of retirees selecting pension accounts or lifetime income streams were satisfied with their decision, less than two in five (38%) pre-retirees understood how those products work.

IMF downgrades Australian outlook

ELIZA BAVIN   The International Monetary Fund has downgraded the outlook for Australia while the RBA's Sarah Hunter has signalled another cash rate hike could be on the cards.

Inflation cools, RBA facing 'uncomfortable trade-off'

ELIZA BAVIN   While inflation has cooled, it remains stubbornly above the Reserve Bank's target range, putting the central bank in a tricky position, experts say.

ASIC fines Deutsche Bank for 'systemic' reporting failures

KARREN VERGARA   The market regulator penalised Deutsche Bank $2 million for misreporting more than 260,000 over-the-counter (OTC) derivative transactions, saying the fine reflected "deficiencies" in the reporting framework and such failures were "systematic."

ASIC levy estimates jump 19% as regulator ramps up funding

VINNY VUCAGO   ASIC has lifted its estimated industry funding levy by almost 20% for 2025-26, with regulated entities expected to shoulder $400.5 million in regulatory costs as the corporate watchdog expands its supervision and enforcement activities.

MaxCap hires from Vanguard, AustralianSuper

MATTHEW WAI   MaxCap has welcomed two senior directors, including a portfolio manager from Australia's largest super fund, reporting to the recently named chief executive Kylie Robb.

Focus Partners Australia appoints head of wealth advisory

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   Focus Partners Australia has appointed a head of wealth advisory, hiring from Ord Minnett.

Hostplus delivers double-digit FY26 returns

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   Hostplus Balanced (MySuper) option delivered members 10.8% for the financial year 2025-26, while the Indexed Balanced option and the High Growth option returned members 11.06% and 12.61% respectively.

ASFA makes suggestions for performance test overhaul

VINNY VUCAGO   The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has called for the federal governments annual superannuation performance test to be modernised, arguing the current framework is discouraging long-term investment assets such as housing, infrastructure and renewable energy.

HeirWealth launches AI integration

VINNY VUCAGO   HeirWealth has launched a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server allowing financial advisers, accountants and family offices to query consolidated client wealth data through artificial intelligence assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude.

SS&C to accept digital cash for tokenised investments

MATTHEW WAI   SS&C Technologies Holdings is planning to adopt digital cash such as stablecoins and tokenised commercial bank deposits during the transactions of tokenised investments.

Australia welcomes 25k to millionaires' club: UBS

KARREN VERGARA   Australia's club of millionaires jumped by 25,000 last year thanks to booming property values and fat superannuation balances, according to the lasts UBS Global Wealth Report.

Family office succession takes back seat to investments

KARREN VERGARA   While family offices have investment strategies down pat, the state of their succession plans paint another story, which reports suggest could undermine a seamless transfer of a vast amount of wealth.