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ASIC boasts $830m record civil penalties
ASIC has scored a whopping $830 million in civil penalty orders in the last financial year alone, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed.
Infinity AM wins SMID fund mandate
Viridian Financial Group's Infinity Asset Management won a mandate to oversee a small to mid-capitalisation fund that was previously under the remit of Renaissance Asset Management.
New alternative investment firm lands in Sydney
A pair of Remara directors, along with an iPartners private credit specialist, have joined forces to launch a new alternative investment firm, targeting an underserved segment across the private credit market.
New 'high-risk' derivatives on the rise
An innovative financial product, known as perpetual futures contract (perps), are currently under the scope of the market regulator, spreading concerns that the "speculative" product may be unlawfully distributed towards retail investors.
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Blake Briggs
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL
FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL
Since becoming chief executive, Blake Briggs has renewed the Financial Services Council's influence, expanded the membership base, and strengthened its policy and advocacy credentials. Karren Vergara writes.







Was anybody else surprised when they found out that the CFP is a designation and not a qualification? Since one has to study quite hard for it I am not sure about the distinction. I also never before heard that the CFP was not a qualification - I may have missed it but I never saw such a disclaimer before and I have been an FPA member for a while. Does anybody have any insights about this?
One pointer to the CFP not being a qualification is that a lot of people were grandfathered into it who only had a diploma of financial planning. It is one reason I only ever did CFP 1 (out of CFP 1-4) (to gain the life risk specialist - I presume - designation and not qualification?).
How is the CFP already at a Masters level?
Masters degrees are at Australian Qualifications Framework Level 9.
Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas are at Australian Qualifications Framework Level 8.
The Certified Financial Planner is not even awarded as a Graduate Certificate. Hence its not even AQF Level 8. If it was why wouldn't the Financial Planning Association have got it formally recognised as a Graduate Certificate?
The Chartered Accountants Program is only 5 subjects and is awarded as a Graduate Diploma. Hence all the talk of designations versus qualifications is rather confusing. It's not clear at all why the Certified Financial Planner can't be awarded as a Graduate Certificate at least. With the certifications its effectively 5 subjects or at least 4 subjects (CFP1-4).