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AIA Australia rejigs retail team, appoints new lead
AIA Australia's restructure of its retail business will see two senior leaders depart while a new chief retail insurance officer has been appointed to take charge of the next phase of growth.
JANA launches private credit trust
JANA is expanding its investment trust offering with the launch of an institutional-quality private credit solution.
FAAA welcomes 'widow's tax' changes in CGT, negative gearing reforms
FAAA says it welcomes the legislative changes aimed at addressing the so-called "widow's tax," noting the amendments will protect grieving families and individuals navigating relationship breakdowns from unintended tax consequences.
ART strikes $883m QLD Westfield deal
Australian Retirement Trust (ART) has agreed to acquire a 50% interest in Brisbane's Westfield Mt Gravatt from Scentre Group for $882.5 million, in what is expected to be Australia's largest single-asset retail transaction this year.
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Andrew Gregory
CHIEF ADVICE OFFICER
UNISUPER
UNISUPER
After 25 years, Andrew Gregory remains motivated by the impact financial advice can have on Australians' lives. As UniSuper's chief advice officer, he is not slowing down on any of his current ambitions. Matthew Wai 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).