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Australia, UK partner to procure well-regulated financial markets
Following its inaugural meeting in September 2025, the second UK-Australia Joint Financial Regulatory Forum took place this week, with Australia remaining vocal about placing greater emphasis on governance and asset valuation of private markets.
Count takes 30% stake in Brisbane advice firm
Count has agreed to acquire a 30% stake in Brisbane-based accounting and financial advice firm Apiary Financial, continuing its push to expand its equity partnership network while reporting stronger first-quarter earnings.
Audit quality continues to fall short: ASIC
The corporate regulator has called for improvements in audit quality and financial reporting after its latest surveillance found companies, including superannuation funds, are still not getting the fundamentals right.
ETFs entering 3.0 era: JPMAM
JPMAM believes thematic ETFs may become a thing of the past as actively managed ETFs become more prevalent.
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When geopolitics becomes a portfolio risk
Geopolitics is back - again - and Australian investors can no longer treat it as distant background noise.
Does association membership still matter?
With all the changes the advice sector has experienced in recent years, such as regulatory reform and increased education and professional standards ...
Digital assets and where they stand in 2026
So far in 2026 digital assets have captured the headlines largely for the wrong reasons, but that doesn't tell the full story.
Rethinking default design in a changing market environment
The evolution underway in the US DC system highlights the value of periodically reassessing default design assumptions.
Featured Profile
Jacqueline Fernley
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
ARC POINT OCIO PTY LTD
ARC POINT OCIO PTY LTD
Jacqueline Fernley is a self-confessed nerd, a market animal and as of this year, her own boss. Riddhima Talwani writes.
The Financial Standard podcast Tune in each week as we discuss the latest developments in Australia's wealth management industry. |  |
How ridiculous. Industry funding the government regulator for the industry. Am I missing something here? The big banks are saying that ASIC needs more resources to police the industry and that industry should fund ASIC. So then the banks raise their fees to cover their contribution to ASIC? Simply unbelievable and naive comment.
The big banks hire financial planners whose main job is sell bank products regardless of the inherent risk to anybody that walks through the branch office doors. Surely the question is, when do the big banks take responsibility for their own actions and actions of their staff, admit their collective mea culpa, change their employment practices and disincentivise /prevent their staff from selling high risk products to unsuspecting customers?
As for ASIC, the question has to be is why ASIC has not suspended or revoked the banks financial planning AFSL. There is ample evidence to take to the courts should the banks appeal the revocation of the AFSL. If it was Mr Fred Nobody, a financial planner in the burbs the AFSL would have revoked in nanoseconds.
So....... implement the recommendations of the Trowbridge report, and of the upfront commissions that insurance companies pay, advisers get $1,200 with the remainder going to ASIC?