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ASIC cancels AFSL of Australian Fiduciaries
ASIC has cancelled the Australian financial services licence (AFSL) of Queensland-based Australian Fiduciaries, which is currently in liquidation.
Treasury expects regulators to do the heavy lifting
Treasury has released new Statements of Expectations for APRA and ASIC, with an emphasis on how the regulators should promote a more sustainable and secured financial ecosystem.
NGS Super names head of strategy
NGS Super has appointed a former ASFA committe member as head of strategy, as the fund aims to strengthen its retirement offering.
SS&C axes jobs, shifts roles offshore
US software services giant SS&C Technologies has slashed 170 Australian roles in the operations, technology and delivery teams.
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Expert Feed
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
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.
The merger does not magically create an independent group. It is just not owned by one of the big four banks.
In many ways these mergers create even more problems for the consumer as CEO's can talk about "maintaining independence" and "letting the adviser flourish", under a banner that looks no different to the genuine intermediaries.
And mergers and acquisition firms who are not sure if a firm is independent or not perhaps should not comment at all. No good for the reputation showing that lack of knowledge
Would love to see ASIC comment on the statements made by this group
In my view, independent advice is not what SFG currently offer anyway. The advisers within this group have very little flexibility at all and are almost forced to use their own in-house products. If anything there is less independence in this group than is offered by the big 4.