Editor's Choice
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.
Products
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.
I'd like to clarify one thing in your story. It's not that existing MDI options don't work - it's that they involve lots of moving parts, plenty of trustee involvement & lots of complexity all round. It's coming to terms with all of this that seems to have slowed down the momentum for MDI implementation.
In my talk, I identified a range of areas where MDI could be - & will be - extended but this is going to take some time, & will be accompanied by the growth of associated advice services.
Does this explain why Australia's largest super fund has increased its Member Direct annual fee by a massive 119% effective from June 1st, 2015? Is this an exit strategy or just a means of having members fund ballooning costs of running MDI options. Such fees render the MDI option borderline.