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Colchester launches first two ETFs in Australia
|Colchester Global Investors has handed a mandate to Equity Trustees for two new ETFs, making it's first offerings in Australia.
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|Local experts are observing a growing investment opportunity in Australian advice platforms that may not be as apparent for global investors, but since the sector is currently at its "infancy", many can capitalise on buying low and selling high.
FSC calls for tougher oversight of advice licensees
|The Financial Services Council (FSC) has called for a significant overhaul of ASIC's supervisions of financial advice licensees, arguing stronger regulatory oversight is needed to better protect consumers following recent industry failures.
State Street launches first active ETFs in Australia
|State Street Investment Management has launched two actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in an extension of its partnership with Blackstone Credit and Insurance.
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Featured Profile
Hugh Killen
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY LIMITED
AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY LIMITED
For Hugh Killen, several life lessons came from spending time on pastoral properties stretching across northern New South Wales and South-West Queensland.
The Financial Standard podcast Tune in each week as we discuss the latest developments in Australia's wealth management industry. |  |
So, this Government is about to wind the clock back 25 years? The SOA requirements in the original Chapter 7 of the Corporations Act, which was legislated in 2000 with a two year transition, were drafted with a copy of the insurance CAR in mind.
How do I know? I applied for a Financial Services Licence under the new Chapter 7 back in 2002. I was familiar with the old CAR. I was pleasantly surprised to find some common sense in the new SOA rquirements.
Since then I have been increasingly gobsmacked and flabbergasted by the changes to SOA requirements - changes brought in by Governments, lawyers and public servants with no idea of what is really required in the process of providing advise.
Other areas of Chapter 7 have become as messy as the SOA requirements now are, because of the same lack of understanding.
And the outcome? Decimation of financial advice services and an underadvised population in Australia.
What next???
Well, I for one gave up financial advice a couple of years ago. And I'm not regretting it for one minute.
I rarely comment on issues however I must agree with the other comment here. It's more than 25 years of winding back the clock! In fact, I remember the CARs in the early 1990s.
How ironic we are right back where we started! And we will soon have a new form of adviser that can run amok and if it goes wrong rely on the "It was only General information/ Advice? provided" excuse! What was the point of all the study and gaining of qualifications?
Won't be long and every Industry Fund will be able to give advice over the phone with so called "qualified advisers" who have done no study and received a crash course on how to keep the business with THEIR FUND, regardless of better options.