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Financial Planning

Tiger year ushers investors to China

RUTH LIEW  |  MONDAY, 15 FEB 2010
Planners spent the last decade educating clients about China's potential - but the Year of the Tiger could herald the new boom decade for local investors.

In Kerr Neilson we trust

MICHAEL HOBBS  |  THURSDAY, 11 FEB 2010
Financial planners are three times more likely to favour Platinum Asset Management over other international equities fund managers, new research found..

AMP raises Horizons intake

COMPANY RELEASE  |  THURSDAY, 11 FEB 2010
AMP is increasing the intake to the Horizons Financial Planning Academy by 50 per cent to cope with demand.

Planners sidelined for self-investing strategies

RUTH LIEW  |  WEDNESDAY, 10 FEB 2010
New research from CMC Markets found that the amount of money an investor would allocate to global equities depends on which generation they belong, and that day traders are less inclined to ask "experts" for stock advice.

Synchron grows adviser base by 40pc

COMNPANY RELEASE  |  TUESDAY, 9 FEB 2010
Non-aligned dealer group Synchron has increased its adviser numbers by 40 per cent with the appointment of 44 new advisers last year.

AMP planners back fee for service APL

MICHAEL HOBBS  |  TUESDAY, 9 FEB 2010
AMP's financial planners have thrown their support behind an approved product list (APL) that does not include any commissions - and fund managers keen to keep their business are fast adjusting to the change.

APRA targets illegal early release on super

RUTH LIEW  |  MONDAY, 8 FEB 2010
Planners should take note of how they can help clients combat the illegal early release (IER) of super benefits, following APRA's letter last week to super fund trustees vulnerable to the practice.

Count buys DKN stake

MICHAEL HOBBS  |  FRIDAY, 5 FEB 2010
Count Financial has bought a five per cent stake in financial services solutions provider, DKN Financial Group, as financial planning groups continue their buying spree.

Merger creates $16bn mortgage aggregator

COMPANY RELEASE  |  WEDNESDAY, 3 FEB 2010
The $16-billion plus mortgage aggregator Vow Financial, part-owned by Macquarie Group, could pose a new threat to financial planning firms after the group's head said they also plan to start offering non-mortgage financial products.

Aviva key personnel disbanded after NAB buy

MICHELLE BALTAZAR  |  MONDAY, 1 FEB 2010
More than six months on since NAB bought Aviva Australia's Navigator platform and insurance business, at least three key Aviva personnel have left or about to leave, while five have assumed new roles within NAB's businesses.