Newspaper icon
The latest issue of Financial Standard now available as an e-newspaper
READ NOW

Financial Planning

Goldman Sachs to buy insurer USI for $1.8bn

The private equity arm of Goldman Sachs & Co has made a play for USI Holdings, the tenth largest insurance broker in the US, in a merger deal worth just under $1.8 billion (US$1.4 billion).

Aviva goes green with carbon outputs

NICK OLIVER  |  THURSDAY, 18 JAN 2007
Aviva is aiming to be the first insurer to carbon neutralise its operations on a worldwide basis.

Private equity spree hurting managers: Suncorp

HAMISH MADDEN  |  WEDNESDAY, 17 JAN 2007
The spate of private equity activity is making life hard for active fund managers, with index funds outperforming many Australian equities funds thanks to the soaring valuations of unloved stocks on the back of buyout speculation.

Biotech bouncing back

HAMISH MADDEN  |  WEDNESDAY, 17 JAN 2007
The Australian biotech sector finished 2006 in a healthy position with stronger valuations buoyed by the interest of overseas investors and 2007 looks set to continue the trend.

New planners lack listening skills

HAMISH MADDEN  |  MONDAY, 11 DEC 2006
Research from Deakin University has found that recently qualified financial planners are deficient in listening skills and lack the required knowledge to formulate a plan for those approaching retirement.

S&P signs up IOOF for planner distribution deal

ALEX DUNNIN  |  MONDAY, 11 DEC 2006
Standard & Poor's Fund Services has partnered with IOOF to provide fund ratings and research to IOOF and its affiliated planner group Consultum Financial Advisors.

BankWest and ABN AMRO win Best of the Best reverse mortgages

ALEX DUNNIN, HAMISH MADDEN  |  MONDAY, 11 DEC 2006
BankWest has been awarded Money magazine's Best of the Best award for reverse mortgages sold by banks while ABN AMRO won the award for the best non-bank reverse mortgage.

ASIC should adopt dollar-base performance metrics: ISN

HAMISH MADDEN  |  TUESDAY, 28 NOV 2006
The Industry Super Network (ISN) has called on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to cut through incessant debates about how we measure super fund performance by adopting a 'net benefit to member' (NMTM) model focusing on the ...

Whose side are you on, asks ASIC

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) chairman, Jeff Lucy, said planners must always act in the best interest of their clients if they want the general public to view the industry as a legitimate profession.

Multiple super accounts wasting billions in fees: CHOICE

ALEX DUNNIN  |  FRIDAY, 24 NOV 2006
Consumers waste up to $2 billion per year in fees on unnecessary multiple accounts and it's time something was done about it, CHOICE said in watershed report released yesterday.