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Regulatory

Former director jailed for misuse of $1.75m

VINNY VUCAGO  |  TUESDAY, 11 AUG 2026
Former Equitable Financial Solutions director Usman Siddiqui has been sentenced to six years and six months' imprisonment for dishonestly using his position as a director and misappropriating company funds.

ASIC ramps up enforcement action

VINNY VUCAGO  |  MONDAY, 10 AUG 2026
ASIC has delivered 150 administrative enforcement outcomes in 2025-26, including the removal or restriction of 87 individuals and businesses from providing financial services as the regulator intensifies action against misconduct across the financial ...

S&P reaffirms Australia's AAA credit rating

VINNY VUCAGO  |  FRIDAY, 7 AUG 2026
Australia has retained its AAA sovereign credit rating form S&P Global, with the ratings agency citing the nations sound fiscal position, modest public debt and strong institutional settings despite heightened global uncertainty.

ASIC suspends AFSL of GFA Capital Markets

RIDDHIMA TALWANI  |  THURSDAY, 6 AUG 2026
ASIC has suspended the Australian financial services licence (AFSL) of GFA Capital Markets (GFA) for five months after finding multiple client money, reporting obligation and compliance failures.

Former Berndale director jailed for $700k in misused funds

VINNY VUCAGO  |  THURSDAY, 6 AUG 2026
Former Berndale Capital Securities director Stavro D'Amore has been sentenced to almost four years' imprisonment after admitting to dishonestly misusing nearly $700,000 of company funds and authorising false statements to ASIC.

ASIC consults to improve flexibility around pre-IPO comms

RIDDHIMA TALWANI  |  WEDNESDAY, 5 AUG 2026
ASIC has released a proposal to provide companies greater flexibility when listing on the public market to publicise their upcoming initial public offering (IPO).

Treasury rolls out negative gearing, CGT Tranche 2 consultation

KARREN VERGARA  |  WEDNESDAY, 5 AUG 2026
Treasury has launched part two of the negative gearing and capital gains tax (CGT) reforms, hoping to clarify some more of the "complex issues" that apply to a range of specific circumstances and structures.

Sequoia caves into InterPrac sale undertaking, ASIC withdraws proceedings

KARREN VERGARA  |  WEDNESDAY, 5 AUG 2026
With ASIC withdrawing legal proceedings against Sequoia Financial Group after it entered an undertaking not to put the Cross Deed of Guarantee at risk tied to the sale of InterPrac Financial Planning, the group remains coy about the deal with Conquest ...

Chiodo in ASIC's crosshairs again

KARREN VERGARA  |  TUESDAY, 4 AUG 2026
ASIC is taking further action on Paul Chiodo, this time for spruiking another property investment that raised $1.54 million from five SMSF investors.

FAAA calls for rethink on trust tax overhaul

VINNY VUCAGO  |  TUESDAY, 4 AUG 2026
The Financial Advice Association (FAAA) has urged the federal government to reconsider its proposed minimum tax on discretionary trusts, warning the reforms could impose significant costs on small businesses, financial advisers and lower income Australians ...