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16 May 2024
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There are a lot of vague statements about the costs of financial advice in Australia. This insider's knowledge shows the actual costs are skyrocketing but demand for financial advice remains strong.
The number of financial advisers in Australia has almost halved at a time of greater need than ever. What has happened to the industry and its clients as yet another Quality of Advice Review takes place?
In solving problems relating to conflicts of interest, comprehensive financial advice will be increasingly confined to the wealthy. Advisers respond plus comments by Perpetual's Adam Curtis.
In solving problems relating to conflicts and best interest duties, comprehensive financial advice has become so expensive that it will be increasingly confined to the wealthy. Is that what we want?
Statements by Brian Hartzer, CEO of Westpac, confirm that financial advice delivered by advisers to the mass market is not financially viable, and technology is the solution if most Australians are not to miss out.
In a response to Graham Hand's article on why roboadvice is struggling, the case is made that conventional financial advice will increasingly confine itself to the wealthy, and the mass market needs another solution.
There are at least 20 businesses in Australia operating in 'roboadvice', yet it takes large scale to make these businesses profitable. Most will not make it independently and will need to choose another path.
In Part 2 on roboadvice, we interview the CEO of a business that started out with the resources and ideas to deliver better outcomes to consumers, but decided to pivot away.
On 21 June 2018, Raiz Invest (formerly Acorns) listed on the ASX, valuing the company at $119 million. How does this 'micro investing' platform stack up as a place to invest or buy shares in the company itself?
A former professional footballer draws five lessons from his sporting life into his current career in finance. Success in one year in no way ensures that the next time will be any easier.
Despite the publicity and hype and almost a decade of operation, robo advice businesses in the US have gathered less than 0.1% of assets under management. Why is adoption much slower than expected?
Good financial advice requires finding out a lot about an investor, in the same way a good relationship involves more than a few online questions.
If you’re like me, you may have put money into term deposits over the past year and it’s time to decide whether to roll them over or look elsewhere. Here are the pros and cons of cash versus other assets right now.
How useful are the retirement savings and spending targets put out by various groups such as ASFA? Not very, and it's reducing the ability of ordinary retirees to fully understand their retirement income options.
Australia will have 3.7 million more people in a decade's time, though the growth won't be evenly distributed. Over 85s will see the fastest growth, while the number of younger people will barely rise.
There's been little debate on how spending changes as people progress through retirement. Yet, it's a critical issue as it can have a significant impact on the level of savings required at the point of retirement.
Recently, I compiled a list of ASX stocks that you could buy and hold forever. Here’s a follow-up list of US stocks that you could own indefinitely, including well-known names like Microsoft, as well as lesser-known gems.
The $3 million super tax will capture retired, and soon to retire, public servants and politicians who are members of defined benefit superannuation schemes. Lobbying efforts for exemptions to the tax are intensifying.