Financial advisers going back to school – some more than others

Last week the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) urged all existing financial advisers to make sure they are present and correct on the ASIC financial advisers register by December …

Can the Royal Commission create a new industry hero?

From myth and the first recorded stories in ancient history to present-day movie blockbusters, humans appear to be obsessed with the idea of the hero. The “hero’s journey” narrative pops …

Three things aged-care providers can do before the Royal Commission wringer

If the Royal Commission into Financial Services is anything to go by, Australian aged care providers are about to be put through the wringer. The terms of reference of the Royal Commission …

The Royal Commission: the closer you get, the worse it looks

When Commissioner Kenneth Hayne submitted the interim report of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services industry to the Governor-General and the Parliament in September, …

Why a picture is worth 1000 words in developing effective research insights

The use of visual images in research is not new, but the way they are used continues to evolve and grow. Visual images help to generate research data and provide …

Bugger married at first sight – the best TV in Australia is The Royal Commission

Bugger Married at First Sight, the best TV ever is watching the Royal Commission on the feed while you are working, or better yet, listening to it as you attack yet another data …

Consumer sentiment and mortgage stress on the rise

For the first time in five years the broad sentiment of Australians has moved from mildly negative – to mildly positive. The broad trend in predicted improving economic conditions, along …

First home buyer volume flatlines

There are more Australian first home owners in the market today as a proportion of all home buyers than there have been for more than five years. The uptick – which …

A tale of two mortgage brokers

As a property investor, I became worried about the high interest rate I was being charged on my variable-rate home loan, particularly after getting a letter in the mail notifying …

Market Turns For First Time Buyers

The four year retreat of first home buyers from market looks to have ended according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS),  indicating that the …

Why I won’t be accessing my super early

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been asked on numerous occasions by friends, family and colleagues my opinion on whether allowing early access to superannuation is a good idea. …

Bank staff trump brokers on service times

The latest round of CoreData Home Loan Mystery Shopping in which 275 customers moved through the home loan process showed a rapid shift in channel behaviour. The Mystery Shopping Process …

From Russia with doubt

When we all think of Russia – we tend to think of it as the alternative superpower – the controlled economy ying to the capitalist yang of the Unites States, …

Digital disruption races ahead in Europe and China

It’s easy to see why banks and fund managers alike are in love with automation – in terms of management, scalability and cost, machines are a lot easier to lover …