If you build a killer robot, don’t forget the “off” switch

The government recently dismantled a final argument in defence of grandfathered conflicted remuneration when it released regulations providing that from January 1, 2021, conflicted payments can no longer be made …

Four ways financial services providers can support better choices by customers

Freedom of choiceIs what you gotFreedom from choiceIs what you want In ancient Rome there was a poemAbout a dog who found two bonesHe picked at one he licked the otherHe …

Best in Show: Are you on the list?

Over the past few months, both the Superannuation Productivity Commission and the Financial Services Royal Commission have recommended changes to the default super system. If implemented, the changes will weaken …

How well does your licensee support you through the challenges of being an adviser?

There’s one thing we can be sure of as the financial advice industry professionalises and realigns to deliver services in the best interests of consumers: the cost to financial advisers …

The new way of working could be killing our retirement outcomes

It’s the new work order: abandon the shackles of the 9 to 5 in favour of working multiple jobs, for multiple employers. Drive for Uber, take some paid board positions, …

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 …

Complaints up, skilled staff down: the challenges of residential aged care

Australia’s residential care providers are in a challenging environment. While some providers are making healthy profits, smaller providers are struggling to survive. This survival-of-the-fittest approach was exposed by ABC’s recent …

If clients aren’t hearing your voice, who are they listening to?

Since the start of this year the reputation of financial planning has been battered by the Royal Commission. Control of the messages about the very real and significant benefits of …

Education and the Royal Commission push financial advice into uncharted territory

It’s been five months since the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry ended its hearings into financial advice. Although nobody is sure exactly how …

Royal Commission: six principles, three key issues, and eight pointers for advisers

The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry interim report, released on September 28, addresses the critical issues of how the level and extent of …

The first step for surviving the storm that too many advisers have not taken

Preliminary findings of the Professional Planner/CoreData Future of Advice Survey show that a useful first step a significant number of advice businesses could take to help them negotiate the uncertainty of …

To make a big change start small, start now, and start with yourself

At CoreData we have recently embarked on a discipline of filling in timesheets correctly and submitting them by close of business on Friday every week. It’s a small but important …

In super we trust, but is this the calm before the storm?

The numbers are in and there’s good news for industry super funds. According to CoreData research there’s been no damage to consumer trust from the Royal Commission’s superannuation hearings. The …

Five ways SMSF providers can deal with the death of homo economicus

The self-managed super fund (SMSF) market is reaching its maturation phase. The challenge facing participants in the market now is how to identify where new growth opportunities lie. So how …

What catching footballs taught me about business intelligence

Recently I had the honour of playing as goalkeeper for a team in the 2018 ASEAN Futsal Club Championship in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where we placed second, the best result of …