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(Pictured: Patrick Liddy) There are easy dollars to be made where funds can increase returns without increasing risk, in the areas of tax management, cash and FX. “These are the only free kicks left in the market,” according to Patrick Liddy, principle of consultant MSI Group. Liddy told the ASI conference that a fund’s custodian was…

(Pictured: Francesco Squillacioti) State Street is introducing “enhanced custody” to Asia Pacific following increasing demand for the service in the US and, more recently, Europe. Enhanced custody offers securities financing directly to clients, without the need for a prime broker, together with traditional asset servicing and custodial services. According to Francesco Squillacioti, State Street senior managing…

(Pictured: Kathryn McDonald) AXA Investment Managers has chosen Australia to launch its first integrated ESG smart beta fund, which has been seeded by dealer group Financial Index Wealth Accountants (FIWA) with $55 million, and is available on the Asgard platform. The fund, which is powered by US subsidiary AXA Rosenberg, will have about 400 stocks…

(Pictured: Mike Davis) The Tyndall name, which has been synonymous with value management in Australian funds management since 1989, is to be phased out by parent Nikko Asset Management, as the Japanese firm further integrates the local offering with its regional and global presence. Tyndall was formed from the remnants of a former high-flying growth manager,…

(Pictured: Full of goodies) In a blast from conferences past, but with a stronger technological bias, all wrapped up in a tastefully and appropriately decorated bag, the organisers and sponsors of the Australian Superannuation and Investment conference warmed the hearts of attendees with their give-aways this year. After years of austerity in the promotions department,…

Robyn Petrou… ‘most potent learning experience was birth of her triplet boys’ While industry super funds have grown, merged, built up their capabilities and played an integral part in the provision of universal coverage of Australian workers, the journey has been an evolution similar to that of mankind in general, argues Patrick Liddy. He spoke…

(Pictured: Tony McDonald) by Greg Bright There are big troubles facing the bank-aligned financial planning groups, from litigation to regulation to disenchantment by the clients and the planners themselves. Whether or not this leads to a more independent planning model, as some are predicting, is uncertain. Super funds can take advantage of the mess. Ironically, it…

(Pictured: Jon Howie) The democratisation of access to investment markets which has followed the rise of consumer choice around the world is continuing to force changes in investment management and the management of big super funds. Take what’s happening in the expanding ETF sector as an example. ETFs are far from new but they were slow…

(Pictured: Matthew Walker) The new Association of Real Return Investment Advisers (ARRIA) is targeting the “top 20 per cent” of IFAs as members, according to the inaugural chair, financial planner Matthew Walker, in order to provide practical content, tools and discussion opportunities to promote outcomes-oriented strategies in the advice community. Walker, a director of independent advisory…

(Pictured: Anne-Marie Corboy) One of Australia’s longest-serving industry fund chief executives, Anne-Marie Corboy, has announced her intention to step down from the $29 billion HESTA at the end of February next year. Having been appointed to her role in 1998, she said in a release last Friday, she was now hoping to develop a portfolio of…