SuperRatings has formalized its consulting work with the appointment of Adam Gee, former superannuation services director at KPMG, to the new position of head of the consulting division. Nathan MacPhee, SuperRatings CEO, said: “For the last decade SuperRatings has consistently undertaken consulting projects on behalf of clients, but we have never marketed our consulting services…
Computershare has notified clients and ‘handcuffed’ key staff in its retail unit registry business after a decision to exit the business once all existing contracts are honoured. The decision exposes a severe lack of infrastructure in the administration of retail managed funds in Australia. Computershare, one of the world’s largest share registry companies, has provided…
The next wave of member-directed investments available through big super funds is likely to include bundled model portfolio-style options and even tailored annuity-style retirement products. The aim is to provide maximum choice and member control of underlying assets through the full range of super fund offerings. FNZ, which has provided the member-directed platform for several…
Australia’s chief executive, Rob Goodlad, and Boston-based chief investment officer for global equities, Ali Lowe, are the most senior casualties in the firm’s restructure designed to provide greater depth in its alternatives and fixed income offerings around the world. Goodlad has already left, after 14 years with SSgA, and Lowe will leave at the end…
Australian superannuation funds drive a much harder bargain when it comes to fees on funds management and other investment services, compared to their international counterparts, according to Tim Barron, senior vice president and chief investment officer at Segal Rogerscasey. Â “I always figured that Australians really immigrated from Ireland because they’re so cheap,” he told attendees…
The need for financial education is rising with the increasing individualization of superannuation but a void remains in the provision and delivery of that education in a cost-effective manner. Chris Condon and Peter Vann believe they can fill at least part of that void with their new service. As previously reported, Condon, former chief investment…
Larger general insurers in Australia, which tend to have larger surpluses, have greater flexibility in their investment portfolios because of Australian regulations governing insurers. So, according to Robert Goodman, smaller insurers may be more dramatically impacted by the lower-yield environment. Goodman, the global head of insurance relationships for Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) in the…
There was a strong focus on security, especially for mobile devices, at this year’s annual technology summit held by JP Morgan in London earlier this month. The industry needed “a fundamental shift in thinking” to protect a company’s data and assets, the summit was told. Angus Burden, head of IT risk management for EMEA region…
The high-net-worth market has bounced back, according to a report by Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management, particularly in the US and the Asia Pacific region. The total population of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) increased 9.2 per cent in 2012 after a flat 2011. The report, an annual study, this year included the results of one of…
An analysis of US fund flow data based on how “foreign” a manager’s name sounds shows significant bias among mutual fund investors over an extended period, particularly in regions where racial or ethnic stereotypes are more pronounced. Work by Dr Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi of the University of Mannheim, presented at a Sydney University seminar last week,…
