News

(Pictured: Steve Davis) For the relatively small financial advising arm of the Australian Unity group, the changes in Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) legislation have already cost it $1 million – and could cost the group perhaps another $250,000 as a result of this week’s reversal by the Senate. Steve Davis, chief executive officer of AU’s…

 (Pictured: John Snowden) Global real estate investment trusts are being increasingly promoted in Australia as part of the general search for yield, which has occupied many an investor’s mind for several years. But one Australian manager argues traditional management of global REITS has been sub-par. Resource Real Estate Global Property Securities, one of the managers under…

 (Pictured: Greg O’Neill) The annual La Trobe Financial/Fund Executives Association Ltd CIO and COO Awards will be announced at a cocktail party in Melbourne on December 2. Three finalists in each category will be recognized, along with the ultimate winners of each. This is the first year that the awards, instigated and formerly produced by La…

(Pictured: John Brogden) by Penny Pryor It should come as no surprise that outgoing chief executive of the Financial Services Council, John Brogden, believes that overturning the Future of Financial Advice (FoFA) reforms will do more harm than good. After all, some of his association’s members have been the most vocal critics of the political move….

 (Pictured: Matthew Peters) QIC chief economist, Matthew Peters, says a combination of four factors could lead to a perfect economic storm for superannuation funds as they try and boost returns for members over the next few years. At the same time as interest rates are at record lows, funds are facing increasing pressures to maximise income,…

(Pictured: Enrique Gonzalez) Comment by Enrique Gonzalez* Superannuation funds in Australia have always outsourced a substantial part of their operations to asset managers, asset consultants, custodians, and fund administrators. The increasing size of both retail and industry funds has triggered a review into a number of important issues. For instance, whether some key functions may actually…

(Pictured: Karyn West) Apostle Asset Management, the multi-affiliate third-party marketing firm started by Karyn West, is being acquired by its original sponsor, French-based Natixis Asset Management, following the expiry of the seven-year contract between the two groups. West and business partner Greg Johnson will continue to represent two of their own managers under the Apostle Funds…

(Pictured: Jeff Conway) After about 25 years at State Street, Jeff Conway is born again as the head of the newest of the State Street “pillars’ – State Street Global Exchange. It has taken him awhile to “adapt to a new space, personally”, he says. But he has started communicating what the information age really means…

(Pictured: Benjie Fraser) Big super funds, most of which are insourcing an increasing amount of their investment management activities, are likely to always retain a significant element of external management, according to Benjie Fraser. The London-based JP Morgan managing director and global pensions executive addressed an IMCA meeting in Australia earlier this month. Fraser, who has…

 (Pictured: Ben Thornley) Ben Thornley, journalist-turned impact investing advisor to the likes of the CalPERS pension fund, has started his own consulting firm and also co-authored a book which is a definitive guide to the nascent field: “The Impact Investor: Lessons in Leadership and Strategy for Collaborative Capitalism”. The new firm, ICAP Partners, based in the…

Your occasional Investor Strategy News correspondent is quite a fan of the ASFA annual conference. It has that ‘trade show’ feel about it: a place where you can catch up with events, and a place where people become friends. For sponsors, it’s a place of opportunity, for delegates a place for the curious. This year…

 (Pictured: Tony Freeman) China goes live today (November 17) with its latest initiative to boost the level of institutional investment, particularly from foreign investors, in the main Shanghai share market – the Shanghai-Hong Connect, known as the ‘through train’. Tony Freeman, the head of global industry relations for the industry-owned Omgeo trading services group, says it…