FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY – AUSTRALIA

ANZ backs exam for financial advisers

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Original article by Joanna Mather, Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Jan-15

The ANZ Bank’s submission to a Senate inquiry has supported a proposal to subject financial planners to an annual exam of their skills and knowledge. The bank’s submission cites a US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority exam as a model that could be considered in Australia. Centrepoint Alliance and Choice are among the other organisations that support exams for financial planners, although the Financial Planning Association does not

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION, CENTREPOINT ALLIANCE LIMITED – ASX CAF, FINANCIAL PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, MACQUARIE PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

News Corp targets $1.85trn super pool

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Original article by Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 27-Oct-14

Investment platform provider OneVue has consented to an alliance with News Corp Australia, as the media group seeks to expand into new markets. It now aims to offer services for superannuation account holders, with the launch of its BrightDay product. The venture is to be managed by James Leplaw, GM of News Corp’s "Eureka Report" investor newsletter. The latter is part of the Australian Independent Business Media publishing business acquired by News Corp in mid-2012, but is believed to have suffered a drop in subscriber numbers

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, ONEVUE HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX OVH, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT BUSINESS MEDIA PTY LTD, EUREKA REPORT PTY LTD, CLIME ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PRIVATE MEDIA PARTNERS PTY LTD, CARNEGIE, WYLIE AND COMPANY PTY LTD, INVESTSMART FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED

4000 ask for CBA advisory review

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Original article by Michael Bennett
The Australian – Page: 23 : 13-Oct-14

Those affected by deficient advice received from Commonwealth Financial Planning and Financial Wisdom between 2003 and 2012 have one year to ask for a formal review. Parent Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) says that after three months of the offer overseen by Promontory Financial, some 4,200 clients have taken advantage of the deal. If this rate persists for the remaining nine months, fewer than 5% of all CBA financial services division customers will participate. CBA has so far made restitution to 1,100-plus people, costing a total $A52m

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL PLANNING LIMITED, FINANCIAL WISDOM LIMITED, PROMONTORY FINANCIAL GROUP LLC, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Sydney’s financial dreams fall flat as Asian cities climb ranks

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 26-Sep-14

The importance of Sydney as an international financial centre is diminishing, while big Asian cities are becoming more important. The Global Financial Centres Index, published by the Z/Yen Group, ranks Sydney 23th and Melbourne 24th. Sydney was ranked ninth in 2007. More must be done to strengthen the Australian funds management industry. The Financial Services Council supports the introduction of an investment manager regime which offers tax incentives to foreign investors

CORPORATES
FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, Z/YEN GROUP LIMITED

Concern over funding of class actions

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 28-Aug-14

The Australian Institute of Company Directors’ GM, Steve Burrell, has urged stricter regulation of litigation funders. He notes that growing competition in the sector has prompted a rise in class actions in the last 18 months. Litigation funders are typically paid 20-35 per cent of the total payout in successful class actions, but Burrell is concerned about a proposal to allow litigation funders to use the common fund system in Australia

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPANY DIRECTORS, INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION FUNDING PARTNERS INCORPORATED, ALLCO FINANCE GROUP LIMITED, BENTHAM IMF LIMITED – ASX IMF, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, CITIBANK PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED – ASX SGT, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT AUSTRALIA

CBA enlists heavyweights for compo panel

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 16 : 25-Aug-14

Following a scandal over improper advice by its financial planning arm, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has formed an Independent Review Panel for the Open Advice Review Program meant to compensate affected customers. Some 400,000 clients of Commonwealth Financial Planning and Financial Wisdom from 2003 to 2012 will benefit. CBA has sought the services of a number of class action law firms on the issue, appointed ex- judges Geoffrey ­Davies and Julie Dodds-Streeton to the panel, and recruited US-based Promontory Financial Group to monitor internal processes at the bank

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL PLANNING LIMITED, FINANCIAL WISDOM LIMITED, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, McGRATH NICOL AND PARTNERS SERVICES PTY LTD, COURT OF APPEAL (QUEENSLAND), SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, PROMONTORY FINANCIAL GROUP LLC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, MACQUARIE PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, QUEENSLAND. PUBLIC HOSPITALS COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, QUEENSLAND. LITIGATION REFORM COMMISSION

Macquarie, Nine on Resi road

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 21 : 10-Jul-14

Australian-listed financial services company Yellow Brick Road (YBR) is raising $42 million through a share issue to fund the acquisition of non-bank lender Resi. YBR will pay $A36 million in cash and shares for the target. Macquarie Group and Nine Entertainment will be issued with 17.1 million new shares in YBR, at $A0.70 a share, with other institutional investors taking 25.8 million shares

CORPORATES
YELLOW BRICK ROAD HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX YBR, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, RESI MORTGAGE CORPORATION PTY LTD, VOW FINANCIAL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, TICKETEK, MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN

Finance, unis big winners

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Fleur Anderson, Greg Earl, Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Jul-14

A new economic partnership agreement (EPA) has been struck between Australia and Japan. Apart from the automobile and agricultural sectors in Japan and Australia respectively, the main winners will be sections of the Australian services industry. The Japanese Government will open this area to Australian educational, legal and financial services providers. Business leader Sir Rod Eddington has welcomed the focus on services. He also warned that investment by Japanese parties will require a stable political and regulatory environment in Australia, but dismissed fears the deal may harm the relationship with China

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SERVICES ROUNDTABLE, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL