Financial Standard

Federal Court lifts Merhi's travel ban

KARREN VERGARA   Former financial adviser Ferras Merhi is now free to travel as the Federal Court lifted travel restraint orders imposed one year ago.

Nominations open for the 2026 Power50

STAFF WRITER   Nominations for the 2026 Financial Standard Power50 are now open as we recognise the country's most influential advisers who continue to raise the standards for the profession and provide outstanding service to clients and the wider community.

Special Feature: Rewarding patient capital

PENNY PRYOR   This special feature was first published in the July 13, 2026 (Vol. 24 No. 13) edition of Financial Standard. Brought to you by Neuberger.

KKR joins consortium to acquire ASX-listed Steadfast

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   Global investment firm KKR has joined a consortium, including Amwins Group and Dragoneer Investment Group, as a co-lead investment partner to acquire ASX-listed general insurance broker Steadfast.

Final report into Life Code makes 85 recommendations

MATTHEW WAI   The final report of an independent review of the Life Insurance Code of Practice has been finalised, proposing some 85 recommendations across aspects of mental health, customer vulnerability, claims handling, and sales practices.

Treasury releases adverse genetic test results ban draft regulation

KARREN VERGARA   Treasury is seeking feedback on draft regulations that ban the use of adverse genetic test results in life insurance, which come into effect on October 8.

FEATURE | Retirement | A layer of confidence

MATTHEW WAI   Retirement is often the most vulnerable and least exciting phase for Australians, yet it can also become a fulfilling period for those who plan in advance and seek reliable sources of income. Matthew Wai writes.

Lack of awareness impacts retirement satisfaction: TAL

MATTHEW WAI   New research indicates that although around 90% of retirees selecting pension accounts or lifetime income streams were satisfied with their decision, less than two in five (38%) pre-retirees understood how those products work.

IMF downgrades Australian outlook

ELIZA BAVIN   The International Monetary Fund has downgraded the outlook for Australia while the RBA's Sarah Hunter has signalled another cash rate hike could be on the cards.

Inflation cools, RBA facing 'uncomfortable trade-off'

ELIZA BAVIN   While inflation has cooled, it remains stubbornly above the Reserve Bank's target range, putting the central bank in a tricky position, experts say.

LRBA ban requires immediate clarity: SMSFA

MATTHEW WAI   The SMSFA is urging the government to provide immediate clarity and guidance with the upcoming change on LRBAs access for the sector.

ASIC fines Deutsche Bank for 'systemic' reporting failures

KARREN VERGARA   The market regulator penalised Deutsche Bank $2 million for misreporting more than 260,000 over-the-counter (OTC) derivative transactions, saying the fine reflected "deficiencies" in the reporting framework and such failures were "systematic."

Entireti names former Perpetual chief as chair

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   Entireti has named a former chief executive of Perpetual as chair of its board.

Evidentia appoints head of product

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   Evidentia Group has named Mark Spring as head of product for strategy and managed funds.

Super funds fail customer service test: SCA

KARREN VERGARA   Superannuation funds are apathetic, dismissive and continue to fail members at the most basic service level, a new investigation from Super Consumers Australia (SCA) reveals, which slapped the industry with an overall failing grade on customer satisfaction.

Aware hikes fees for former TelstraSuper members

ELIZA BAVIN   Following the merger of the two funds, Aware Super has informed former TelstraSuper members' death and TPD insurance costs will rise as much as 53%.

HeirWealth launches AI integration

VINNY VUCAGO   HeirWealth has launched a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server allowing financial advisers, accountants and family offices to query consolidated client wealth data through artificial intelligence assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude.

SS&C to accept digital cash for tokenised investments

MATTHEW WAI   SS&C Technologies Holdings is planning to adopt digital cash such as stablecoins and tokenised commercial bank deposits during the transactions of tokenised investments.

MST Financial broadens services to Alder & Partners

KARREN VERGARA   MST Financial has broadened its services for Alder & Partners Private Wealth Management, providing "institutional-grade investments" across managed accounts, asset allocation and research.

Australia welcomes 25k to millionaires' club: UBS

KARREN VERGARA   Australia's club of millionaires jumped by 25,000 last year thanks to booming property values and fat superannuation balances, according to the lasts UBS Global Wealth Report.