Financial Standard

Product Showcase: Making group insurance count

THE FINANCIAL STANDARD TEAM   Many financial advisers aspire to provide genuinely integrated advice, but finding ways to support more clients without increasing operational demands remains a challenge.

Vietnam joins FTSE Russell emerging market index

VINNY VUCAGO   Vietnam has officially joined the FTSE Russell Global Equity Index Series, marking a new phase for its capital market as it moves from frontier to Secondary Emerging Market status.

Investors jump ship from private markets

VINNY VUCAGO   Financial advisers are pulling back from private market investments as concerns over liquidity, fees and transparency weigh on allocations, according to VanEck's 2026 Smart Beta Survey.

Soul Patts records 'landmark' year after merger

MATTHEW WAI   Washington H. Soul Pattinson saw its profit climb over 500% in the 12 months to July 31, as the ASX-listed manager continues to anticipate strong performance in the current financial year.

Australian life insurers lag global peers: Capgemini

MATTHEW WAI   A new survey from Capgemini found that Australian life insurers are stowed behind the global average when it comes to member engagement and educational efforts.

AIA Australia rolls out TPD CORE

KARREN VERGARA   AIA Australia has launched TPD CORE, a new retail product that charges lower premiums and provides clearer claim assessment criteria for total and permanent disability (TPD).

Retirement confidence lags as investors turn to AI

VINNY VUCAGO   Retirement has emerged as a central for investors globally, but a lack of confidence and financial literacy is keeping many savers on the sidelines, according to Amundi's latest global investor study.

ART leads retirement product race, others wrestle with covenant

KARREN VERGARA   Superannuation funds continue to grapple with their Retirement Income Covenant obligations, underscored by Australian Retirement Trust (ART) being the only fund from a sample that has successfully brought two products to market.

Jobs data 'final nail in the coffin' for rate rise

ELIZA BAVIN   After a surprise 51,000 employment drop in July, jobs rebounded by a solid 39,500 in August, leading economists to believe the RBA will be forced to hike interest rates this month.

Intergenerational Report looks to AI to buoy productivity slump

KARREN VERGARA   Australia's economy will continue to stagnate over the next 40 years, growing at just 2% annually, according to the latest Intergenerational Report (IGR), which points to the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution to buoy sagging productivity.

ASIC strengthens AI trading safeguards

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   ASIC is strengthening safeguards for automated and AI-enabled trading.

ACCC green lights I Squared takeover of oOh!media

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   The competition commission of Australia has given the go-ahead for I Squared Capital to acquire ASX-listed oOh!media.

CFS distribution executive steps down

KARREN VERGARA   After more than seven years at Colonial First State, the firm's group executive for distribution will leave before the end of the year.

Australian Ethical chair to step down in 2027

MATTHEW WAI   Australian Ethical chair Steve Gibbs has decided to retire from the board at the end of the financial year, putting an end to his 14-year tenure.

Equity Trustees pushes bidders for better price

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   Equity Trustees' parent company EQT Holdings' board confirmed it is engaging with its two bidders - TPG Global and BGH Capital - and has pushed for an improved offer from both.

Australian Ethical, Bloomberg join ASFA

VINNY VUCAGO   Stakeholders in the superannuation industry are becoming increasingly diverse despite continued consolidation among funds, with the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) expanding its membership to include organisations spanning responsible investment, technology, banking and workplace health.

AI overtakes superfunds for investor education

VINNY VUCAGO   Artificial intelligence (AI) has overtaken superannuation funds as a source of investment information among younger, highly knowledgeable Australian investors, according to new research from Global X.

New digital asset trading platform targets HNWs, instos

VINNY VUCAGO   CloudTech Group has launched a digital asset trading platform in Australia giving institutional, high-net-worth and individual investors access to aggregated liquidity, institutional-grade pricing and advanced trading tools.

Australia's family offices surpass $323bn in assets

RIDDHIMA TALWANI   Family offices in Australia have surpassed $323 billion in assets, according to data from Rainmaker Information.

Mining, property fuel Aussie billionaires' wealth

KARREN VERGARA   Australian billionaires' riches are highly concentrated in mining, financial services, technology and property, accounting for 0.7% of the total US$15.1 trillion in global wealth studied by the 2026 Billionaire Census.