Financial control, a form of financial or economic abuse, is unfortunately an increasingly common occurrence across a range of age and socio-economic groups. During financially and emotionally challenging times, such as those experienced by many during the COVID-19 pandemic, financial abuse tends to rise. Whether it’s in the form of financial control in a relationship, or financial abuse of elders, it’s something all financial advisers need to be aware of. [...]

FASEAS’s Code of Ethics with its twelve standards, became law on 1 January 2020. Its aim, to ensure best practice and positive client outcomes from Australia’s financial advice providers. In this article, proudly sponsored by GSFM Pty Ltd, we take a close look at standards seven to twelve. (Part one examined standards one to six.) FASEA’s Code of Ethics is principles based and is intended to apply to a wide [...]

The gatekeeper to the pool In an earlier article we explained risk pooling, a foundational concept in insurance. By aggregating together people with similar risks, those risks can be spread. A frequently cited example is that of ancient shipping merchants [1], who would come together and effectively pool and share the financial risks of one of their boats and/or cargo being lost at sea. A key enabler for life insurance [...]

Life underinsurance has been a much discussed – and debated – topic for more than a decade. Denounced by some critics for the perceived self-interest of those seeking to shine a light on the issue, recently released data[1] confirms the underinsurance gap is not only real, and significant, it is also widening. Structural developments within the sector are likely to exacerbate the problem further, posing challenges for advisers and their [...]