In financial planning, ethics can be distilled into acting in the client’s best interests at all times, acting with competence, honesty, integrity and fairness. In short, the way any one of us would like ourselves and our family members and friends to be treated by a professional service provider. This article, proudly sponsored by GSFM Pty Ltd, explores the important link between ethics and professionalism. Quite reasonably, consumers (and businesses) [...]

Does your Outsourced CIO fit within your governance structure and offer the governance you need? It is a vitally important, yet often overlooked element in the development and maintenance of an enduring and resilient investment program. But what is good governance? And does it really make a difference? The strength of the global capital markets of the last decade or more has meant that most financial organisations have done fairly well, regardless [...]

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 [...]