The COVID-19 pandemic has justifiably absorbed management and board attention, but environmental and other activist groups have not shifted their focus during the lockdown. Read more

In the last few years, a growing number of investor stewardship codes have called for investors to become more active owners. Stewardship codes typically outline how investors can encourage companies to incorporate and maintain good corporate governance ... Read more

A few months is a long time in oil markets. In late February 2020, the attention of oil-industry analysts and investors was fixed firmly on the supply side of the market, with all eyes on the growing power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Russia over ... Read more

All sectors of the superannuation industry agree that successful equity investing entails some short-term pain to enjoy long-term gain. Superannuation funds and investment managers who embrace an active management philosophy can feel his acutely when ... Read more

A popular discussion point for investors in recent months has been what shape the post-pandemic recovery will take. Read more

Following consultation, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has released updated internal dispute resolution guidance for financial firms (Regulatory guide 271 Internal Dispute Resolution (RG 271)) and registered a legislative ... Read more

Couples engaged in property settlement negotiations or court proceedings prior to the COVID-19 crisis currently face a difficult choice: should the negotiations be suspended until the crisis ends or should negotiations and property settlement matters ... Read more

On 1 July 2020, First State Super and VicSuper merged to become Australia's second largest superannuation fund, managing $125 billion in savings on behalf of more than 1.1 million members across the education, health and public service industrie ... Read more

ASIC's consultation paper on advice fee consents (CP 329 Implementing the Royal Commission recommendations: Advice fee consents and independence disclosure) was issued on 10 March 2020, around the time when many organisations were introducing bans on ... Read more

The government's early release of superannuation scheme, introduced earlier this year and recently extended until 31 December 2020, has assisted millions of Australians to weather the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis. Read more

An audit may seem a necessary evil, however, it's an opportunity for an overview of the status of your SMSF - an assessment of the fund's compliance as well as its overall health. Look at the annual audit as a medical check-up of your fund, which is ... Read more

The Federal Court's decision in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC's) fee-for-no-service proceedings against certain licensees within the NAB Group highlights the principles to which a court will have regard in ... Read more

The conditions around the COVID-19 pandemic-economic uncertainty and lack of internal controls in a new digital workplace-have created the perfect ecosystem for financial crime. Leaders who fail to take the right precautions and preventions now could ... Read more

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) made a product intervention order on 22 October 2020 that imposes conditions on the issue and distribution of contracts for difference (CFDs) to retail clients. This paper summarises the key ... Read more

The ability to bring-forward future year entitlements to make non-concessional contributions to superannuation has been in place for many years now. Up until 30 June 2020 this could be done by anyone who was under age 65 on 1 July and met the total ... Read more

Almost all pension members will occasionally draw more than the minimum pension amount in a given year. If so, it is critical to think carefully about how those extra payments should be treated and documented before taking the payment. Pension members ... Read more