Media wrong to tar advisers with the one brush A financial planning and accounting company head has taken the media to task for seeking to tar financial advisers with the one brush when he says the vast majority are trying to do the right thing. For more.

How COVID-19 baulked the Agreed Value rush The efforts of many clients and their life/risk advisers to write Agreed Value income protection cover before the 1 April deadline were stymied by the COVID-19 job losses. For more.

Hume calls for FASEA extension to return to business Senator Jane Hume has called on the Labor Party to enable the FASEA extension to return to business after a ruling yesterday on listed investment companies. For more.

LIC stamping fee exemption to be extended The ban on conflicted remuneration to listed investment companies will be extended following a consultation by the Treasury, removing an impediment to the FASEA exam extension legislation. For more.

Agriculture allocations cushioned sell-off One of the country’s largest agriculture stocks is now trading at levels higher than pre-COVID-19 and helped Australian equity funds lessen the shock of the pandemic-induced market sell-off earlier this year. For more.

FPA welcomes LIC stamping fee extension It has now called on the Senate to pass the FASEA extension bill, now that the Government has removed the exemption that allows stamping fees on listed investment entities. For more.

Unstable policy hinders super funds’ ability to help economic recovery Superannuation funds can play a major role in Australia’s economic recovery post pandemic but current unstable policy settings would constrain the ability to invest in important assets such as infrastructure and capital raisings, according to Rest. For more.

Australian ETF industry still strong Despite the market turmoil, the Australian exchange traded funds industry continued to show investors’ confidence in Q2 in this asset class, according to ETF Securities. For more.

Count Financial expands firm Count Financial has appointed Chris Burton as practice development manager as the business reaffirms its commitment to growth. For more.

Metrics makes four hires It has appointed two investor directors as well as two hires to its newly-created external relations and investor analytics team. For more.

Banks continue to defy markets The banking industry’s low risk business model and balance sheet strength remain largely underestimated by the markets, according to Western Asset. For more.

When all else fails, can advisers rely on ASIC? Outsider knows that there a certain number of financial advisers who like nothing better than sticking the boot into the Financial Planning Association and the Association of Financial Advisers over their shortcomings – real or otherwise. For more.

Will CFS deliver diamonds or stones for KKR? Outsider was delighted to read the news that, finally, the Commonwealth Bank had found an outfit with the will and the pockets deep enough to take on Colonial First State. For more.

James, Jim or Jimmy rather than any Tom, Dick or Harriet Outsider is sure he was not the only one who scratched his head in confusion when Elon Musk announced his newborn son would be named X Æ A-12. For more.