COVID-19 inquiries prompt new calls for intra-fund advice extension Confronted by almost record levels of inquiries to call centres, superannuation fund executives have again canvassed extending the scope of intra-fund advice. For more.

TPB lightens CPE load in face of COVID-19 The Tax Practitioners Board has sought to lighten the load for tax advisers and others by lifting the continuing professional education 25% reading cap for six months. For more.

Australian equities suffer the most since COVID-19 pandemic Australian-related equity funds have taken the biggest beating since the start of 2020, with geared funds losing the most, according to FE Analytics data. For more.

Advisers vs. COVID-19: survey Money Management is seeking feedback from advisers on how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting their business continuity and what are the key challenges they face. For more.

The stock with a Zooming share price It’s the technology stock taking over people’s homes as Australia moves to remote working and study but Zoom Video Communication may not be a ‘buy’ as much value is already priced in. For more.

More opportunities for contrarian investors The current state of market offers great opportunities for contrarian investors with a focus on fundamentals, Allan Gray’s chief investment officer said. For more.

Russell: The attractive appeal of high yield credit High yield credit is looking attractively priced, according to Russell Investments, as a result of the COVID-19 shock and the oil price collapse has caused spreads to widen. For more.

RBA’s action should help stabilise the bond market A relatively strong response from the Reserve Bank of Australia and implementation of the quantitative easing should help stabilise the bond market, according to Nikko AM. For more.

Yarra appoints distribution manager Rommel Hacopian has been appointed distribution manager by Yarra Capital Management. For more.

Maple-Brown Abbott appoints global head of distribution Duncan Hodnett will join from 30 March, 2020, in the newly-created role of head of global distribution. For more.

Ex-AMP planner sentenced Trevor William Martin has been sentenced to three years of imprisonment to be served through an intensive corrections order for dishonestly obtaining $208,000 of client funds. For more.

This is not the next GFC: BlackRock The COVID-19 chaos is not a repeat of the 2008 global financial crisis, says BlackRock, but will deliver a ‘sharp and deep economic shock’ to global markets as the firm repositions its portfolios for resilience. For more.

COVID-19 is something to Bragg about As Outsider sits in his big red leather chair enduring what some are now choosing to call self-isolation, he has been given to reflect that in these days of social media ‘self-isolation’ doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re actually isolated. For more.

Self-isolation, single malts and damn the virtual chit chat It’s hard to break the habits of a lifetime but even Outsider is putting aside some of his less attractive attributes to meet with company policy during these difficult COVID-19 times. For more.

You know things are bad when the free tucker dries up Outsider felt a pang of disappointment when the CMSF conference in Adelaide was called off due to the ever evolving COVID-19 pandemic. For more.