The UK’s long-term savings and investment industry is undergoing significant upheaval as the Government moves to make major changes. George Osborne’s radical Budget is set to offer greater freedom to pension savers. Whilst a drive by the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is set to boost transparency and ensure... MORE
The TISA Savings and Investments Policy Project (TISP) this week released the findings of its initial review into the challenges faced by UK savers, warning of a looming consumer finance crisis unless industry and policy-makers take urgent action. The findings set out how UK households are failing to save enough for their day-to-day needs and... MORE
There has been much discussion about the implications of MiFID II (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive) following the long-awaited agreement reached among EU regulators at the end of January this year. The directive is being introduced with the aim of establishing a more transparent system and efficient marketplace. One of the key impacts on distribution... MORE
In Australia, the focus within the superannuation industry for the past thirty years has been on accumulation of savings. Over that period, product development has been driven by accumulation needs, and super funds have focussed on acquiring members saving for their retirement. Product differences between accumulation and post retirement products mean that many retirement products... MORE
Over the past few decades we have seen that improved education and growth in wealth is delivering a higher standard of living to a growing Asia middle-class. In an effort to retain that improved standard of living over increasing life expectancy, workers and families are taking a more holistic view to maintaining that standard; through... MORE
We live in a world of outsourcing – not just at a corporate level, but in our personal lives as well. A modern, time-poor Australian can pay someone else to mow their lawn, wash their car, clean their house, and look after their children. It’s even possible to buy a dog and then pay someone... MORE
The shape of the superannuation industry in Australia has changed remarkably over the past twenty five years, since the introduction of the Super Guarantee Charge in 1992. Originally just three per cent of salary was mandated to be invested in superannuation. In 2014 this has risen to 9.25 per cent and is scheduled to continue... MORE
While segmentation of a customer base and accurate profiling of superannuation fund members has been a long held dream of marketers, the digital age has brought the dream alive. Technology now enables more accurate collection of data than ever before, covering wider ranges of customer activity. Segmentation based only on age and gender is well... MORE
The Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) sector is often referred to as a “cottage industry” because it is administered almost entirely by a heavily fragmented network of suburban accountants. But with projections suggesting that the SMSF sector is set to hit $2.2 trillion within 20 years, the question arises of whether or not the SMSF... MORE
With increasing emphasis being placed today on the importance of financial management across all sections of society, there is a distinct need for improved financial literacy in education. As a growing number of technology-based resources are steadily integrated into the classroom, is there an opportunity for investment platforms to examine how they could help improve... MORE