Insights

More Australians are paying attention to their super than ever before.

There seems to be two types of advertising in the market right now: either you're pushing out a message about shared pain and togetherness, or you're waiting patiently for all of this to blow over so you can go back to normal.

KPMG has conducted a survey that reveals insights into what consumers expect from their superannuation and financial services institutions in the ongoing pandemic world.

Zenith Investment Partners has just released its sector report for Australian Shares Large Companies. As the pandemic hit Australia in the middle of the review, half of the fund manager visits ended up being conducted via video conferencing, a development which was not entirely negative according to Jacob Smart, senior investment analyst.

While the panic of early March may have dissipated and Australia seems to have done relatively well when it comes to COVID-19 cases, Chi-X’s CEO Vic Jokovic says that people should still be cautious. He does not expect the volatility VIX index to return to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.

In their latest report on Gender Equity, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) included an unequivocal conclusion: “More women in key decision making positions delivers better company performance, greater productivity and greater profitability.”

Over the course of the last year, several high-profile cases of underpayment of staff from companies like NAB, Westpac, Bunnings, and Woolworths have been headline news.

Outside of the challenges of setup (my dining table is comfortable for a meal, not for an eight-hour workday) and needing to look after children, Sinha says the pandemic experiment showed that there can be a different, successful way of working. “Yet, even under these sub-optimal conditions, the pandemic showed that flexibility can work, with many people thriving in their safe, home-bound conditions.

Is the job market turning the corner? New jobs figures from SEEK and Kaizen Recruitment indicate that the job market is improving after a painful few months. The question is, however, are we seeing the light at the end of the tunnel or are companies simply accepting the new normal and going about essential business?

Like the rest of the world, WealthO2 had to make significant changes to how they do business almost overnight. Face-to-face meetings were going to be impossible for the foreseeable future at a time when people needed to get financial advice and information more than ever.

The Financial Planning Association of Australia has announced a restructure that will mean a streamlined organization that is able to focus on advocacy.

George Lucas is chief executive officer of micro-investing platform Raiz Invest Limited. Since launching in 2016 the platform, which is targeted at a younger demographic, has grown to more than 218,000 active monthly customers and over $404 million in funds under management.

Executive recruiter E.L Consult's May 2020 summary shows demand for new executive positions slowing down as more organisations are making due with what they have while management and most staff are working remotely.

Netflix, Stan, and Disney may have some new competition. Pitch Labs, a product of Pitcher Partners Adelaide, is taking on the account and advisory industry by revising how people pay for financial advice.

Banking and finance recruitment specialist Profusion Group has released a salary guide for financial services and advice.

With the federal government laying out plans for reopening the Australian economy, researchers from PGIM Inc, the investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc, says we need to start thinking about what the world will look like.

Retirees – the group that relies most on a thinly-stretched financial advice industry – are in a difficult position. They are worried about their financial positions but aren't sure what to do.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is seeking to fill the newly created role of head of climate risk.

Recruitment firm RIVA has released a salary guide for financial advisers in Australia.

Talk to any investor on the street, and they’ll likely share concern about share performance relative to the broader economy. A brutal earnings season is bearing this out all around the globe.