221-230 of 589 results
BEAR Bill implementation date likely to change
This afternoon the Senate Standing Committee on Economics released their report on the Treasury Laws Amendment Banking Executive Accountability and Related Measures Bill 2017 BEAR Bill The Economics Committee recommends that the BEAR Bill be passed but recommends the commencement date be pushed out ...
FX global code update
The FX Global Code was launched in Australia earlier this year and applies to market participants including most financial institutions bank asset managers brokers and E-trading platforms The Code sets out 55 best practice principles and although compliance is voluntary it is expected that these ...
Government and ASIC announcements for FinTech sector
There were three announcements this week that will serve to bolster the emerging Australian FinTech sector The Government released a statement in support of FinTech as part of its National Innovation and Science Agenda while ASIC issued two sets of guidance an information sheet for providers of ...
Life insurance, conflicted remuneration and commissions
The Bill to amend the conflicted remuneration provisions in the Corporations Act for life insurance has been introduced into Parliament a second time and draft regulations have been released for comment However we struggle to know how to describe them because the changes seem to have conflicting ...
Designing effective remediation programs
ASIC issued Regulatory Guide 256 Client review and remediation conducted by advice licensees late last week In short RG 256 says an Australian financial services licensees duty to provide financial services efficiently honestly and fairly means they have to take responsibility for the consequences ...
ASIC's enforcement powers may receive a boost
In preparing its Final Report the FSI has clearly paid close attention to the report of the Senate Economics References Committees Report into ASICs performance and its recommendations designed to strengthen ASIC through a combination of better funding an enhanced regulatory toolkit and higher ...
Broadening approved product lists - would it really achieve anything?
In his report earlier this year on retail life insurance advice John Trowbridge recommended that every advice licensee include at least half of the 13 relevant life insurers on its approved product list The Assistant Treasurer has since indicated the Government may consider measures to widen APLs by ...
Hayne report – first impressions
Commissioner Hayne's recommendations may initially seem somewhat modest – they do not undo vertical integration, impose limits on executive remuneration or ban bonuses and they do not recommend that directors prefer the interests of their customers. But, while it is true that the recommendations are not radical, there is much in the report that will mean some real changes for financial services companies, their Boards and their executives, as well as for their regulators and advisers. ...
Round 3: Lending Practices to Small and Medium Enterprises
Throughout the Royal Commission, Commissioner Hayne grappled with the difficulties of striking an appropriate balance between ensuring that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have access to credit, and imposing standards on the provision of that credit to protect SME borrowers and third-party guara ...
Allens advises on $1 billion sale of Wesfarmers insurance broking business
Allens has advised on one of the largest trade sales of the 2013/14 financial year. The firm advised long-standing client Wesfarmers on the sale of its insurance broking and premium funding busines ...