Latest news:

ASIC reviews Great Southern, Timbercorp client files

Vigilant policing

There are claims the corporate regulator is currently investigating client files linked to the failed groups.... read more »

Features:

Advisory pool brimming with talent

IFA Cover Story

By Julie May

Financial services companies are once again hiring and candidates are returning to the job market in droves following the global financial crisis. Julie May reports.... read more »

The reign of the kingpins

IFA Cover Story

By Kate Kachor and Vishal Teckchandani

Margin lending has taken a battering from the global financial crisis and the collapse of Storm Financial. Kate Kachor and Vishal Teckchandani take a look at how the main players are faring and what new lending regulations mean for the industry.
... read more »

Toeing the line

IFA Cover Story

By Kate Kachor and Vishal Teckchandani

To what extent are financial planners to blame for investor losses as a result of recent corporate collapses and what are advisers' rights
in these situations? Kate Kachor and Vishal Teckchandani report.... read more »

Facts and figures: SMSF myths debunked

IFA Cover Story

By Wouter Klijn, Julie May and Darin Tyson-Chan

The SMSF sector has continued to perform strongly against its industry competitors and amid the turmoil from the global financial crisis. Now, a new statistical summary of the sector has provided a more in-depth picture of how the sector is travelling. Wouter Klijn, Julie May and Darin Tyson-Chan look at how the sector is doing and what's in store for 2010.... read more »

Fund managers bullish on Aust shares

By Vishal Teckchandani and Kate Kachor

After a phenomenal bounce back in Australian equities last year, investors are wondering what to expect from the market in 2010. IFA's Vishal Teckchandani and Kate Kachor spoke to a number of the industry's leading fund managers about their forecast for the year ahead.... read more »

The PI squeeze

IFA Cover Story

By Victoria Papandrea

The hardened insurance market cycle has hit financial planners renewing their professional indemnity cover, but underwriters have also come under considerable pressure in recent years. Victoria Papandrea reports.... read more »

Frugality vs Functionality

IFA Cover Story

By Wouter Klijn

The GFC put cost savings at the top of many financial planning practices' agendas, however, this failed to translate into the uptake of low-cost advice software. Even so, market dominators IRESS and Coin are facing competition from niche players and cannot afford to take their eye of the ball. Wouter Klijn reports.... read more »

Dollars and sense: what price for peace of mind?

IFA Cover Story

By Kate Kachor

While confusion may reign for many regarding the right price for advice, work has begun to help Australia's advice sector start on a path to find answers, reports Kate Kachor.... read more »

The year ahead

IFA Cover Story

By Darin Tyson-Chan and Julie May

Next year is tinged with some uncertainty about the level of recovery in the share market and the outcome of various parliamentary inquiries. Darin Tyson-Chan and Julie May take a look at what may be in store for 2010.... read more »

2009: the year in review

IFA Cover Story

By Kate Kachor and Wouter Klijn

The turmoil of the past year wreaked havoc on Australia's financial services sector, with the collapse of investment firms, parliamentary inquiries and a concerted push to abandon commission-based fees. Kate Kachor and Wouter Klijn examine the events of 2009 and their impact on the investment environment.... read more »

Top ten issues

IFA Cover Story

By Staff

A decade on from its first issue, IFA marks the occasion by revisiting the top 10 issues, as nominated by the industry, impacting on the sector in that time. Three past editors of the magazine also look back on their time at the helm of the publication.

• On the brink of meltdown
• A seismic shift
• Simple made super sexy
• Consumer confidence: you're hot then you're cold
• Imperfect storm
• The rise of industry funds
• Inquiries galore
• The rise of a multi-billion-dollar industry
• Rise of the new order
• Quality of advice crusade