Relative Return: Selecting defensive Aussie equities

In the latest episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic sits down with Adele Martin, the founder of My Money Buddy and the Savings Squad podcast, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Martin and Djurdjevic discuss the latest gender pay gap data, as well as ways to attract more women into financial advice and the potential for women to make a significant impact in the sector.

Listen as they discuss:

• The importance of fair representation.
• The role advice plays in helping women secure safe financial futures.
• How advisers celebrating achievements can help financial advice move closer to achieving gender equality.

There are so many amazingly successful women in the finance industry, but only a small number have a strong brand and online presence in this traditionally male-dominated industry. 
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we want to help more women raise their profile and showcase the incredible professionals in this space.
 
In this episode, partnered by Mortgage Choice (part of the REA Group), we’re picking the brain of its executive manager, corporate communications, events & franchise marketing, Sally Chadwick, to find out:

• How to build a brand presence. 
• The benefits of having a strong brand presence.
• Top tips to help you get started today.

And much more!

In this episode, Maja Garaca Djurdjevic speaks with Sarah Shaw, chief executive and chief investment officer at 4D Infrastructure, about how she set up her own asset management business and how the sector can work to attract more women.

Listen as they discuss:

• How to attract women to work in financial services.
• Shaw’s transition into infrastructure.
• The growing interest by super funds into infrastructure.
• How the sector fared during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
• The broader outlook for infrastructure. 

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Peter Johnston, executive director of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals (AIOFP), to discuss the recent creation of a new joint association.

Mr Johnston explains why the AIOFP joined forces with the Finance Brokers Association of Australasia (FBAA) to form the Independent Financial Council (IFC), as well as why now is the time for the advice profession to push its agenda in Canberra.

Listen as they discuss:

• Why Mr Johnston thinks the IFC can be more effective than the Joint Associations Working Group (JAWG).
• How the Quality of Advice Review consultations are tracking and where changes might come.
• The recent move for 400 InterPrac advisers to join the AIOFP.

In this special two-part episode of the SMSF Adviser Show, hosts Keith Ford and Aaron Dunn are joined by a selection of prominent industry members at the SMSF Association National Conference.

In part one, Justin Micale, assistant commissioner, self managed super funds risk and strategy at the ATO, joins to discuss the Tax Office’s illegal early access estimates that were announced at the conference, as well as the importance of regulators having a presence at industry events.

Meg Heffron, managing director of Heffron, and Tim Steele, chief executive officer at Class, also join the show to talk about the thought leadership breakfast on the first day of the conference and its theme of holding up a mirror to the SMSF sector.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by ifa news editor Keith Ford to discuss the latest on the QAR and other regulatory changes affecting the profession.

A year has passed since Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones released the final report on the Quality of Advice Review, a move that was eagerly awaited by the financial advice community. Despite the release, the journey towards implementing the recommendations has been slow, marked by a series of roundtables and consultations.

In this podcast, Maja and Keith discuss:

• The likelihood that QAR commitments will be legislated this year.
• Treasury’s Senate estimates appearance and the “qualified adviser” conundrum.
• The implications of the ASIC levy increase for advisers, and more.

In this episode of Relative Return, Maja Garaca Djurdjevic speaks with Andrew Fraser, principal and portfolio manager at Merlon Capital Partners, about growing an asset manager and exploiting behavioural biases.

Listen as they discuss:

• Setting up Merlon in the wake of the GFC.
• The challenges of running a fund manager.
• The current state of Australian equities.
• Exploiting behavioural biases for investment gains.
• ASIC’s focus on ESG and greenwashing.

In this episode of the SMSF Adviser Show, hosts Keith Ford and Aaron Dunn are joined by Matthew Burgess, director of View Legal, to discuss the broader importance of trusts.

Mr Burgess explains why, despite their perception as vehicle for the wealthy to minimise tax, trusts are a cornerstone of financial planning, providing flexibility, asset protection, and succession planning benefits that outweigh tax considerations.

Listen as they discuss:

• The government’s stance on trusts and concerns that changes are on the way.
• How the $3 million super tax changes will impact the attractiveness of these structures.
• The importance of compliance when dealing with trusts.