Thoughts on money, from a Financial Planner in Perth
Discussion on how fees, independence and bias operate in the field of providing advice on financial matters.
Here’s a Michael’s Musings look at financial planner bias from the perspective of the a financial planner. Why financial planner bias? Because financial planner bias is a key issue driving commentary, legislation and daily financial planner activity today. Community perceptions and assumptions of financial planners have changed over the years, with the decades-long battles between bank … Read more
Grandfathered commissions is a term that is receiving a lot of airplay at the moment through the Royal Commission. The term is used so often and to cover so many different concepts that I thought it might be helpful to spend some time discussing just what “grandfathered commissions” actually refers to. It’s also helpful to … Read more
Financial planning ethics are of paramount importance to sound financial planning. Yet this self-explanatory and seemingly obvious statement cloaks the areas of ‘grey’ within which financial planning ethics may not be at all obvious or not at all relevant. Financial planning ethics is all about communication. What works and what doesn’t; how things work and … Read more
Financial planners continue to be in the news – gosh, we must be an interesting lot. The focus of late has been on insurance – it’s costs and the differences between good and bad advice in this area. This is a short post, with a link to commentary from three different planners operating in the … Read more
It’s Philosophy Friday, so let’s spend a moment or two musing on the place of “Ethics” in the world of the financial planner. Financial Planning Ethics It may seem obvious that there is a place for ethics in financial planning. Financial planning scandals of one type or another have peppered the front pages of newspapers, … Read more
Is there a financial bias in media and commentary towards do-it-yourself strategies? And if there is, is it disclosed or obvious or even apparent?
What is Australia’s cheapest super fund? Should fees be the sole basis for choosing a super fund?
Who is behind the name that is behind the advisor that gives you advice? Financial Planning Bias – All is not as it seems We have covered the bias that is inherent in the Australian financial industry a few times now. The key reason for this bias is the government regulatory requirement that all Financial … Read more
At least, that is the impression you can get when tuning in to some sections of the media. As covered in previous posts, the post-GFC world is a tumultuous one, with many long cherished “laws” of investment being turned on their head, and many investors feeling helpless in the face of small, zero or negative … Read more
With all the access to information and compelling voices of authority of the modern world, it can be hard to work out what you need to know, and what is just “noise”.