- TAL Recognised for Gender Equality;
- First Group of Masters Students Graduates;
- ASIC Bans Adviser for Dishonest Conduct
TAL Recognised for Gender Equality
TAL has been recognised for its gender equality in the workplace with an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality Citation awarded by the Commonwealth Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
TAL Group Chief Executive & Managing Director Brett Clark said the award was the result of a broad gender equality program which had closed the gender pay gap to almost 100% equal pay across the organisation as well as hiring both genders on equal pay for the same roles.
The insurer had also introduced maternity and paternity support schemes, management training on gender equity and monitoring and measuring the groups diversity and inclusion activities.
“We have worked to close the pay gap for all roles and a range of initiatives to promote greater diversity and inclusion for all regardless of gender, racial background or physical ability. Our work on diversity and inclusion is ongoing to ensure we maintain our positive and supportive workplace culture and to help our employees achieve their potential,” Clark said.
The citation is awarded to organisations that have met high standards in workplace gender equality and recognises the efforts taken to enact long term gender equality.
First Group of Masters Students Graduates
The first group of students to complete Kaplan Professional’s Master of Financial Planning have graduated completing their courses within two years.
The nine students, who started the course when it was first launched in early 2014, will be followed by a further 350 who have since enrolled in the the Master of Financial Planning course with Kaplan Professional.
Kaplan Professional, Chief Executive, Brian Knight said the large number of enrolments was a strong indication that advisers were embracing education reform and the quality of the qualification.
“The groundswell in the number of enquiries and those currently studying only affirms that advisers really believe in backing up their practical experience with formal education to strengthen their reputation and ultimately deliver better advice to their clients,” Knight said.
“An increasing number of advisers are coming to realise that the minimum education standard, whatever that becomes, is no longer good enough … the consumer of the future will want to know the education level of the adviser they entrust to help achieve their financial future.”
ASIC Bans Adviser for Dishonest Conduct
A former financial planner, who had her authorised representative status pulled by her licensee has been permanently banned by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
The corporate regulator permanently banned Marion Joan Pearson, who was licenced with Ballast Financial Management from late 2007 to late 2013, after it found Pearson contravened financial services laws while providing advice to self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) clients.
During the period mentioned above Pearson, who now resides in New Zealand, was the sole director and shareholder of Colisa Pty Ltd, which traded as Anmar Financial Consultants.
Pearson held authorised representative status through Ballast while Colisa was a corporate authorised representative of Ballast but these were revoked by the licencee on 30 October 2013.
ASIC said it gave the ban since it found that Pearson had engaged in conduct that was dishonest- including creating documents to disguise the fact that client money was paid into Colisa’s bank account without the relevant client’s knowledge or authority.
ASIC also found Pearson had engaged in conduct that was misleading or deceptive, in that she misled Ballast and specified clients into believing the clients’ funds were placed in particular investments, when in fact, she had not done so.
ASIC stated it is continuing to investigate Pearson’s conduct, and she had the right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, but was not investigating the conduct of Ballast.
