- MoneySmart Week Kicks Off;
- Australians Increasingly Confident About Super;
- New TAL Board Chair;
- ANZIIF Relaunches Website
MoneySmart Week Kicks Off
The Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) is urging members to encourage the public to become involved in MoneySmart Week.
An independent, not-for-profit initiative promoting the importance of financial literacy, MoneySmart Week runs from 1- 7 September.
AFA CEO, Brad Fox, said: “MoneySmart Week is an excellent government initiative to drive awareness and direct Australians to the places they can go for help with their finances. Financial advisers can be one solution, but there are many other resources available to Australians which can help improve their level of understanding around things like budgeting, superannuation and taking control of debt.”
Mr Fox said giving back to the community was common practice for AFA members, and that MoneySmart Week was another great opportunity for advisers to engage with their local communities.
Click here to access the MoneySmart Week website.
Australians Increasingly Confident About Super
Australians have become more confident about their superannuation over the past year, but are still concerned about fees, a consumer index has found.
The FSC-ING DIRECT Superannuation Sentiment Index measures how confident and engaged Australians are with their superannuation. This year’s report found that people’s confidence in their super providing them with a comfortable retirement has increased. In 2013, 62% of those surveyed said they were worried their super would be inadequate, compared with 52% in 2014.
However, 71% said that super funds, their fees and the way they work are not transparent enough.
Vaughn Richtor, CEO of ING DIRECT, said: “While satisfaction with returns has improved, perception of fees has declined.
“The industry needs to do a better job at explaining fees so that people can make the right decisions on choosing a fund.
“This includes ensuring fees and charges are fair and provide value for money, education and transparency around investments, and enable Australians to view their superannuation balance and activity on a regular basis.”
New TAL Board Chair
TAL has appointed current director, Duncan Boyle, as its new Board Chair.
Mr Boyle takes over from Rob Thomas, who retired from the Board at the end of August. Mr Thomas has been Chair of the TAL Board since 2007, prior to the acquisition of the company by Dai-ichi Life.
“I am very proud of the growth and results achieved at TAL over the past seven years along with the strong customer culture that has developed,” Mr Thomas said.
“In that time TAL has become the largest life insurer in Australia and it has been recognised with many awards for its products, services and performance. It has been an honour to serve as Chair of the TAL Board.”
New Chair, Mr Boyle served as the CEO of the UK operations of Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance (RSA) from 2002 to 2006, following over 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
ANZIIF Relaunches Website
The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance has unveiled a new website, saying it will be a platform to support the education, training, professional development and engagement of Institute members across the Asia-Pacific region.
The site uses personalisation to provide access to resources and content relevant to members’ area of practice, providing a tailored online experience. It also provides automatic CIP point tracking via its new training register, and access to forums and social media so members can engage with insurance professionals from around the globe.
“The new website is designed to give users the opportunity to learn the way they choose, to explore ideas within their field and outside – business, finance, policy, etc – and to participate in professional development when and where it suits them. The site is an integral part of us taking our education, PD and membership offering into the future,” Institute General Manager, Education Events & International, Anton Barnett-Harris, said.
“People learn in different ways and because of this, learning must be individualised. This means providing a range of formats – audio, video, written content, human interaction – and giving users diverse and up-to-the minute resources. We are also passionate about quality at the Institute and this plays out in the content and the PD units available in our Members’ Centre.”
Click here to visit the site.
