Shape of advice

Only weeks into the portfolio, shadow Minister for Financial Services Kevin Hogan has no shortage of pressing issues to contend with: the regulatory fallout from the Shield and First Guardian collapse, the future of the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, and the push to reform the APRA performance test. 

He is sympathetic to concerns about the CSLR levy becoming prohibitive for practising advisers, and he flags phoenixing – parent companies collapsing and reopening under new structures – as a genuine area of bipartisan focus. Hogan is not sold on the idea that a three-year university degree is the right gateway into financial planning. 

Hogan comes to the portfolio with industry experience – before entering parliament 12 years ago, he spent a decade as a bond trader in Sydney and has worked for Colonial First State and as an investment officer for the Catholic Superannuation and Retirement Fund. 

In this episode of the Shape of Advice podcast, Professional Planner editor Chris Dastoor is joined by The Conexus Institute* executive director David Bell along with financial adviser and former Financial Planning Association chair Marisa Broome. 

In this episode of the Shape of Advice podcast, Professional Planner editor Chris Dastoor is joined by Vanguard Australia head of multi-asset Matt Cho, Evidentia Group chief investment strategist Nathan Lim, and Apt Wealth Partners CIO Sarah Gonzalez. 

The panel discusses the core purpose of the satellite sleeve, how to maintain strong governance, and how asset consultants determine when it’s time to replace a manager. 

In this episode of the Shape of Advice podcast, Professional Planner editor Chris Dastoor is joined by the AZ NGA co-founder and group CEO, Paul Barrett.

The wide-ranging discussion covers how Barrett saw advice being at the front of the financial services value chain in an era when commissions were still common, how a blend of capital is essential to AZ NGA’s operations, and what happens when the private equity shot clock ends.

In this episode of the Shape of Advice podcast, Professional Planner editor Chris Dastoor is joined by Vanguard Australia head of financial adviser services Rachel White, Family Wealth Advisory founder Michael Bova and Aequitas Investment Partners joint chief investment officer Rowan Stewart. The panel will discuss the merits of relying on low-cost, and often passive investments, and whether lower-cost active options deliver value for money – and how to avoid potential pitfalls like being overly concentrated in the same stocks.

In just its second full financial year of operation, the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort has already seen its legislated subsector cap of $20 million exceeded for financial advice claims, with the FY26 levy coming in at $67 million and the FY27 levy already close to double that. 

In this episode of the Professional Planner Shape of Advice podcast, CSLR chief executive David Berry and editor Chris Dastoor discuss the work going on to make the scheme sustainable. 

In the first episode of the new season of the Professional Planner Shape of Advice podcast, Vanguard Australia managing director Daniel Shrimski says Australia has many hallmarks of a quality investment destination, but could work on all three of these critical factors.