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Exchange traded products

ETP demand grows, fees stable

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Exchange traded products (ETP) are charging fees disproportionately to the dramatic growth in assets and number of products available, according to Rainmaker data.
Between March 2013 and 2017, ETP funds under management quadrupled from $ 7.2 billion to $ 27.2 billion, while the number of products in the market doubled from 79 to 155.
EPT products have gained sufficient size to counteract the effect of lower fees on the original product and kept the overall weighted Management Expense Ratio (MER) the same, the quarterly ETP report said.
It found BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street, BetaShares, Magellan, Van Eck, Russell and ANZ ETFs comprise 98% of the market and among them, charge a wide range of MER of 0.18% per annum, followed by State Street at 0.25%. Magellan’s weighted MER is six times that of Vanguard’s across three of its actively managed ETPs.
What the data ultimately shows is there “is no correlation between a manager’s ability to gather assets and fees being charged.”
“The largest asset gatherers ran the gamut of fees structures and product types. What this does show, however, is that the Australian EPT market is continuing to evolve into the product offering the associated fee structure,” it said.
In the 12 months to March, ETP FUM rose 28% to $27 billion, with a marked shift to international equities and fixed interest assets classes.
International equity ETPs were the most active during the period with 72 products launched, followed by Australian equities with 46, fixed interest with 17 and commodities with 11.

[via FINANCIAL STANDARD]

Education key in combating elderly financial abuse

Education key in combating elder financial abuse

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Financial advice practices will be able to equip staff with greater knowledge and understanding around identifying and preventing elder financial abuse through a selection of new education and training materials.
Protecting Seniors Wealth has launched a range of resources including presentations, training courses, and publications to create awareness and assist in developing strategies to deal with senior and elder financial abuse efficiently.
The company believes financial planners are in a unique position to assist in protection seniors and their wealth as they assist in the management of their finances and so should incorporate this sort of training into their business plains, promoting trust and building on their business’ reputation.
“Seniors and elders are prime targets, they hold the largest share of wealth and often need assistance dealing with unwanted financial predictors, and the focus is on the seriousness of this issue – rapid increases, how seniors are impacted how much money and assets are being stolen.” Protecting Seniors Wealth chief executive Anne McGowan
“its motivational and provides opportunity to relate in terms of possible loss of their own clients and funds, providing strategic insight and knowledge for assisting to be money gatekeepers.”
McGowan believes the findings of the Australian law reform commission’s inquiry into Elder Abuse will indicate the need for more education, with the new resources working toward fulfilling the need.
“The disturbing consequences of this form of abuse are so profound that when financial perpetrators take senior elders money and assets, they often also take the funds they need for their lifestyle and age care, along with their dignity and the inheritance they plan to leave loved ones, resulting in the final insult – inheritance being stolen or taken as well,” McGowan said.
Resources from Protecting Seniors Wealth can also be tailored for CPD accreditation.
Separately, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) is reminding Australians to stop and think before giving their personal details or hard earned money to scammers this tax time.
Assistant Commissioner Kath Anderson said 48,084 scams were reported to the ATO between July and October last year.
“we have already seen a Five-fold increase during the tax time period,” Anderson said.
“Already this year, the ATO has registered over 17,067 scam reports. Of these, 113 Australians handed over $1.5 Million to fraudsters with about 2500 providing some form of personal information including tax file numbers.”

[via FINANCIAL STANDARD]

Value of advice still unclear: IOOF

Value of advice still unclear: IOOF

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Australians are still dissuaded by the cost of seeking financial advice, despite those that receive financial advice being 21% more likely to have greater peace of mind.
IOOF believes the benefits of advice must outweigh the cost in order for clients to value it with not everyone needing it to produce tangible financial benefits.
“Simply put, clients value advice provided it meets a particular need. . . For some, value comes from those intangible benefits, such as sleeping better at night, while for others value lies in the more tangible benefits, such as tax minimisation, above average returns or low fees,” IOOF group general manager, wealth management Renato Mota said.
Mota believes financial planners need to demonstrate their value more when it comes to fee discussions and allow clients to determine what constitutes ‘value’.
“rather than leading with the vague and intangible term ‘value, when the vague and intangible term ‘value’ when discussing fees, it will be more useful to provide the full list of services you offer and clearly show why your fees are a fair reflection of those services,” Mota said.
“If you include intangible benefits of advice, such as counseling against destructive client behavior, as part of your conversation with clients, it’s important to be specific on how this is a service which adds value to their portfolio.”
Mota reinforced the undeniable appeal of low fees too, saying it’s inevitable that some clients will view cost as the yardstick of value and there are simple ways to reduce fees.
IOOF encourages planner to consider improved passive investments delivering returns above traditional benchmark indices at a lower cost. It also highlights fee aggregation as a great way for clients to limit the number of administration fees paid.
“As investors become more cautious about their spending, having a clear link between fees charged and the service which provides value will become more important. For some clients finding a way to offer lower fees will be crucial, but it should be remembered – cheaper financial advice doesn’t make it better, it’s just cheaper.” Mota said.

[via FINANCIAL STANDARD]

Super funds return 2.9%

Super funds return 2.9%

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Superannuation funds have returned an average of 2.9% for the 12 months to 30th June as measured by the SelectingSuper workplace default option MySuper Index, propped up by property and fixed income.

The SelectingSuper workplace default option MySuper Index showed a negative 0.9% monthly return in June.

However, combined with the positive return in the period March to May, the rolling 12-month performance for the 2015-16 financial year was a positive 2.9%.

The monthly fall in superannuation performance in June was driven by a fall in both Australian and international equities. The negative return for super funds in the latest month comes at the end of a period of relatively volatile returns in the first six months of the 2016 calendar year.

The positive 2.9% performance for funds in the 2015-16 financial year, although lower than prior years, was nearly 2% above inflation for the period.

The performance over multi-year time periods benefits from the positive impact of high returns in the years 2013-15. Reflecting this, three-year rolling MySuper returns are 8.3%pa and five-year returns are 8.1%pa. The longer term 10-year return is a more modest 5.2%pa although this period incorporates the full effect of the GFC and is overlaid by a lower inflation environment.

On an annual basis, Australian equities, often the largest asset class in many balanced funds, positively contributed a 0.6% return as the market has progressively drifted down since early 2015. The contribution of international equities has been a positive 0.4%, although this impact has been muted by many funds through hedging inbuilt within their portfolios.

Property has continued to provide a significant positive impact on fund investment outcomes with the listed property sector having a positive 24.5% return in the 12-months to end June. To further highlight the positive impact buffering that property has had on superannuation returns, the three-year average return to June 2016 from listed property is 18.5%.

Over the year ended June 2016, the fixed interest index return was a strong 7%, although, on average, fixed income portfolios within superannuation funds underperformed this index. Meanwhile, cash returned a modest 2.3% over the same period.

In net terms, this means funds with relatively high exposure to Australian equities and international equities underperformed in the 12 months to end April. Similarly funds with relatively larger holdings in property and potentially fixed interest outperformed in the period.

Regarding the market segments, the gap between not-for-profit (NFP) funds and retail funds within the Workplace sector continues. The 12-month return gap is now 120 basis points in favour of NFP funds. The long-term five-year segment gap is 30 basis points in favour of NFP funds.

[via the Financial Standard]

Majority of Australians without financial plan

Majority of Australians without financial plan

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Baby boomers are more optimistic than their younger counterparts, with 51% of generation X fearing they won’t have enough money to retire compared to 40% of baby boomers, according to new research from Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA).

The ‘Dare to Dream’ research concluded ahead of the 16th annual financial planning week revealed more than two in five Australians (63%) did not have a financial plan for their future and a quarter had sought financial advice from a professional or another contact when making financial decisions.

FPA chief executive, Dante De Gori said the research paper sought to uncover the top financial goals, hopes and dreams for Australians across all life stages while identifying the obstacles to seek professional advice.

“The findings of our Dare to Dream research show that as a nation, We are dreaming more than we did five years ago, but we often aren’t living to our full potential.This might be because of fear, apathy, or lack of planning. For financial planners, these are valuable insights into their client base,” De Gori said.

The research surveyed 1,016 Australians across baby boomers (1946 – 1964), generation X (1965 – 1979) and generation Y (1980 – 1994) and found the most common goal across all demographics was a financial one (34%). The top three aspirations among respondents were full financial freedom and independence (59%), a lifestyle of choice (58%) and pursue interests and hobbies (50%).

[via FINANCIAL STANDARD]

Shorten attacks government

Shorten attacks government’s retro super changes

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Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten used his budget reply speech to label the government’s superannuation changes as “retrospective” and reaffirm labor’s election policy on the $2 trillion industry.

The government announced a $500,000 lifetime cap will be applied to after-tax concessions on superannuation as part of the wider agenda to slow retirement savings being purely wealth accumulation for higher income Australians. The measure will include contributions backdated to 2007.

Shorten called out this retrospective view, yet also used his budget reply to accuse the government of pinching Labors superannuation ideas.

“Labor will gladly support our own clear and costed policy to close the unsustainably generous superannuation loopholes at the very top end. We welcome the fact that, three years after they voted to abolish Labor’s low-income superannuation contribution the Liberals have decided to keep it and simply rename it,” Shorten said.

He added the government was dangerously undermining super by claiming 4% of Australians in the super system will be affected by a budget change. He also took a shot at the government’s proposal to remove regulations that restrict people between 65 and 75 from making contributions to their superannuation.

“Labor will never apologise for standing up for Australians who go to work every day and want to come home safe, who rely on penalty rates to make ends meet, who do not want to be forced to work until they are 70,” Shorten said.

Shorten further announced a range of measures that would see $71 billion of “additional budget improvements over the decade.”

Labor still proposes a 25% tax cut for small businesses with a turnover of less than $2 million a year and delivering 50% renewable energy by 2030. It also backs its plans to “turbocharge” Infrastructure Australia with a new $10 billion funding facility, ” a concrete bank to get investment from the private sector, particularly big super funds, flowing into projects.” Labor says their infrastructure projects would add 26,000 jobs.

Labor is not supportive of budget measures that give the richest 3% of Australians another tax cut and reducing the marginal tax rate for individuals who earn more than $180,000 a year.

[via FINANCIAL STANDARD]

budget changes

Advisers not impressed with budget changes

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More than 50% of advisers believe that the federal budget will have a negative impact on their clients but agree that it will drive and increase in the need for advice, according to a survey from Midwinter.

The survey garnered responses from 103 Australian advice practitioners to develop an understanding of the planning industry’s initial responses to this year’s budget and how they believe their clients will be affected.

The majority 87.3% of respondents, said that they felt negative towards the proposed lifetime cap for no-concessional contributions of 500,000 and a further 86.4% said they felt negative toward the proposed lowering of the concessional contributions cap to $25,000. the removal of the TTR pension tax exemption was also unpopular; with a 73.5% of respondents saying it will negatively impact their clients.

Advisers did concede that the increased complexity of the superannuation system may drive more demand for advice, with 51% of respondents believing there will be an increase in people seeking advice. The introduction of the catch-up concessional contributions over a five-year period also gained support from advisers with 76.5% of respondents regarding it as a positive change from a planning perspective.

The survey revealed super splitting with a spouse, insurance bonds and spouse rebates as the top three strategies advisers will look to use to combat the proposed changes to superannuation, citing the 1.6 million cap as a major driver to implementing lesser used strategies.

[via Financial Standard]

Sunsuper

Sunsuper overhauls TPD cover

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Sunsuper has overhauled it’s total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance cover in a move that will see an average premium reduction of 15% for more than 90% of its one million members.

The new product, TPD Assist, will remove waiting periods for a majority of claims as well as a replace lump sum payments with annual support payments. It is part of a wider initiative to encourage members to return to work where possible.

A study of Sunsuper members who had previously been paid a TPD claim found that 36% had returned to work or were actively seeking employment. It highlights that ‘permanent’ is not necessarily forever and many members want to return to work, Sunsuper said.

Sunsuper’s head of product Wanda Britton said TPD Assist focuses on being there for members when they need it most, both financially and emotionally.

Britton added the new tailored product “means that most of our members will see an average reduction of 15% in their combined annual death and TPD Assist premiums.”

This will work by reducing current TPD rates by about 30% and partially offset by an approximate 15% increase in death rates. The increase death rates are from a spike in death claims at the fund and across the entire industry during 2015. If Sunsuper didn’t introduce TPD Assist, combined premiums were likely to increase.

Britton said, as an example, for a member who suffers a back injury, they or their employer can contact Sunsuper on diagnosis to immediately begin the claim process. the member is then referred to a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist who will work with them, their employer and their treating doctor to support them with a tailored program.

“Once the member is assessed as meeting the definition of being totally and permanently disabled, they will receive their cover in six equal annual support payments over five years – unless they’re able to return to work earlier at which time the payments would have stopped,” Britton  Said.

The new product will launch on the 1st of July, 2016, and was developed based on 18 months of research in consultation with more than 1000 Sunsuper members.

[via FINANCIAL STANDARD]

Retirement lifestyle concerns

Australians pessimistic about retirement lifestyle

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The majority of Australians aged 45 and up (53.1%) believe that they will not have an adequate super balance or income to maintain their desired lifestyle in retirement, according to new research from CoreData.

CoreData’s 2016 Post Retirement Report found that pre-retirees expect to need an average of $1,224 a week (up $100 from 2015 and $209 from 2014) and a super balance of $804,559 to maintain their desired lifestyle.

In a bid to manage the risk they will outlive their savings and combat rising costs of living, 81.2% of pre-retirees plan to keep working in some capacity upon retiring.

The report found that awareness and understanding of the retirement solutions available were low among pre-retirees, with only 31.9% stating they have a good understanding of what an annuity can offer and only 27.3% claimed they were likely to purchase one in retirement.

Kristen Turnbull, head of WA at CoreData, said that the average superannuation balances at retirement of $292,500 for men and $138,150 for women fall well short of the $8000,000 balance the average pre-retiree expects they’ll need.

The reality is that retirees are either going to have to drastically alter their expectations for retirement or start making some serious financial and lifestyle sacrifices now if they have any hope of reaching their financial goals in retirement

Digital engagement emerged as a key way superannuation funds can educate over 45s on their retirement options, with 54.8% of pre and post-retirees stating they would like their main fund to make information available on the funds’ website.

[via Financial Standard]