The University of Waikato is embarking on a new strategy for its Postgraduate Diploma in Personal Financial Planning (PFP) next year by looking to work in partnership with financial corporations after its course was cancelled earlier this year.

The Securities Commission has started on the process of determining the conditions Authorised Financial Advisers (AFAs) will be bound by.

Gareth Morgan believes that "consumer sovereignty" needs to be restored by rehabilitating industry behavior and improving regulator performance.

AMP Capital Investors (AMPCI) head of investment strategy Jason Wong has had his role disestablished and investment analyst Lydia Hwang will relocate to Sydney as the company restructures its Multi Asset Group model.

There is a need to develop new products in New Zealand’s annuity and decumulation markets according to Mercer’s head of retirement, risk and finance Paul Newfield.

There is potential for KiwiSaver to grow the retirement savings pool but it is unclear whether that has been the case so far according to industry experts.

A letter from AON to insurance customers suggesting they should switch their cover to Sovereign has provoked accusations of churning from some advisers however the Investment Savings and Insurance Association (ISI) says it is not a problem.

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Canterbury and the collapse of South Canterbury Finance last week eliminates any remaining chance of a September Official Cash Rate (OCR) hike according to economists.

Qualifying Financial Entity (QFE) status, like authorisation, will have a shelf life and renewal process come into play which implies a need for regulatory assurance says Commissioner for Financial Advisers David Mayhew.

The Commissioner for Financial Advisers David Mayhew has approved the draft Code of Professional Conduct for Authorised Financial Advisers, and sent it to the Minister of Commerce Simon Power for his approval.

Many advisers moved clients onto life insurance level cover in the run up to law reform in July because of premium hikes, however Triplejump believes this was not necessarily in the best interest of clients.

Commissioner for Financial Advisers David Mayhew believes fund managers must be directly accountable to a regulator.

Labour is not convinced savings matter to National as it has taken two years and two Budgets to take action, says opposition Finance Minister David Cunliffe.

Four out of five bank economists have pulled back their Official Cash Rate (OCR) expectations with a pause now expected in September as a result of uncertainty in the global outlook and a string of weaker than expected domestic data.

Many category two advisers are postponing courses while they await further information about voluntary authorisation according to ETITO.

The New Zealand Mortgage Brokers Association (NZMBA) has been communicating with government officials to ensure mortgage and insurance advisers can opt-in to be authorised financial advisers (AFAs).