New Zealand’s insurance industry is focusing too much on soft commissions, which will not do anything to improve its standing in the eyes of consumers, it has been claimed.

New disclosure requirements should make the funds management industry less scary for the average retail investor, one manager says.

Financial advisers probably deserve a pay rise but getting clients to pay it is another question entirely, industry commentators say.

Fidelity Life's departing chief executive says he would like to see the issue of "blatant churn" addressed in the insurance industry.

Investors are accusing Harmoney of “double-dipping” on fees and churning business to maximise its returns from borrowers and investors.

Financial advisers and their clients would be left worse off if the Financial Advisers Act moves from a system of individual licensing to entity licensing, one commentator has suggested.

Almost 100 financial advisers have signed up to distribute the Retirement Income Group’s Lifetime Retirement Income variable annuity product.

Peer-to-peer lender LendMe has been contacted by the Commerce Commission,  with questions over the fee it charges its borrowers.

New Zealanders feel less knowledgeable about financial matters than consumers in other countries and are less likely to understand the way financial planners are paid, a new survey by the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) shows.

Adviser associations and other industry groups should be doing more to inform consumers of how they can access advice, the Commission for Financial Capability says.

Peer-to-peer platforms need to start regularly disclosing information to their investors about more than just the individual loans they are invested in, one provider has argued.

One New Zealand insurance boss says it is a relief that the New Zealand regulator does not look set to follow blindly in the tracks of its Australian counterpart and slash upfront adviser commissions.

Fund managers' clients will end up bearing the brunt of increased costs if the IRD goes ahead with changes to their GST treatment, it has been claimed.

Advisers are upset exemptions are likely to remain in the Financial Advisers Act (FAA) for professions such as lawyers and accountants who provide advice as part of their businesses.

Fifteen formal submissions have been made to the review of the Code of Professional Conduct for AFAs' minimum standards of competency, knowledge and skill.

Harmoney is now charging a flat upfront fee of $375 to borrowers, replacing a percentage model that was being investigated by the Commerce Commission.