This year may mark a change in the psyche of the bond market, it has been predicted.

Financial advisers are getting the blame for product failures and the mistakes of people who are not authorised to provide financial advice, Australia’s Association of Financial Advisers says.

KiwiSaver investors are being told it’s better to focus on finding the right fund for their risk profile than to chase managers based on past performance.

Low interest rates through 2015 may be good news for advisers.

There are calls for financial advisers to promote themselves more effectively, after a survey showing very few young adults have used their services.

KiwiSaver members in default schemes may have missed out on as much as $200 million in performance returns over the past 12 months because they are not in the right scheme.

ANZ’s New Zealand managing director of wealth has backed calls from his colleagues across the Tasman for a national exam for financial advisers.

Increasingly stringent self-regulation of the adviser industry is likely to be a key focus for professional bodies around the world over the coming 12 months, the president of New Zealand’s Institute of Financial Advisers says.

Demand is increasing for simple trauma products with cheaper premiums, Fidelity Life boss Milton Jennings says.

Investors should not let reports of growing global instability spook them out of their investments in equities, fund managers say.

Claims New Zealand financial advisers may need to offer active management to justify their fees have been slammed by proponents of passive strategies.

An independent body similar to the Commission for Financial Capability should be set up to address health funding issues, the Health Funds Association says.

There are warnings advisers who opt for passive investments for their clients may soon find it hard to justify their existence.

Applying for a discretionary investment management services (DIMS) licence was an opportunity to step back and review the business, GMI head of wealth products Joe Bishop says.

IRD is asking advisers for details of people who have transferred overseas pensions to New Zealand and not paid tax on them.

A fall in oil prices is being tipped to underpin a global economic lift this year, and provide a boost to New Zealand.