Does private credit really represent a structural evolution in the alternatives market? Lachlan Maddock, editor of Australian trade publication Investor Strategy News, reports on a debate that is playing out across the investment world… For: MA Financial head of credit investments and lending Frank Danieli. Against: Charlie Callan of research house Bond Advisor. And… [Read More…]
Financial markets: calm seas never made a skilled sailor
Mint Asset Management portfolio manager, David Fyfe, reflects on the mix of financial nous and behavioural insights that have guided him through his investment career… I grew up with a knack for numbers. Through my early years I always found maths something that came naturally to me which in turn sent me off on… [Read More…]
FMA to keep tabs on FAPs with ABs
The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has highlighted the authorised body (AB) system as one potential problem area in its inaugural review of the new advice licensing regime. Based on an in-depth probe of some 60 financial advice providers (FAPs), the regulatory monitoring report found the sector in generally good shape with a few caveats. The… [Read More…]
Mercer closes door on historic NZ shares fund
Mercer has shuttered a storied local shares fund after assets under management fell dramatically earlier this year. The Mercer NZ Shares strategy, inherited as part of the group’s takeover of the Macquarie NZ fund suite last year, closed in May, ending almost 30 years in operation. After closing the product to new investors on May… [Read More…]
NZ retail funds ride high in teen-speed year…
Most NZ retail fund managers saw double-digit (or thereabouts) growth in assets last year, new data from Australian research house Plan for Life (PFL) reveals, largely on the back of buoyant markets. The PFL data shows Mercer recorded the highest proportional year-on-year growth over 2023 of more than 37 per cent during a period where… [Read More…]
… meanwhile, three months later
New Reserve Bank of NZ (RBNZ) figures show total NZ managed funds under management soared over 9 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 to within cooee of $300 billion. The RBNZ data – which spans retail (including some private wealth portfolios) and wholesale funds – shows the local funds sector hit a new… [Read More…]
Pushing the frontiers of finance: why tokenisation is the future (and the past)
NZ funds industry veteran and fintech pioneer, Binu Paul, explores how the ancient concept of tokens fused with modern digital technology is poised to radically reshape the future of financial services… History may never repeat, but it definitely rhymes It’s said that there is nothing new in this world except the history that you… [Read More…]
Lifetime opens door on ‘debt-free’ home equity release
The Lifetime retirement income specialist firm has launched a novel home equity release option targeting mortgage-free house-owners aged 70 and over. Unlike traditional reverse mortgages, essentially floating interest rate loans secured on property, the Lifetime Home model pays out a set level of income during a 10-year period in exchange for a 35 per cent… [Read More…]
Why Aussies love real estate more than Kiwis: it’s a size thing
NZ institutional investors remain well underweight property compared to Australian counterparts, a new study by commercial real estate specialist, CBRE, has found. The CBRE report published last week shows aggregate NZ Superannuation Fund (NZS) and KiwiSaver property allocations hover around 5 per cent, a level “considerably lower than some other markets”. By contrast, the NZ$3.7… [Read More…]
NZ Super handed direct controls as law drifts through
The NZ Superannuation Fund (NZS) has been empowered to take outright control of underlying businesses after new legislation passed unopposed through parliament last week. Under the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income (Controlling Interests) Amendment law, currently awaiting Royal Assent, the now $75 billion plus fund would have more flexibility to pursue direct investment opportunities… [Read More…]