David Chaplin

The New Zealand arm of Australasian accountancy firm Crowe Horwath is considering adding wealth advice to its range of services, according to Julia Scott, head of marketing. Scott said while the Crowe Horwath NZ group to date has not provided financial planning or investment advice as sister Australian firm does, it was on the agenda…. [Read More…]

Niche investment research and continuing professional development (CPD) provider, Dynamique, has launched a new product aimed at retail investors. Guy Dobson, Dynamique director, said the retail investor training program was its first foray into the ‘mums and dads’ market. “We’re also hoping the course will appeal to financial advisers and others who often struggle to… [Read More…]

Vanguard Investments is going to tender, for the first time since it opened up in Australia, in a review of its securities services partner. It’s an historic moment. For JP Morgan, the incumbent provider, Vanguard was its first daily-pricing client here in the 1990s. Vanguard will assess an RFP (request for proposal) in the first… [Read More…]

Investment News NZ (IN NZ) understands Trustees Executors (TE) has won the Fisher Funds combined registry contract, besting Mercer in the one-on-one back-office battle. If confirmed, the news would see Mercer lose its biggest registry client in NZ while proving a huge relief to TE. According to sources familiar with the matter, Fisher Funds constituted… [Read More…]

A wide range of entities could provide online advice under government proposals to rewire the Financial Advisers Act (FAA). In its FAA review ‘Options paper’ released last week, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MOBIE) has given online advice – known colloquially as robo-advice – a ringing endorsement while proposing to extend the ambit… [Read More…]

The Financial Markets Conduct Act (FMC) has prompted another commercial transaction with Fidelity Life handing the keys of its last remaining superannuation scheme to Grosvenor. In a deal inked last week, Fidelity agreed to sell the management and issuer rights of its $440 million ‘Super-Super Plan 3’ to Grosvenor. It is understood the deal was… [Read More…]

The new discretionary investment service (DIMS) offered by SBS-owned wealth arm Funds Administration NZ (FANZ) has been doing brisk business since inception, according to executive director, Graham Duston. Duston said the Synergy Investment Programme, a DIMS joint venture operation with financial advisory services firm Consilium, has pulled in over $1 million each week following its… [Read More…]

First NZ Capital (FNZC) has squeaked into the discretionary investment management service (DIMS) regime just in time for the November 30 cut-off point. In a release, FNZC chief, Scott St John, said the group was granted its licence last week, joining other major stock-broking brands Forsyth Barr and Craigs Investment Partners in the DIMS club…. [Read More…]

The booming exchange-traded fund (ETF) market hasn’t crowded out old-school listed investment vehicles, according to Geoff Driver, Australian Foundation Investment Company (AFIC) head of business development. Driver said, in fact, the traditional listed investment company (LIC) sector has experienced spin-off benefits from the current spike in ETF traffic in Australasia. “Because people are looking for… [Read More…]

New Zealand corporates remain happy raising capital in their own backyard with Australia only in the frame as a distant prospect, according to a new survey by BNP Paribas and Moody Investor’s Service. The survey, which tapped into CFOs and treasury decision-makers in about 50 investment-grade Australasian corporations, found just 18 per cent of NZ… [Read More…]