After accumulating more than 400 stories under administration in its first year of operation, Investment News NZ (IN NZ) signs off 2015 this week with issue 46.
Clearly, there has been plenty to fill the space in the intervening months since the IN NZ February launch issue – only some of it scandalous.
Scandals aside, probably the most important factor for the NZ industry during 2015 was the transition to the new Financial Markets Conduct Act (FMC) regime, which sparked more than a few (about 40, to be inexact) IN NZ stories over the year.
Next year the FMC pace is set to pick up even further with the December 2016 deadline looming for most regulatory changes. With the Financial Advisers Act (FAA) review also due to culminate mid 2016, next year looks like events will again be underwritten by legislation.
But markets, too, are poised at an interesting point. The Fed’s not-so-secret-Santa Christmas gift of a 25 basis point interest rate rise could indicate the world is returning to the ‘old normal’.
Although, probably not, according to consensus views that tip lower returns from most asset classes and more volatility in the year ahead… nothing your robo-adviser can’t handle.
IN NZ will return in January with further updates on these and other matters.
Thanks to the thousands of readers (and, of course, the advertisers) who made the inaugural year of IN NZ such a success.
All the best for the festive season.