The 2017 Budget included proposals intended to reduce pressure on housing affordability Two of them use the superannuation system to do so the First Home Super Saver Scheme and the Reducing Barriers to Downsizing proposal Partner Michelle Levy examines the schemes in more detail ...

ASIC has released a consultation paper on proposals to facilitate innovation in the financial services sector The proposals include details of the long-awaited regulatory sandbox It will be of interest to both emerging companies who may rely on the relief as well as investors in this space Senior ...

The Government has recently made changes to superannuation law that helps clear the way for trustees of regulated superannuation funds to charge fund assets in order to enter into a broad range of exchange-traded and Over-The-Counter derivative transactions The changes are intended to make it easier ...

Our class actions team recently published our Class Action Risk 2016 report The objective of the report is to look behind the headlines and hype that often surrounds class actions to provide a more holistic and objective assessment of class action risk for our clients This is particularly important ...

With the release of an ASFA Best Practice Paper on insourcing investment management we look at some of the challenges and opportunities for in-house legal teams that come with the seemingly inexorable move in the superannuation industry towards insourcing investment management functions ...

As fertile ground for class actions the Royal Commission has highlighted an ongoing problem with Australia's class action regime - there is no clear consistent means for resolving competing class actions. ...

ASIC has recently announced a new supervisory approach that involves embedding ASIC officers in the four major banks and AMP ...

2017 was a busy year in superannuation The Allens superannuation team takes stock of the legislative and regulatory reform proposals that have been mooted for 2018 and gazes into the crystal ball to see what might lie ahead this year ...

APRA is in line to get significantly increased powers of direction in respect of RSE licensees and their controlled entities as part of the package of superannuation reforms announced in the Treasury Legislation Amendment Improving Accountability and Member Outcomes in Superannuation Bill 2017 ...

Two important pieces of draft legislation under Federal consideration are how employers deal with historical superannuation contribution shortfalls, and the possible requirement of employers to report on modern slavery risks and practices in their workforce and supply chains. ...