681-690 of 1017 results
Improving the role of the Appointed Actuary
APRA is seeking to improve the role of the Appointed Actuary in general and life insurance companies and has proposed some reforms in a discussion paper released earlier this year ...
Blockchain and why smart contracts still need smart lawyers
There has been so much talk about blockchain and distributed ledger technology recently especially in financial services that you might be forgiven for thinking it might be more hype than substance But we think it could be very important technology ...
Can product suitability rules succeed where disclosure has failed?
One of the more interesting possibilities raised in the Interim Report of David Murrays Financial System Inquiry is the introduction of product suitability requirements as a complement to the current disclosure regime The Interim Report presents a case for change but does not set out in detail what ...
New infrastructure charges, environmental offsets and regional planning regimes commence in Queensland
New frameworks for infrastructure planning and charging environmental offsets and regulating activities in areas of regional interest have now commenced in Queensland Special Counsel Rosanne Meurling Senior Associate Michael Zissis and Associate Julieane Bull report on how the reforms may affect ...
Superannuation retirement phase - lessons from recent UK annuity changes
A key risk faced by self-funded retirees is the possibility that their superannuation savings will not last as long as they will While lifetime pensions and annuities issued by life companies can assist in addressing this risk there has traditionally been a relatively low uptake of these products by ...
Will ASIC shift its regulatory focus from disclosure to suitability?
The Financial System Inquiry inevitably the Murray Inquiry is the successor of the Campbell Inquiry 1979-1981 and the Wallis Inquiry 1996-1997 Both the Campbell and Wallis reports considered that investors were best protected through disclosure and market integrity rules Both reports assumed that ...
Increasing ASIC's enforcement powers
In its submission to the Financial System Inquiry the Australian Securities and Investment Commission has again raised the issue of the penalties that are available to it to punish and deter corporate wrongdoing ASICs submission recommends that a holistic review be conducted into the availability ...
Insolvent contractors beware: principals can rely upon set-off rights when resisting claims
The Victorian Supreme Court has provided guidance on set-off rights in the context of insolvency particularly in relation to inconsistency between provisions of the Corporations Act and security of payment legislation Partner Nick Rudge and Lawyer James Waters report ...
New ASIC funding - looking beyond the headlines
Along with the public release of the ASIC Capability Review Report the Government announced a suite of reforms giving ASIC additional but targeted funding and has also sought to remove some of the shackles on hiring it believes may be hindering ASICs ability to recruit top talent At the same time ...
New guidelines for unsolicited proposals for State-owned land in WA
The WA Government has issued its formal guidelines for unsolicited proposals for the sale or lease of State-owned land By embracing the possibility of unsolicited proposals as opposed to encumbering every development opportunity with a procurement process and by expressing a willingness to engage ...