Treasury released a paper seeking feedback on a framework for Comprehensive Income Products for Retirement. It will permit trustees to offer members on a 'soft default' basis 'mass-customised, composite retirement income products' and, to encourage trustees ...

Earlier today ASIC released an updated version of Regulatory Guide 246 concerning conflicted remuneration and other banned benefits such as volume-based shelf-space fees The changes are largely to address the life insurance remuneration reforms which take effect on 1 January 2018 But there are other ...

As regulatory and political pressure increases on the major banks in Australia alternative credit providers are entering the market with a variety of products to attract borrowers The unitranche loan is an example of one such product Partner Warwick Newell Senior Overseas Practitioner Alex Tonkin ...

A new planning regime for Queensland has come into effect today with the commencement of the Planning Act 2016. ...

Earlier today Treasury released exposure draft regulations for Innovative Superannuation Income Streams They set out income stream standards that will be relevant for products such as deferred annuities and group self-annuitised products The Allens Superannuation team reports ...

Australias lack of enforcement of foreign bribery legislation has attracted increasing criticism in recent years but the Federal Government is expected to soon table legislation proposing wide-ranging reforms We look at two key proposed changes for Australian companies ...

Exposure draft life insurance regulations were released yesterday They are a marked departure from the existing conflicted remuneration provisions Now a benefit can only be conflicted remuneration if it could reasonably be expected to influence financial product advice These regulations will create ...

The Australian Government has identified value capture and innovative financing as key elements of its Smart Cities Plan The move will have significant implications for traditional project finance By Paul Kenny Sector Leader Government and Phillip Cornwell Project Finance Consultant at Allens ...

At first glance the recent Productivity Commission Draft Report on How to Assess the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the Superannuation System August 2016 could be dismissed as nothing more than a procedural step along the road to the ultimate goal as recommended by the FSI of developing an ...

Fund financing facilities have continued to flourish in Australia providing sponsors general partners and trustees with additional funding flexibility and liquidity Allens Partner Tom Highnam Managing Associate Rita Pang and Associate Victoria Johns provide an overview of the funds sector current ...