In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Sarah Abood, chief executive of Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA), to break down the Coalition’s promises to the advice profession if they come into power and the merits of the latest draft legislation of Labor’s advice reforms.

Ahead of the federal election, Abood explored some of the possible solutions offered from both sides for addressing the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, as well as the possible implications of superannuation funds providing retirement advice through collective charging.

Listen as they discuss:

• What the FAAA wants from the incoming government.
• Why it’s important that advisers gain access to the ATO portal.
• How government funding could boost new entrants to the profession.

In this week’s special episode of The ifa Show, we present shadow treasurer Angus Taylor’s address at Momentum Media’s Election 2025 event, followed by a Q&A covering the Coalition’s plans for the financial services sector.

Taylor outlines what a Peter Dutton-led government would deliver for the Australian economy, why the role of financial advisers is "absolutely central" to its economic blueprint, and how the nation's leader needs to handle negotiations with US President Donald Trump.

Tune in to hear about:

• The Coalition's plans to reshape the economy.
• How Taylor plans to get the cost-of-living crisis under control.
• Why the shadow treasurer aims to double financial adviser numbers.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by independent financial adviser Nathan Fradley to discuss the Aged Care Act reforms set to come into effect on 1 July and how advisers can prepare their clients.

With the funding of aged care also heading for change, Fradley breaks down what advisers who don’t specialise in the space need to know and the value of building a network of professionals they can refer clients to, to ensure they can meet the needs of clients navigating the complex aged care space.

Listen as they discuss:

• Why it’s so important that advisers stay up to date on the incoming reforms.
• The value of specialisation within the advice industry.
• What impact DBFO 1.5 could have on clients’ retirement income and Centrelink eligibility.

In this episode of The ifa Show, hosts Keith Ford and Maja Garaca Djurdjevic are joined by Phil Anderson, general manager of policy, advocacy and standards at the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA), to break down the latest tranche of financial advice reforms.

With an election on the horizon, there won’t be any meaningful movement on the draft legislation, but the version delivered last week has fallen well short of the FAAA’s expectations, with Anderson characterising the association’s response as having a “fairly strong tone of disappointment”.

Listen as they discuss:

• What’s in the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes (DBFO) exposure draft – and what isn’t.
• Why the FAAA is so strongly against the legislation in its current form.
• The specifics around what advice super funds would be allowed to collectively charge members.
• Whether there are any real differences between the proposed client advice record and a statement of advice.
• How little there was in the budget for financial services and advice.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Eugene Ardino, chief executive of Lifespan Financial Planning, to discuss some of the hot-button topics impacting financial advice and why, despite some challenges, there is still plenty of reason for optimism.

Financial advisers are facing headwinds in the form of sluggish regulatory reform and the growing impact of the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR), which Ardino said is currently the biggest issue for advice, though high demand and deregulation on the horizon should see things improve.

Listen as they discuss:

• What steps need to be taken to ensure the CSLR is sustainable without crippling financial advice.
• How the advice profession can work to attract more new entrants and sell the positives of the sector.
• Whether a change in minister is likely to speed up the implementation of reforms.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Marc Fabris, founder of Risk Hub, to discuss how technology and artificial intelligence are being used to boost efficiency in the advice process, making risk advice commercially viable for holistic advisers.

While commissions have certainly played a significant role in the exodus of holistic advisers from the risk sector, Fabris explains how regulatory changes and compliance requirements have made risk advice more challenging and expensive, which has ultimately led to an underinsurance issue in Australia.

Listen as they discuss:

• The likelihood of government addressing risk commissions soon.
• How collaboration with insurers could streamline the risk advice process.
• Why advisers need to embrace AI to stay competitive for the future.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Katherine Spitzkowsky, founder and principal adviser at Yulania Financial, ahead of International Women’s Day to discuss the specific needs of women seeking financial advice, as well as how advisers can work with neurodiverse clients.

While many financial advisers aim to tailor their offering to every client based on their individual needs, Spitzkowsky explains why it is still important to understand the differences in the way that men and women approach financial literacy to ensure clients receive the best outcome from the financial advice process.

Listen as they discuss:

• The value of referring clients to other advisers who would be a better fit.
• Why neurodiverse clients can often be perceived as difficult because of a mismatch in communication styles.
• How financial advisers can provide a better service through flexibility in their processes.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by the executive director of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals, Peter Johnston, to break down how the poor design of the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) could lead to the downfall of the financial advice profession as they face a $70 million levy.

With the responsibility of addressing the CSLR seemingly being left in the hands of the next government, Johnston explains the importance of advisers using their vote in the upcoming federal election to support those that will, in turn, support the profession and deliver on their promises.

Listen as they discuss:

• Whether there are any legal pathways for the profession to challenge the CSLR.
• How advisers can push back against political pressures in the upcoming federal election.
• What the long-term implications of the CSLR could be for the profession.