In this episode of The ifa Show, we share a discussion between host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic and associate professor Nathan Eva, from Monash Business School, on the global implications of US President Donald Trump's "me-first agenda" on organisational culture, including within Australia.

Eva breaks down Trump’s executive orders rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and clean energy efforts, and how these moves could flow through into the domestic landscape.

Listen as they discuss:

• The risks that come with deprioritising diversity and how Australian leaders can resist these trends.
• What organisations can do to stay committed to fairness, equity, and sustainability amid political and social upheaval.
• The leadership qualities needed to navigate this challenging new era.

In the latest episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by academic and consultant Dr Katherine Hunt to dive into the barriers that are holding advice firms back from bringing on young advisers and why overcoming them is important for the future of the profession.

Reflecting on conversations with advisers who have decided working with professional year (PY) advisers simply doesn’t fit their business model, Hunt outlined why this is an area where advice firms can take on more responsibility for improving the overall profession while still gaining value from a new adviser’s skills.

Listen as she discusses:

• How to reposition the value proposition of a PY adviser as a positive for your clients.
• Why the proposed new class of adviser could be reason for optimism and lead to growth in adviser numbers in the long-term.
• How to get the most out of mandated ethics continuing professional development rather than just ticking a box.

In the latest episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford sits down with founder and director of Forte Asset Solutions, Steve Prendeville, to break down what’s happening in the financial services mergers and acquisitions (M&A) space.

With activity high across the board, including multiple bidders attempting to take over Insignia Financial, Prendeville shares his insights on the growing international interest in Australian financial services firms and why this is happening.

Listen as he discusses:

• The impact of offshore ownership on the domestic financial services market.
• Why 2025 is set to be a busy year for M&A advice firms, driven by a combination of supply and demand dynamics.
• How financial advisers can build better businesses and enhance profitability.

Join us for an exclusive interview as ifa’s Maja Garaca Djurdjevic and Keith Ford are joined by shadow financial services minister Luke Howarth to discuss the Coalition’s goals for financial advice.

In this conversation, Howarth shares his perspective on the current state of the sector, what a change in government would bring about for financial advice reform efforts, the prospect of super funds returning to advice, and what needs to change regarding the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort.

Tune in to hear the shadow minister’s vision for the advice profession ahead of next year’s federal election.

You’ll hear:

• What the Coalition’s plan to implement all the Quality of Advice Review recommendations means in practice.
• His plans to turn around what has been a contentious relationship between the advice profession and successive governments on both sides of politics.
• How Australia’s economy is looking following an extended period of high inflation and increased government spending.
• Whether the shadow minister is just talking a good game ahead of an election or if financial advice would be better off under a Coalition government.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Kylie Denton, the owner and director of Performance Advisory Group, to explore how advisers can navigate the complex landscape of the intergenerational transfer of wealth and engage with different generations of clients.

Denton explains why financial advisers need to start thinking about how they will connect with this new generation now, as around $435 billion of wealth is set to transfer from Baby Boomers to generations X, Y, and Z over the next 10 years.

Listen as they discuss:

• The conversations that advisers should be having with clients and both their children and grandchildren.
• How advisers can tailor their offerings to younger generations that communicate very differently compared with older clients.
• The different concerns that younger clients hold, not just from a financial perspective but also on a broader level.

In this episode of The ifa Show, co-hosts Maja Garaca Djurdjevic and Keith Ford break down Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones’ latest update on the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes (DBFO) reforms and how the new class of adviser (NCA) is set to operate.

Details have been short on the second tranche of the DBFO and the delays have been lengthy, but the minister has provided a more in-depth look at how the super funds and insurers will be able to utilise NCAs to provide simple advice to members – though there is still no date for the release of draft legislation.

Listen as they discuss:

• Whether the ability for NCAs to charge for their service is a net positive and why it became a point of friction among stakeholders.
• The reaction from across the financial services industry.
• How likely it is that the legislation will be passed in the current term of Parliament, given the ever-shrinking window before the federal election.

In this episode of The ifa Show, co-hosts Keith Ford and Maja Garaca Djurdjevic are joined by Money Management editor Laura Dew to dissect some of the submissions that industry stakeholders have made to the Senate’s Dixon Advisory inquiry.

Submissions for the Senate inquiry into failure of wealth management companies and the impact on the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) have started to be released, and some key issues have started to emerge around where the major problems lie and what can be done to fix them.

Listen as they discuss:

• How the CSLR came about and why the Dixon Advisory collapse has caused so many problems.
• The ongoing concern of what will happen when the $20 million subsector cap is exceeded.
• Options to address large firms walking away from their subsidiaries and leaving it to advisers to pick up the tab.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by Bryce Quirk, Group Executive of Distribution at CFS, and Recep Peker, Managing Director of Empower Business Advisory, to explore the findings of the firms’ recent Advice Practice Profitability Report.

Quirk and Peker break down the report’s most important insights for advisers, from the way practice inefficiencies are hindering their ability to serve a greater number of clients to the importance of investing in the foundation of their businesses to accommodate future growth.

Listen as they discuss:

• How to address the ongoing issue of advice accessibility.
• The importance of advocating for the value of financial advice and reducing servicing costs.
• The role of managed accounts in simplifying processes and improving client outcomes.
• Why advisers should seek technology partners that facilitate consistency and simplicity and how this can boost profitability.