Hi

Two stories which have attracted attention this week are the Securities Commission defending itself over its role with finance company collapse and The Retirement Commissioner adding Disclosure to the list of banned words.

As many readers will know the word independent has become redundant in adviserland, and looks likely to be even less relevant under proposed regulations.

Now Diana Crossan is suggesting disclosure moves into the same category. You can see her comments and responses from readers here.

Meanwhile Jane Diplock reckons the Securities Commission has done an OK job in regulating the finance company sector. Her views were expressed at an event promoting Financial Awareness week.

At the same function former Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel, quite rightly, made it clear that the Parliamentary enquiry into finance company collapses was not about seeking redress for investors.

We have a guest Blog today. Over here Richard James from NZ Funds Management provides a really good piece on his view of the advisory market. It's well worth a read.

A good story this week is where is Naomi Ballantyne now she has left ING Life? Well it started with news she was joining the board of a dealer group. It turns out that was not quite a done deal, but as we report exclusively in Insurance News this week has definitely joined the board of a insurance provider. One you may not know too much about. All the details are here.

The Insurance space has been busy with Sovereign talking about its results in the WA Taylor report and news on how the new anti money laundering laws will impact on risk advisers.

On Monday you will see a new brand reappear in the life insurance market.

Today on Good Returns David Chaplin provides advisers with a further update on what is happening with adviser regulation in particular QFEs. There have been concerns that QFEs will be a soft regulation option for the big companies and that advisers. In this report we outline the latest thinking on the matter from the regulators.

Yesterday's official cash rate announcement has been well and truly chewed over. At mortgagerates.co.nz we look at what it means for borrowers and where interest rates maybe heading in the future. Included in our coverage is the view from one economist that floating rates now look slightly more favorable than fixed ones. Meanwhile lots of property investor bashing is going on in the media.

For readers interested in investment rates, we have plenty of news in depositrates.co.nz. Among the stories we have details of the extended government guarantee scheme which passed through Parliament unanmiously this week.

Dorchester outlines its four steps to survival (plus it gets a new board member).

Finally to close of the Weekly Wrap we have a competition for you. Good Returns has a set of the Millionaire Makers books to give away. The series of nine books gives readers stories and tips about how to make good money during our current economic climate. The authors are all leaders in their field. For more information and to enter the competition go to Win Books.

Have a great weekend.
Philip

www.goodreturns.co.nz