Welcome to Issue 32 of the FSC Policy Update – a fortnightly member briefing on the main legislative and regulatory changes across the financial services industry.  Today is the start of the massive $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme, with more than 500,000 businesses signed up. Week three of early access to superannuation begins today, with more than one million Australians in financial distress having already applied for their money. On the other side of the coin in the COVID-19 crisis, more than four million Australians have downloaded the COVIDSafe app to help stop the spread of the virus. Last Friday night in NSW people were able to see two more friends outside their families. Last Friday a Newgate survey found we’re getting fed up with lockdowns, and PM Morrison declared Australia was “not too far away” from easing restrictions.

Mental Health and Life Insurance Round Table discussed mutual concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OPINION PIECE - by Jane Macnamara, Senior Policy Manager – Superannuation & Retirement Incomes

Welcome to Issue 31 of the FSC Policy Update – a fortnightly member briefing on the main legislative and regulatory changes across the financial services industry. Today marks the official start date of the Government's temporary early access to superannuation initiative, which the FSC supports. Across financial services, it is all hands on deck to ensure Australians are as well-supported as possible during this economic crisis. To that end, your FSC team has been working closely with regulators, Treasury and agencies to secure relief and waiver from non-critical legislation and regulation so that our members can place as many resources as needed into front-line operations to help their customers. 

The FSC has appointed Blake Briggs as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

Welcome to Issue 30 of the FSC Policy Update – a fortnightly member briefing on the main legislative and regulatory changes across the financial services industry. In this issue, the FSC team analyses requests for regulatory relief and waiver relating to the impact of COVID-19, Your Super, Your Choice and Enhancements to Unfair Contract Term Protections.  The FSC team is actively focused on triaging a number of issues across every portfolio in financial services, including but not limited to – writing to every state government and territory requesting that financial services be defined as an “essential service”; holding regular, often daily meetings with Government, regulators and agencies to (a) inform them of urgent and emerging market issues and (b) requesting relief and waiver from specific legislative and regulatory initiatives and sharing information with peer industry association colleagues in NZ and the UK, and here at home. Thanks again to those highly engaged members who understand the value of their industry association as a swift and well-connected conduit to decision-makers during this COVID-19 emergency. And while most of the BAU handbook has been shelved in the past fortnight, we have managed to deliver a comprehensive submission on Design and Distribution Obligations (DDO), among other things.

Want to Talk

Leave your details and we'll be in touch.

FSC Website - Terms of Use

This website is created and controlled by the FSC. Whenever you access or use this website, you agree to these website terms of use. The date of these website terms of use is set out below. We may change these website terms of use at our discretion. By continuing to use this website, you accept the website terms of use as they apply from time to time. The information contained on this website may change from time to time.

 

Disclaimer

The information provided on this website is general in nature and not customised for the particular user. This website does not constitute legal, accounting, tax, or financial product advice and does not take into account the objectives, financial situation, or needs of any person or the terms of any commercial transaction. Users should obtain their own professional advice tailored to their own circumstances before using this website or the content on this website for their own commercial purposes.

The FSC does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy, currency, completeness, or suitability of the content of this website or the content on this website from a commercial, legal, tax, accounting or regulatory perspective.

The use of this website is subject to any other terms and conditions prescribed by the FSC from time to time in relation to the access, use, transmission or dissemination of this website or the content on this website.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the FSC will not be liable to any person or entity for any direct, indirect, consequential or other loss or damage (however caused, including due to negligence) which may arise out of, or in connection with, the use of this website or the content on this website (including without limitation the use or reliance on information, including any publication or media release, contained on or linked to from this website). Further, we do not endorse or accept any liability for the contents of any website referred to on, or linked to, this website.

You acknowledge that certain documents provided by or linked by the FSC on this website may contain their own specific terms and conditions that must be accepted and agreed in relation to downloading or purchase. These terms and conditions are contained in the documents themselves.

 

Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise indicated, the copyright in the information on this website is owned by the FSC. You may download and print content from this website for your own personal or internal business purposes only. You must not publish, adapt, communicate to the public, distribute to third parties, amend or make any other copy of any part of the content on this website without our prior written consent.

 

Third-Party Sites and Events

This website may contain links to sites maintained by other organisations. Links from this website to third-party websites or references to products, services or publications other than those of the FSC do not imply the endorsement or approval of such third-party websites, products, services or publications by the FSC.  The FSC may advertise or sponsor functions, events or other activities that may be conducted by third parties. We do not accept any responsibility in connection with your participation in activities conducted by any third party. We do not make any representation as to the accuracy of information contained on those websites and will not accept any responsibility for the accuracy, ownership or any other aspect of the information contained on those websites.

 

Privacy

Any personal information we collect about you via this website or otherwise will only be used and disclosed by us in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

 

Security

The transmission of information over the Internet is not completely secure or error-free. In particular, emails to or from the FSC and information submitted to or accessed via this website may not be secure and you should use discretion in deciding what information you send to us via these means.

You agree that you will not violate the security of this website, including without limitation by transmitting any harmful code or reverse engineering any part of this website.

You agree to observe any instructions or protocols provided by the FSC from time to time governing log-in processes, information security and use of passwords.

 

Virus Warning

The FSC does not represent that any information (including any file) obtained from or through this website is free from computer viruses or other faults or defects. It is your responsibility to scan any such information for computer viruses. The FSC will not be liable to you or to any other person for any loss or damage (whether direct, indirect, consequential or economic), however caused and whether by negligence or otherwise, which may result directly or indirectly from any such information. To the extent that any applicable law that cannot be excluded imposes any liability on us, that liability shall be limited to the cost of re-supplying that information.

 

Cookies

The FSC may use cookies to identify your computer on our server and so we can track your use of this website. In some instances cookies may collect and store personal information about you. Such personal information will only be used by the FSC in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

 

Availability of Website

The FSC does not represent or warrant that access to our website will be secure, error free, uninterrupted or timely or that the website or the related server are free of viruses, bugs or other harmful applications or interference. You acknowledge that it is your responsibility to implement sufficient procedures and virus checks to satisfy your own requirements. The FSC may suspend your access to the website without prior notice due to maintenance, system failure, repair or any other reason beyond our control.

 

Governing Law

These terms of use between you and the FSC will be governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia.  You agree that any dispute or legal proceeding in relation to this website shall be brought exclusively in the courts of New South Wales.

 

Date of Publication: 21 June 2024
Version: 1.0