21 Oct 2020 – Department of Internal Affairs published a new webinar on the AML/CFT enhanced customer due diligence obligation on its website. https://www.dia.govt.nz/Enhanced-Customer-Due-Diligence-Webinar

22 Oct 2020 - Simone Robbers, RBNZ Assistant Governor & General Manager of Governance, Strategy and Corporate Relations, delivered a speech to the 16th Annual Financial Markets Law Conference titled “Working together to support economic recovery, strengthen resilience, and develop culture”. https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/news/2020/10/working-together-to-support-economic-recovery-strengthen-resilience-and-develop-culture

22 Oct 2020 – FMA released a consultation titled “Recognition of Australian adviser qualifications”, relevant to the upcoming financial advice provider regime, with submissions closing on 20 Nov 2020. https://www.fma.govt.nz/compliance/consultation/consultation-recognition-of-australian-adviser-qualifications/

20 Oct 2020 – MBIE published information on its website an update on COVID-19-related business relief measures, noting that some have been extended, while others are no longer available or are soon to expire. https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/update-on-covid-19-related-business-relief-measures/

21 Oct 2020 - The first statement defining the purpose of New Zealand’s retirement income system was released by the Retirement Commissioner. https://cffc.govt.nz/news-and-media/news/purpose-of-nz-retirement-income-system-defined/

16 Sept 2020 – Treasury published the pre-election economic and fiscal update. https://www.treasury.govt.nz/news-and-events/news/2020-pre-election-economic-and-fiscal-update-published-today

16 Sept 2020 - MBIE released a statement that the Government planned responding to the retirement income policy review this year, but is taking further time to consider New Zealand’s retirement settings in light of the impacts of COVID-19. https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/update-on-government-response-to-retirement-income-policy-review/

17 Sept 2020 – Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hon Kris Faafoi, released a statement that the  Government is working on how New Zealand’s retirement income policies and settings can best support Kiwis in light of the COVID-19 economic recovery, with the help of the Retirement Commissioner’s latest review. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/economic-recovery-guides-govt-response-retirement-income-policy-review

Aug 2020 – Commission for Financial Capability released its Financial Capability Barometer Report 2018-2019.

https://cffc.govt.nz/reviews-and-reports/research-and-reports/

AIA announced their AIA Vitality Business and Community Grant earlier this month. The grant is set up to support adviser initiative to encourage health and wellbeing.  Advisers are able to find inspiration by referring to a national think tank that New Zealanders will be adding to. “To help inspire you with ideas to help create a healthier community, AIA will be asking New Zealanders to submit their ideas from 29 June.  This will create a national think tank which you can then use to inform your own ideas or to adapt for your submissions.”

There is a process for selecting successful applications, but those most likely to succeed will be increasing engagement within their communities through activities including:

• “Hosting events to create awareness of health challenges in your community.

• Investing in digital marketing and promotion of healthy living through podcasts or a video series.

• Developing marketing activities that will drive the awareness of health and wellbeing in your community.

• Delivering educational opportunities to increase the importance of health and wellbeing for New Zealanders.”

More details available here

In other news:

CFFC: The Commission for Financial Capability launched new resources to help students gain NCEA credits

RBNZ: The Reserve Bank resuming review of the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act 2010

AIA: how MIP works adviser resource

Adrian Orr has highlighted that the financial system is sound enough to overcome the economic impacts of COVID-19. Although banks have coped well with the pandemic, the Reserve Bank has stated that insurers and non-bank lenders are more vulnerable.

“The Reserve Bank said in the central bank's annual report on financial stability published on Wednesday that banks had coped well with the coronavirus pandemic so far.

But under "severe enough scenarios, the viability of banks would come into question", it warned.

In the event of its worst-case lockdown scenario "initial modelling suggests that, without significant and timely mitigating actions, banks would fall below minimum capital requirements under this scenario," it said.

The Reserve Bank has also cautioned that some other financial institutions that take deposits from the public, and some life insurers, are already more vulnerable.” Click here to read

In other news:

FSC: Advisers more important than ever

COVID-19 exposing New Zealanders’ financial vulnerability

Retirement Commissioner: Collective effort from advisers needed

Take care before jumping on insurance relief, FMA warns

AIA: Fitch runs Covid-19 ruler over industry

EQC apologises for leakage of claims info

28 Apr 2020 – Minister of Commerce March diary released. Finance sector meetings disclosed included:

• 6 March - Speak: Westpac and Mastercard's Inclusive Growth Symposium
• 6 March - Meeting with AA Finance and Suncorp (Paul Smeaton, David Flacks, Ana-Marie Lockyer, Marie Hosking, Helen McNeil and Clayton Cosgrove)
• 18 March – Meeting with Retirement Commissioner
• 20 March – Conference call: ANZ (Antonia Watson)

The Commission for Financial Capability are hosting the 2018 NZ Financial Capability Summit at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland on the 11th and 12th of June. The speakers include Sharon Armstrong, Travis Barker, David Boyle and Peter Cordtz.

Click here to take a look at the agenda and you can register here.

Sorted has published a great article by Tom Hartmann on avoiding scams. The impressive thing about this article is the 'hook'. Consumers aren't very interested in the more detailed aspects of financial planning. So how do you make this interesting? A picture of Robert De Niro helps, dressed as the character in the movie "Wizard of Lies". Link.

Sorted has this great suite of cool looking new financial tools - the kinds of calculators and planners with nice graphics and good step-by-step instructions that you would like to see from the Commission for financial Capability. Take a moment to check them out. Notice which area is missing? That's right, insurance.

Money week has started out focusing on debt. Debt happens to also form the core of the capital needs analysis when insurance planning is being considered. So much so that typically insurance advisers start the needs analysis by aiming to clear all debt in the event of death, and add other needs on top of that. What's right and what's wrong with our view of debt. 

Diane Maxwell at the Commission for Financial Capability is quoted in this article by Tamsyn Parker at the NZ Herald on the subject of debt. It is worth taking in how people can make a decision to get into debt for items that would traditionally be called 'bad debt' - like borrowing for a holiday, or large consumer electronics purchase. Most people know that taking out a loan on such items is a poor financial decision - but they feel that they have worked hard and deserve this. Those views may not add up to you, but they are real for a wide range of people. The impetuous decision comes more easily under such a rationalisation. Whereas, to the person who has a rule 'I never borrow for a holiday' they then have to save. Saving gives you time to re-asses your goals. Do I want this holiday more than cutting six months off my wait to get into a home?  The nature of the rule is tricky to properly express. Some people say 'never borrow for a depreciating asset' this kind of definition tends to favour the purchase of physical property or listed investments. But what about education? for almost anyone under 35 with the ability, getting a degree in business, accounting, law, finance, engineering, science, technology, or maths will provide big dividends. It should not be excluded from the options. 

So how does this affect your attitude towards insuring debt? For me, it doesn't. I like the idea that in the event of my death all my debt is paid off and there is sufficient money to take care of dependents. But some attitudes towards insuring debt are changing. One bank even defaults their calculator to only insuring 50% of debt. That may well reflect the modern reality of two-income households, but given that life insurance is so cheap (and set to get quite a bit cheaper) for people under 45, then the trade-off in peace of mind might not be worth the extra flat white per week. It is a trade-off I would like the customer to make actively, but that would require an advice process. The overall approach suggests a process in which the belief is that the customer is highly price-sensitive. Yet our research shows that customers are not that price sensitive until they reach their fifties. They are more cover sensitive. Go back to the emotive rationale for bad debt and you will see that price wasn't the dominant factor in that decision either. It was how they felt about the outcome. Talking about outcomes enables the client to make a better decision.