Proposed rules outlined yesterday by Treasury limiting commissions on financial advice will strengthen the positions of banks and other deposit-takers - whether or not they own major fund managers and investment platforms, as all the big banks now do.Lobbying led by the Australian Bankers Association succeeded in securing an exception for banks from the bans proposed on volume-based commissions that will apply to classic forms of financial planning.Banks will thus be able to maintain incentive programs for tellers and other in-branch advisers on the sale of "basic" banking products.The information pack published by Treasury says basic products include deposit products such as savings accounts, first-home saver accounts and non-cash payment products, including travel cards.This carve-out exempts bank staff from both the "best interests duty" and ban on conflicted remuneration for bank employees that is the cornerstone of the planned reforms  which are set to come into force from July 2012 (for some reforms) and July 2013 (for most reforms).The banks failed, however, in their endeavours to extend the exemption to the sale of select and basic superannuation products - not that there are many such products on offer at the moment.One such product is the BT Super for Life superannuation plan sold through Westpac branches.Westpac wrote in an email that it believed the bank's present sales methods for Super for Life "will not be impacted by the best interest duty as it is sold through our branch staff under a 'general advice' model, and no 'personal advice' is given."The wider impact of the reforms on the "Future of Financial Advice", or FOFA, as the Government styles its proposals, is that they will further entrench the advantages of the big banks' business model, and their fund management subsidiaries.John Heagerty at Credit Suisse wrote in a research note yesterday that "'scale [was] the winner… The net impact for the industry is clearly a change in the business models for financial planners and an increase in costs, by way of implementing change and complying with new legislation. "To this end… we consider AMP and the major banks to be best placed to minimise the downside risk and potentially capitalise on opportunities that may arise."These are likely to include the takeover of mid-tier financial planning groups that cannot adjust rapidly to the loss of revenue from the limits on commission.