Putting the icing on the Hayne cake
The Treasurer released a bundle of draft bills on Friday, implementing a number of outstanding recommendations of the Hayne royal commission.Included in the package are:• stronger breach reporting requirements;• a reference checking and information sharing protocol in relation to financial advisers and mortgage brokers;• granting ASIC the power to designate enforceable industry code provisions and the establishment of a mandatory code of conduct framework;• a requirement that ongoing fee recipients renew the arrangements annually, setting out the total fees that will be charged over the period;• a requirement that a financial services licensee or authorised representative provide written disclosure of "lack of independence" (commissions and volume based remuneration are not OK);• a deferred sales model for add-on insurance product, including consumer credit insurance, travel insurance and mobile phone screen protection insurance; and• a cap on vehicle dealer commissions.Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in a statement that by the end of 2020, all remaining royal commission recommendations requiring legislation will have been introduced.Some of the measures are already proving controversial. The Financial Planning Association said the changes would "further increase the time and the administrative burden on financial planners helping their clients."It said: "The FPA agrees financial planners should be required to periodically review and renew ongoing fee arrangements. However, we believe requiring this to be conducted annually… adds considerable time and cost pressures on financial planning practices."