The ifa Show

  In this episode of  The ifa Show, host Mikaela Henschel speak s with Sonas Wealth managing director and SMSF specialist adviser Liam Shorte, one of the more vocal critics of Division 296, about how the tax is playing out with clients now that it is law.   Liam explains why he thinks the industry was right to push back on the original proposal and why liquidity and the death benefits tax are now...

  In this episode of  The ifa Show, host Mikaela Henschel sits down with Nova Wealth founder and senior financial adviser Karthik Ganapathy, whose decision to post a single TikTok video in Hindi transformed his entire business, flooding his practice with inquiries from first-generation migrants and leaving him building a team to keep up with demand, all without any paid marketing.   From building...

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Shy-ann Arkinstall is joined by independent financial adviser Nathan Fradley to unpack the complexities of advice fees and why advisers may be selling themselves short when it comes to pricing their services. From rising business costs to the challenge of communicating the value of advice, Nathan explains why advisers need to recognise advice as a premium serv...

On this episode of The ifa Show, host Mikaela Henschel speaks with Brighter Super senior manager of adviser growth Nicky Leis about the government's proposed new class of adviser and how it could affect the advice gap, super funds and the advisers already in the profession.   Leis spent more than a decade as a financial adviser before joining Brighter Super, where she now works closely with advise...

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Mikaela Henschel sits down with TruWealth Advice founder and principal financial adviser Natallia Smith to talk about the emotional side of advice, and why it often matters more than the numbers.   Smith came into advice from psychology, and she works almost entirely with women going through divorce, bereavement and retirement. Many of her clients arrive at a...

In this episode of  The  ifa Show, host Shy-ann Arkinstall is joined by independent financial adviser Andrew Saikal-Skea  to dig into the complexities of being independent  under the law and how this translates  into his referral frameworks.   Spann ing licensing decisions and risk advice, Andrew  explains how  being independent  influences  how he chooses the right professionals to partner with a...

In this episode of  The   ifa  Show, host Alex Burke is joined by Marin Wealth financial adviser Hannah Elliot  t o break down  her time as a P rofessional Year   (PY)  adviser  and her   frustrations  with the lack of guidance in the process .   Hannah explains why  the lack of structure in the P rofessional Year  made it  a  more  stressful process  and the impact this is having on smaller pract...

In this episode of  The  ifa Show, host Alex Burke  speaks with  Kanish Chugh,  the head of ETF sales at PIMCO,  about how  changes to tax regulations and  the global market environment  in recent years   have  triggered a move away from  the traditional 60/40 portfolio  and shifted how advisers are utilising   fixed income  assets   and ETFs .   Kanish  ex plores how advisers should be thinking a...

In this episode of  The  ifa Show, host Alex Burke speaks with Blake Briggs, chief executive of the Financial Services Council, about  proposals put forward in professional body's recent white paper  of the future of advice licensing.   Blake explains the rationale  be hind  the  proposals  aimed at making advice more sustainable,   as well as addressing the industry's response to  the  $25,000  l...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Alex Burke talks to Challenger's general manager retirement distribution, Adrian Aardoom, about Australia's retirement income system and advisers' role in it.  Adrian discusses the diminishing levels of retirement confidence across the country, the typical flaws in how Australians think about retirement and the ways in which the traditional advice process make...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Alex Burke talks to Marshan Consulting director Ben Marshan about AI in advice: where it works, what the risks are and how advisers can use it without running afoul of ASIC or the OAIC. Ben discusses the rapid evolution of AI tools and the novel risks they introduce, particularly with regards to advisers' privacy obligations. He also explains the principles of...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Nathan Fradley of Fradley Advice to take a look at all of the big topics that are impacting the financial advice profession, from AI and data security to AML/CTF and the CSLR. Nathan breaks down why AI is both a powerful tool and worthy of some scepticism, how some of the change flowing through the sector is going to change the way that...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford speaks with Charlotte O'Meara, general manager of Falcon Financial Advisers, about her move away from her former role as head of responsible investment at Challenger to running an advice practice. Charlotte unpacks the differences between being on the product provider side of the financial services sector and the advice side, how her understanding o...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford speaks with FAAA general manager of policy, advocacy and standards Phil Anderson about the spate of consultations that the government is undertaking in the financial advice space. Phil breaks down what is in the education reform proposal, the options put forward to deal with the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) cost blow out, as well as the...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Paul Luu, financial adviser and life insurance specialist at Evalesco and Principal Edge, to unpack the scale and causes of Australia's underinsurance problem. Paul explains how risk advice fits within a holistic planning framework and outlines the "minimum effective dose" philosophy – structuring just enough cover to meaningfully prote...

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by financial adviser Jayde Jenkins to unpack the realities of starting and running an advice business, and why the idea of launching a firm can be appealing for many advisers but doesn't always deliver the outcomes they expect. Jayde explores the pressures of business ownership, from operational demands to personal trade-offs, and why step...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford speaks with Unbound Financial founder Charmaine Hall about how she has embedded AI across her financial advice business to reclaim time, cut costs, and deepen client relationships. Charmaine dives into the risks, boundaries, and ethics of AI in advice, stressing the importance of accuracy checks, not over ‑ trusting AI, and putting tight security an...

In this episode, host Keith Ford speaks with Michael Khouri, principal adviser at Better Financial Planning and host of the 'Sharing More Than the Sheets' podcast, about the value that a financial adviser's podcast can have for both their firm and their clients. Michael explains that although he originally launched his podcast to find new clients, it quickly evolved into a passion project focused...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford speaks with Jordan Vaka, an independent financial adviser at PlanningSolo, about his niche focus on clients experiencing divorce and bereavement, particularly older women who have not previously managed the household finances. Jordan explains the practical and emotional realities of advising recently widowed or divorced clients, from working closely...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford speaks with Shannon Freney of Direct Wealth about practical ways financial advice firms can improve efficiency without compromising client outcomes. Freney explains why firms should treat efficiency as part of an ongoing process, while maintaining a measured and deliberate approach rather than change for its own sake, and how understanding where the...

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford speaks with Dwayne Fernandes, senior financial adviser and partner at Principal Edge, about the complex realities of intergenerational wealth transfer for high ‑ net ‑ worth families and why a multi-disciplinary team is so important for client success. Fernandes breaks down the blind spots that can undermine long-term outcomes when professionals tak...

In this episode of the ifa Show, general manager of Viridian Advisory Brett Arnol joins host Keith Ford to speak about how the firm approaches the Professional Year as a strategic talent pipeline rather than a compliance hurdle. Arnol explains that simply following the regulatory framework is not enough to turn a new adviser into a capable "advice ‑ ready" professional, and breaks down how Viridia...

On this episode of the ifa Show, Forte Asset Solutions principal Steve Prendeville joins host Keith Ford to break down the advice sector M&A outlook and why the feared wave of exits never aligned with what he was seeing on the ground, particularly among advice business owners. While consolidation is accelerating, Prendeville stressed that successful deals are less about headline price and more abo...

On this episode of the ifa Show, Omura Wealth Advisers director Terry Vogiatzis joins host Keith Ford to dive into why aggressive, growth-focused investing, smart tax structures and customised portfolios can dramatically change long-term outcomes. Vogiatzis argues that for many younger investors, the real risk is being too conservative for too long, rather than riding out volatility in pursuit of...

In this episode of the ifa Show, Vanguard Australia head of multi-asset solutions Matthew Cho joins host Keith Ford to unpack how advisers are rethinking portfolio construction amid rising regulatory demands, administrative complexity and broader market uncertainty. With advisers under pressure to deliver tailored portfolios while preserving efficiency, Cho explains why scalable, rules-based inves...