Mon, 14th Jul 2025

In this week's Financial Services Online podcast, several key topics are covered. Paige Estritori discusses the concerning rise in individuals passing the financial advisor's exam without leveraging their qualifications, which may affect consumer access to advice and increase workloads for practicing advisors. The real estate market in Melbourne is highlighted as a prime opportunity for buyers due to steady interest rates and competitive pricing. There are calls from industry professionals to allow financial advisers access to the Australian Taxation Office portal to streamline end-of-financial-year processes, despite some concerns over cost and cybersecurity. Lastly, the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to maintain the current cash rate, against predictions of a cut, has left markets and analysts surprised. Predictions suggest a dip below 3.0 percent by end of the year, mainly influenced by external factors.n