Welcome to the Spring edition of the Pinnacle Brief.
Nature’s wake-up call has arrived – hello, Spring and farewell to Winter!
The weather may still keep us guessing, but there’s no denying the shift. Brighter days, blooming gardens, and a touch of sunshine are a welcome change from winter’s cold and grey.
A bit of volatility, with a touch of Gold!
The past few months have brought their share of market movement – rising bond yields and investor jitters saw the ASX dip, while gold hit record highs (yes, some Aussies really are out there with metal detectors).
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza conflicts continue to cause global anguish, with humanitarian crises and rising tensions. Despite efforts, ceasefire talks have repeatedly failed due to deep mistrust and escalating violence, leaving peace elusive. This ongoing instability continues to fuel market volatility and uncertainty worldwide.
Inflation has eased slightly in recent months, but interest rates remain steady as the RBA takes a cautious approach to ensure price stability.
Consumer confidence has softened a little, but we’ve seen these cycles before. Our focus remains on long-term strategy, smart diversification, and keeping your goals front and centre.
Overall, the Australian economy has shown steady progress this quarter, with some encouraging signs – though not without a few bumps along the way.
Pinnacle updates… keeping you connected!
Tax season is now fully in swing. A quick reminder for clients awaiting tax reports – while some are starting to come through, most won’t be available until mid to late October.
In July 2024, ASIC introduced important changes to how financial planning businesses manage ongoing fee arrangements with clients. With clear guidance now in place, we have begun applying these changes to client reviews starting September 2025. The goal is to simplify the consent process. Instead of the annual Opt-in Renewal Notice and Fee Disclosure Statement (FDS), you will now receive an ‘Ongoing Fee Arrangement & Consent’ request. This will need to be signed alongside the Fee Consent form(s) that outline where your fees are paid from.
If you have a Macquarie account, you’re probably well acquainted with the Macquarie Authenticator App by now — their dedicated tool for approving transactions and keeping your accounts extra secure (because who doesn’t love yet another app, right?). Meanwhile, MyProsperity – Your Wealth Portal – is our go-to platform for giving you easy, secure access to your financial world. In this newsletter, we’ll share a few handy tips and tricks to help you avoid accidentally locking yourself out of either app — and, if it does happen (we’ve all been there), how to get back in without too much stress.
And finally, a big congratulations to Kerry Bowley, Pinnacle’s champion tipper and winner of the 2025 Pinnacle Footy Tipping Competition! It was a tight finish, with Kerry, Selena, and Allen all ending the season on 156 points — but Kerry edged ahead on overall ranking to take the top spot. We’re looking forward to bringing the tipping competition back for clients in 2026!
Chris Launer—Principal