Superannuation customers who seek “simple” advice are increasingly being offered bundled arrangements that combine advice with specific financial products, according to multiple Australian outlets. The articles describe this trend as making straightforward guidance more costly and harder to compare.
The reporting links the shift to changes after the Hayne royal commission. Following the commission, the financial services sector moved toward separating advice from the products being recommended, aiming to improve transparency and reduce conflicts of interest. The outlets say this separation is now weakening, with providers increasingly combining advice services and product sales again.
Across the articles, the central angle is the impact on consumers: they may pay higher fees or face arrangements that are less clearly independent. While the pieces focus on the same broad development, each frames it around the broader “after-Hayne” regulatory intent versus what they describe as a return to bundling, raising concerns about affordability and how consumers understand what they are purchasing.
