Hong Kong IFAs await more regulatory certainty

There was widespread relief among independent financial advisers in Hong Kong after a late-February ruling on commission payments in favour of IFA firm Clearwater International, but confusion remains over regulatory treatment of investment-linked assurance schemes (ILASs) and commission disclosure. More certainty is likely next year, when a single insurance regulator is put in place, says Mark Kirkham, chief executive of Platinum Financial Services and vice-chairman of Hong Kong’s…