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Cliona O’Dowd joined The Australian in 2016 and writes on financial services. She was previously the editor of business news and commentary website Business Spectator. Before moving into journalism she spent a number of years working in the financial services industry in Dublin and London. She holds a master’s degree in European public affairs and law.

@ClionaODowd

Cliona O'Dowd

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EXCLUSIVEBusiness

Rest Super CEO Vicki Doyle and chairman James Merlino.

Arrogant Big Super opts out of decency

Thousands of Rest Super members wrongly slugged for insurance have been told they need to get in contact if they don’t want to keep paying the fees turned on by ‘accident’ months ago.

Cliona O'Dowd and Sarah Ison

EXCLUSIVEFinancial Services

15/11/24: ASIC Commissioner, Simone Constant speaks during a panel discussion at the ASIC annual conference on day 2. John Feder/The Australian.

ASIC to scrutinise super funds over mergers

As the industry battles member service failures, the corporate regulator is turning its attention to the rapid consolidation in the market.

Cliona O'Dowd

EXCLUSIVEBusiness

2022 Melbourne City CBD aerial images sunrise. From the east over Collingwood. Picture: David Caird

First Guardian investors in limbo as link to developer revealed

A financial services company that suspended redemptions in May has ties to a Melbourne property developer who is fighting allegations he spent millions of dollars on personal expenses.

Cliona O'Dowd

EXCLUSIVEBusiness

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos SEPTEMBER 14 2023. Generic housing & real estate house generics. Pic shows a sold sign for an apartment which went to auction in Drummoyne. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

‘Mind-boggling policy’: Super lobby replies to Coalition’s housing plan

The super lobby has criticised the federal Coalition’s plan for first-home buyers to dip into their retirement savings, saying the lack of supply in the market is the main issue.

Cliona O'Dowd

Bidding warBusiness

Thursday 29th February 2024.Insignia Financial CEO Scott Hartley.Photograph by Arsineh Houspian.

Brookfield joins $3bn tussle for Insignia

Brookfield has matched offers from rivals Bain Capital and CC Capital for the wealth manager.

Cliona O'Dowd and Joyce Moullakis

InvestigationFinancial Services

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA : Newswire Photos - JANUARY 14 2025; A general view of people walking past the ASX in the Sydney CBD. Picture: Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

ASIC launches investigation into ASX settlement outage

The corporate regulator is probing whether ASX’s settlements arm broke the law when it was unable to process batch settlements.

Cliona O'Dowd

EXCLUSIVEFinancial Services

Hackers using laptop computers to penetrate security systems to steal big data from the server room; scammers generic fraud cyber

Banks struggling to contain ‘mule accounts’

More than 100,000 Australian bank accounts are being used to funnel illicit funds, but the nation’s banks are struggling to put a dent in the fraud.

Cliona O'Dowd

EXCLUSIVEBusiness

(FILES) Wind turbines generate electricity at the Block Island Wind Farm on July 7, 2022 near Block Island, Rhode Island. They're âuglyâ, âruin the landscapeâ and âkill whalesâ: Donald Trump accuses wind turbines of all sorts of evils and plunged their industry into turmoil as soon as he returned to the White House. âWe're not going to do the windmill thing,â the American president launched on January 20, the day of his inauguration, before digressing on the subject. âThey kill birds and ruin beautiful landscapesâ, âthey're all made in Chinaâ and âif you like whales, you don't want wind turbines eitherâ, said the Republican, before signing a series of executive orders at the end of the day to put a spanner in the industry's works. (Photo by JOHN MOORE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

ESG backlash could prompt funds to ‘renege’ on climate targets

Australia’s most powerful super funds appear to be laying the groundwork to potentially back track on their climate stated targets.

Cliona O'Dowd

Green fatigueBusiness

This photograph shows a TotalEnergies' wind turbine at the La Perriere wind farm in Sainte-Suzanne on the French overseas island of la Reunion, on January 22, 2025. (Photo by Richard BOUHET / AFP)

Cbus climate targets in danger

The construction industry super fund may water down its climate targets and shift how it engages with companies on sustainability due to the strengthening anti-ESG movement.

Cliona O'Dowd

ScamsFinancial Services

Online scammer file image / picture / photo. iStock.

NAB hits out at telcos on scams

National Australia Bank says it prevented close to $50m of customer funds going to potential scammers in the final two months of last year.

Cliona O'Dowd

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/cliona-odowd/page/15