Tower was teetering and had to be sold
13 February 2017
There seems to be universal agreement – New Zealand insurer Tower is in trouble, and has been for some time…
Analysis
Rates on the turn, but pressure remains
06 February 2017
Premiums are on an upward path, with the downtrodden commercial class expected to show improvement this year – but the latest JP Morgan Taylor Fry General Insurance Barometer makes clear it’s not the time to be popping champagne corks…
Mitigation message falls on deaf ears
30 January 2017
For years the insurance industry has been united in its message to governments on disaster funding: investing in mitigation now saves more later…
A tough year, and another to come
12 December 2016
The local insurance industry’s fortunes over the past year have been dictated by a stagnant economy and a government playing around the edges…
Inquiry time… again
05 December 2016
“If I have my way, one of the first jobs for a Senate committee will be to look closely at the practices of the whole Australian insurance industry”…
A better hand for insurers, but beware the Trump card
28 November 2016
Swiss Re’s latest outlook for the global insurance market offers hope for stronger premium growth following a tough year ahead, but some curve balls may yet dent the recovery…
The road to transformation
21 November 2016
Digital transformation is a must for the insurance industry, that much is clear…
Mitigation: new sums produce a familiar answer
14 November 2016
Insurers have for years been pleading with governments to protect the nation before a natural catastrophe event by mitigating the risks…
The return of comparative hysteria
07 November 2016
“Protect Aussies against ludicrous insurance fees with price comparison site,” screams a petition on the Change.org website…
Shifting sands
31 October 2016
In a nation that has built most of its prime assets close to the sea, coastal erosion is always going to be a major talking point for Australians…
Could the terror threat go nuclear?
24 October 2016
It’s the worst of worst-case scenarios: terrorists develop the capacity to unleash a chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological attack on a Western city, killing hundreds of thousands and causing unprecedented destruction…
It’s a hard-knock life
17 October 2016
In the past week, government, regulators and the Financial Services Council, the peak body for life insurers, have been queuing up to fix the life insurance industry. The applause for all three has been, at best, muted…
Dealing with the disruptors
10 October 2016
While the dark cloud of disruption looming over insurers is nothing new, what has changed is the urgent need to respond…
Making gains on diversity and inclusion
03 October 2016
Much is made of the insurance industry’s urgent need to adapt and innovate to survive in a customer-led and technology-driven world…
Big Data, growing scrutiny
26 September 2016
The staggering rise in Big Data volumes ready to be dissected, analysed and potentially turned into improved products and profits is also prompting government and regulatory inquiries that are gathering momentum…
Lost in transition
19 September 2016
Does Professor Allan Fels expect insurers to rip off their customers as the NSW emergency services levy moves to a more equitable collection system over the next nine months…
Rendezvous, déjà vu: gloomy outlook overshadows Monte Carlo
12 September 2016
Once again anyone who’s anyone in the reinsurance industry is gathering in Monte Carlo for the Rendez-Vous de Septembre…
Peer-to-peer pressure
05 September 2016
Peer-to-peer insurance has been talked about for a long time now, but we’re still waiting for the “Uberisation” of the industry to kick in…
New season, same climate
29 August 2016
There’s little joy to be gained from market conditions for Australia’s three major listed insurers, and the latest earnings-season reports suggest they will be battling headwinds for a while yet…
Risky business
22 August 2016
The world is a risky place, and never more so for the insurance industry…