Like-for-like vs like-for-right
27 June 2022
Insurers have been at the vanguard of calls to “build back better” after Australia’s record-breaking floods catastrophe – and rightly so...
Analysis
Risk watchlist: cryptos, melting permafrost join climate, material shortages as key threats
20 June 2022
Covid-19 dominated much of the world’s attention in the last few years, until this February when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a “special military operation” in neighbouring Ukraine...
Perfect storm: insurers battle 500,000 catastrophe claims deluge
06 June 2022
A series of obstacles have constrained insurers as they battle half a million claims from a string of some of the worst catastrophes ever experienced in Australia...
Decision time: your most read AFCA rulings
30 May 2022
Readers of the insuranceNEWS.com.au Daily news service will know that we provide regular summaries of key general insurance industry dispute rulings...
Promises, promises: what can industry expect from new government?
23 May 2022
As Labor’s Anthony Albanese was sworn in as Australia’s 31st Prime Minister, insurance professionals might have been wondering what the change of government means for the industry...
Off balance: rising income inequality equals falling insurance cover
16 May 2022
The growing problem of income inequality is having a significant impact on insurance protection levels, and insurers can play a key role in solutions, Swiss Re says in a new Sigma study...
Uninsurable nation? Maybe, maybe not, but action needed either way
09 May 2022
The “uninsurable nation” tagline to the Climate Council’s latest report on such issues has raised some hackles within the industry...
Pain before gain: cost headwinds arrive ahead of investment boost
02 May 2022
After years of inflation in the doldrums and falling interest rates reducing insurer investment earnings on premium income, the environment is changing in a hurry...
'Clarion call' to lift cybersecurity
26 April 2022
Cyber extortion has debuted for the first time on the list of most pressing worries for Australian executives, adding to closely aligned fear of cyber attack and data loss which have taken out the top two spots for the third year running in the annual Directors’ Liability Survey from Willis Towers Watson and law firm Clyde & Co...
Industry faces big challenges after strong rebound last year
11 April 2022
Australia’s general insurance industry made a strong financial comeback last year, after unprecedented pressures caused by the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires and the covid pandemic, KPMG says in a new report...
Preventing floods: what can we learn from Australia’s 'one-in-1000-year' event?
04 April 2022
The recent floods in Queensland and NSW have taken a heavy toll on Australia. However, amidst the losses, valuable lessons can be learned. MD HDI Global SE in Australia Stefan Feldmann, pictured, reflects on how we live with our changing environment...
Plan of attack: industry outlines cyber strategy
28 March 2022
The signs have been there for a while that cyber insurance is heading for trouble...
Satisfaction high but onus on brokers to show worth
21 March 2022
Direct buying is often seen as a cheap and easy pathway, the benefit of personal assistance shines through at claims time, and the pressure is on brokers to prove their value, the latest Vero SME Insurance Index indicates...
Shallow solution: do floods expose pool limitations?
14 March 2022
Devastating floods across Queensland and NSW are shaping up as one of Australia’s worst natural catastrophes on record, with insured losses expected to go well beyond $2 billion...
Cycle of abuse: out-of-home care deemed uninsurable
07 March 2022
State governments are responding to lobbying from providers of out-of-home care with emergency tide-over indemnity after the last of the private insurers exited the complex and difficult space, with no sign they will return...
BI battle: insurers notch test case win as judgment scrutinised
28 February 2022
The Full Court judgment favouring insurers in pandemic-related business interruption disputes has brought more clarity, but a further appeal is possible and there are still class actions in the wings...
'Show me the modelling' becomes cyclone pool catchcry
21 February 2022
Like the famous “show me the money” quote from the Jerry Maguire movie, at the moment it’s a case of “show me the modelling” when it comes to benefits promised from the northern Australia cyclone reinsurance pool...
Legal trends: three key takeaways from 2021
14 February 2022
Law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has pulled together the main learnings from last year’s most significant cases and market developments – a must-read for insureds, brokers and claims advisers...
Power of the press: why claimants often win in media battleground
07 February 2022
We see the headlines every week. An insured customer has their claim denied, they tell their story to the media and it’s portrayed as a struggle between good and evil, brave Aussie battler against heartless and faceless corporation...
Not so simple: data-sharing extension presents challenges
31 January 2022
Greater choice, control and convenience have been promised to consumers under data-sharing reforms rolling out across the economy, but insurers have raised some red flags as the Federal Government forges ahead...