Life Insurance
APRA breaks down claim, dispute figures
28 April 2025
The prudential regulator has released annual claim and dispute data for the life sector, with distribution channel and company breakdowns...
ALUCA announces excellence awards contenders
28 April 2025
The Australasian Life Underwriting and Claims Association has named the finalists in its annual Life Insurance Excellence Awards...
Challenger narrows profit outlook after Q3 ‘momentum’
28 April 2025
Challenger has tightened its full-year earnings guidance range, with the midpoint representing 10% growth on the previous year...
TAL joins forces with heart disease charity
28 April 2025
TAL has struck a three-year partnership with the Heart Foundation and flagged further investment in preventative health support...
Swiss Re sells Australian portfolio to Hannover
14 April 2025
Swiss Re has agreed to transfer its Australian direct life insurance policies to Hannover Life Re of Australasia...
TPD claim fails after form sent but not received
14 April 2025
A woman who posted a signed form opting in to insurance despite having a low superannuation balance cannot make a disability claim because her fund’s trustee says the declaration did not arrive...
Financial strain hampers life take-up, CALI warns
14 April 2025
The Council of Australian Life Insurers says worsening cost-of-living pressures are forcing people to go uninsured and ditch conventional mental health support...
ASIC issues unregistered adviser penalties
14 April 2025
Three financial services licensees have been hit with $31,300 penalties after unregistered staff gave personal advice to retail clients...
Insurers urged to embrace era of ‘significant change’
07 April 2025
Life insurers “have never had a better opportunity” to shape the industry’s future, according to Acenda CEO and MD Kent Griffin...
NZ regulator checks up on advice reforms
07 April 2025
New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority will review the accessibility of advice to determine if changes to regulations in the past few years have delivered for consumers...
TAL to take minority stake in Challenger
07 April 2025
Life insurer TAL has agreed to buy MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings’ 15.1% stake in listed Australian wealth group Challenger for ¥80 billion ($909.28 million)...
iExtend names new operations chief
07 April 2025
iExtend has appointed Michael Hull as COO, welcoming his “extensive and broad” business background...
UnderwriteMe names new chief
07 April 2025
Life industry insurtech UnderwriteMe has appointed Andrew Doran as CEO...
Rise in code breaches ‘a positive sign’
31 March 2025
A review of life insurers’ compliance with the industry code of practice has found improvements and areas requiring further attention...
‘Light on detail’: budget leaves advisers disappointed
31 March 2025
Financial Advice Association Australia has criticised last week’s federal budget, saying it provides “very little for financial services, let alone financial advisers” and fails to address the rising cost of providing advice...
Super trustees accused of ‘disconnect’ on death benefit claims flaws
31 March 2025
A regulator’s review of the superannuation industry’s death benefit claims handling has found failings including excessive delays, bad customer service and ineffective procedures...
Advisers ‘can’t support’ draft reforms
31 March 2025
An adviser lobby group has attacked the federal government’s next tranche of advice reforms, saying the proposals are “pretty disappointing” after more than three years of work to improve accessibility and affordability of financial help...
Watchdog hits adviser with five-year ban
31 March 2025
Queensland adviser Grant Thomson has been banned from providing financial services for five years after he recommended levels of insurance coverage that incorporated mortgages clients had yet to obtain...
Feedback sought on advice reform draft laws
24 March 2025
The federal government has begun consulting on proposed laws comprising the second tranche of its financial advice reforms...
Advisers flag ‘issue of equity’ on genetic testing ban
24 March 2025
Financial Advisers Association Australia has raised concerns over the proposed ban on the use of genetic test results in life underwriting...