AFA cautions on risk commission ban
05 July 2010
Extending the ban on commissions to risk insurance would limit consumer choice and possibly exacerbate underinsurance, the Association of Financial Advisers has warned…
Life Insurance
NAB seeks Axa extension
05 July 2010
National Australia Bank is seeking a second extension to its exclusivity agreement over the purchase of the local units of Axa Asia Pacific Holdings…
Life insurers boost offerings
05 July 2010
Insurers ING Australia and Axa have strengthened their life offerings following feedback from financial adviser…
UniSuper enhances life cover
05 July 2010
Industry super fund UniSuper has unveiled a series of enhancements to its optional insurance cover, including more death and disability cover at no extra cost…
IFSA changes name and direction
28 June 2010
The Investment and Financial Services Association is changing its name to the Financial Services Council…
Life insurers make hay in 2009
28 June 2010
Stabilisation of investment markets has helped a drastic rebound in life insurance profitability, according to statistics from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority…
Suncorp Life plans to expand
28 June 2010
Suncorp Life plans to double new business in the next three years by simplifying its business model and focusing on distribution through the direct market as well as through…
Life insurance trendsetters named
28 June 2010
Independent research agency Investment Trends has named National Australia Bank-owned Aviva as the top performing life insurer in an inaugural Insurer Benchmarking Report…
Online life insurance booming
21 June 2010
Sales of life insurance through direct channels are accelerating as insurers sidestep intermediaries and superannuation funds to reach customers online…
CommInsure restructures life business
21 June 2010
CommInsure has restructured its life insurance business unit and appointed four new GMs to head up each of its business lines…
Opportunity knocks for Australian insurers in Asia
21 June 2010
Australian financial services firms are failing to make the most of considerable new opportunities in Asia, Axa Asia Pacific CEO Andrew Penn says…
FPA forms Treasury taskforce
21 June 2010
The Financial Planning Association has established a dedicated taskforce to respond to the FPA’s consultation program with the Federal Treasury on industry reform…
FPA board member fires broadside as he quits
15 June 2010
Financial Planning Association board member Rob Pedersen has resigned from the organisation, claiming the board is out of touch with industry needs…
Super fund insurance disclosure ‘appalling’
15 June 2010
Superannuation research and consultancy firm Chant West has issued a damning report on life insurance disclosure standards, calling for greater consistency…
NAB faces uphill battle in Axa buyout
15 June 2010
National Australia Bank will have to do more than sell off the North investment platform to appease the competition regulator’s concerns over its bid for the local units of Axa Asia Pacific…
Islamic finance ‘important to Australia’
15 June 2010
The Federal Government plans to harness the potential of Islamic finance and insurance to help establish Australia as a leading regional financial services centre…
NAB and Axa revive buyout
07 June 2010
National Australia Bank remains in the driver’s seat to acquire the Australian and NZ assets of French insurer Axa after securing an extension to an exclusivity agreement…
Prudential, AIG call off merger
07 June 2010
AIG will revisit a public float of its Asian life insurance assets while UK giant Prudential considers the future of CEO Tidjane Thiam after the blockbuster £35.5 billion ($61.6 billion) deal…
Asteron tackles life side-effects
07 June 2010
Suncorp subsidiary Asteron has rejigged its life insurance underwriting procedures to mitigate the spillover effects of a Federal Government decision to reduce limits on…
MLC cashes in on commission switch
07 June 2010
While some financial planners anticipate a significant drop in earnings once the commission ban takes effect in 2012, others are finding opportunities to spruik their services…