Life disputes up 28%
05 October 2009
Life insurance disputes jumped 28% in the 2008/09 financial year, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service…
Life Insurance
Downturn spurs huge rise in life insurance
28 September 2009
The global economic downturn has coincided with a huge increase in demand for life insurance, according to a survey by Australian research company Dexx&r…
Zurich and ING Life the best life insurers
28 September 2009
Life insurers Zurich Financial Services Australia and ING Life – which has since become part of the ANZ Banking Group – have come up trumps in Cannex’s second annual life insurance star ratings…
Inquiry into Storm kicks off
28 September 2009
A public examination into collapsed investment firm Storm Financial began at the Federal Court in Brisbane late last week…
New Zealand finds financial advisers commissioner
28 September 2009
New Zealand’s lengthy search for a Commissioner for Financial Advisers has finally yielded someone prepared to stay in the role for five years…
Rocky firm cleans up at Suncorp Awards
28 September 2009
Rockhampton firm Wealthcycle has cleaned up the Suncorp National Awards for corporate agencies, taking out four of the eight categories…
Man who faked drowning refused bail
21 September 2009
A Sydney man who allegedly faked his death by drowning in Ecuador two years ago has been charged with defrauding an insurer after claiming $240,000 from his life insurance policy…
Distrust in financial services grows
21 September 2009
The economic downturn has severely eroded investor trust in financial services companies, a report by independent research agency Investment Trends has found…
Advisers lead heart health campaign
21 September 2009
Life insurers are joining forces with governments and health agencies to tackle Australians’ distorted perception of their own health…
Super deal drives Tower employment
14 September 2009
Tower Australia expects its new appointment as life insurance provider for AustralianSuper to generate a “significant” number of jobs, particularly as it builds up the income protection business…
Union attacks bank over Storm role
14 September 2009
The Finance Sector Union has attacked the Commonwealth Bank over its involvement in the collapse of investment firm Storm Financial…
ASIC proposes restraint on use of credit ratings
14 September 2009
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is set to tighten the rules governing the disclosure of credit ratings to better protect investors…
Life insurance fears deter genetic tests
07 September 2009
Australians at risk of bowel cancer are putting off genetic testing to avoid being denied life insurance, according to a new academic study…
Immigrant increase a must, says demographic guru
07 September 2009
Australia’s rising immigrant intake will be needed to replace retiring Baby Boomers in the workforce and mop up debt left in the wake of Federal Government stimulus packages…
Students fall short in NZ financial survey
07 September 2009
A survey of New Zealand high school students has found most leave school with a poor understanding of basic financial concepts…
Make advice tax deductible, says IFSA
31 August 2009
Full tax deductibility of financial advice and higher professional standards for advisers are on the wish-list of financial services industry groups represented at the Parliamentary joint committee…
Economic conditions provide life paradox
31 August 2009
Tough times are not only driving Australians to buy more life insurance but also triggering them to let policies lapse, in a paradoxical situation uncovered by ING research…
Tower NZ to boost takeover war chest
31 August 2009
Life insurer Tower NZ has announced it is seeking to raise $NZ81.3 million ($67 million) from shareholders through a rights issue…
IOOF life business up for sale
31 August 2009
Wealth manager IOOF Holdings is putting its life insurance unit on the market in a bid to “simplify” its business…
Ex-staff say bank lied to Storm inquiry
31 August 2009
Two former Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Storm Financial employees have accused the bank of lying about its involvement with the collapsed investment firm…