Tower buys out InsuranceLine for $136 million
06 October 2008
Tower Australia Group has bought direct life provider InsuranceLine Holdings for $136 million, three years after buying an initial 15% stake in the company...
Life Insurance
FPA defends planners from Costello criticism
06 October 2008
The Financial Planning Association has moved to defend members after former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello suggested financial planners are to blame for superannuation…
Insurance included in Rudd’s call for tighter regulation
29 September 2008
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s weekend call for the insurance industry to face tighter regulation shouldn’t affect the local industry, according to a regulatory expert...
Financial services experts guide Australia’s economic future
29 September 2008
A panel of financial services and insurance experts has been given the job of leading the charge as Australia positions itself to be recognised as an Asian financial services hub...
Extreme sport too risky to insure, reveals Cannex
22 September 2008
While life insurance policies cover most sports without restriction, a study by financial services researcher Cannex has revealed extreme activities such as base-jumping or deep-sea diving...
FPA PI policy leaps out of the blocks
22 September 2008
The Financial Planners Association has signed up 10 members to its new professional indemnity insurance scheme...
NZ financial advisers bill to deter poor practice
15 September 2008
A report on an NZ bill aimed at beefing up regulation of financial advisers urges greater accountability of advisers and better avenues for consumer complaints...
Australia, NZ good places to do business
15 September 2008
Australia has come in ninth in an international survey of business regulation in 181 countries...
Investment complaints rise 134%
08 September 2008
Complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service about managed investments have surged 134% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year...
FPA calls for value awards entries
08 September 2008
The country’s best financial planners will be recognised at the Financial Planning Association’s annual Value of Advice Awards in November...
Financial services delegation returns from Hong Kong
08 September 2008
An official financial services delegation returns to Australia today after a three-day visit to Hong Kong to promote industry and regulator interests...
Happy 175th, life insurance!
08 September 2008
The Australian life insurance industry chalked up its 175th anniversary last week...
Financial advisers under the pump: ING survey
01 September 2008
ING research has revealed current economic conditions are having a negative effect on clients’ perception of financial advisers...
Ombudsman urges feedback to improve dispute resolution
01 September 2008
The financial services industry’s new unified dispute resolution service FOS is putting its terms of reference out for scrutiny in order to improve the process...
ASX calls Tower to account
25 August 2008
New Zealand insurer Tower Limited has no idea why its share price suddenly peaked earlier this month...
Ombudsman merger ‘more than a branding exercise’
25 August 2008
The Financial Ombudsman Service has released an issues paper to help formulate its terms of reference before they go to ASIC for approval...
Turnbull calls for insurance tax action
25 August 2008
State insurance taxes are aggravating Australia’s underinsurance problem, Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull told the Association of Financial Advisers last week...
IFSA heads underinsurance battle
18 August 2008
The Investment and Financial Services Association has announced a campaign to tackle Australia’s life underinsurance epidemic...
Retirees continue to struggle to meet costs
18 August 2008
Higher food and petrol prices are taking their toll on retirees’ budgets with inflation driving up the cost of a comfortable living...
FPA revisits professional development standards
18 August 2008
The Financial Planning Association has released a new draft policy on continuing professional development that aims to give members a more rounded financial education...