FPA touts benefits of financial advice
10 November 2008
The Financial Planning Association has launched a “value of advice” campaign to help Australians survive tough economic times...
Life Insurance
Zurich takes longer view on income replacement
03 November 2008
As life insurers continue to compete for leverage in the increasingly tough life market, Zurich Australia has announced it is relaxing its indemnity income replacement rules...
Weather claims hurt Westpac’s insurance unit
03 November 2008
Westpac’s wealth management and insurance business BT Financial Group Australia has posted a 12% decline in full year net profit as the business weathered torrid…
Australia fails to share in Aviva new business growth
03 November 2008
UK life and general insurance giant Aviva has recorded a 12% rise in life and pensions sales for the third quarter, but has failed to replicate the result in Australia...
Deposit guarantees threshold won’t affect insurance
27 October 2008
A plan to charge a fee on deposits over $1 million at banks, credit unions and building societies is unlikely to have any effect on the insurance industry...
Two changes to IFSA Board for 2008/09
27 October 2008
The Investment and Financial Services Association has made two changes to its board following its annual general meeting last week...
Life goes on for Axa as fund flow slows
27 October 2008
Axa Asia Pacific has increased its life insurance portfolio in Australia and NZ but recorded a 14% slide in total funds under management in the nine months to September 30...
Joint winners for AFA Adviser of Year
27 October 2008
Queensland’s Paul Daily and WA’s Adam Smith are the joint winners of the Association of Financial Advisers’ Adviser of the Year award after the judging panel was unable to split…
Members happier with FPA
27 October 2008
The Financial Planning Association has achieved a strong performance in the second year of its three-year strategic plan, according to Chairman Julie Berry...
Insurance growth helps drive MLC forward
27 October 2008
NAB wealth management division MLC has attributed strong growth in its insurance division for a 1.5% increase in cash earnings...
IFSA lobbies Government over short selling disclosure
20 October 2008
The Investment and Financial Services Association is urging the Government to implement a permanent covered short selling disclosure regime as it reviews the area...
Dai-ichi moves into Tower Australia
20 October 2008
Major Japanese insurer Dai-ichi Mutual Life has completed the acquisition of a 29.7% stake in Tower Australia after local shareholders approved the deal last week...
Planners join IFSA in mental health initiative
20 October 2008
Financial planners will now be able to offer insurance to people who suffer from anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression and other mental health conditions…
AFA picks its rising star
20 October 2008
Victorian Brad Fox has been named the winner of the 2008 Association of Financial Advisers Rising Star of the Year award...
Merger creates NZ’s biggest advisory group
13 October 2008
Australia’s largest financial advisory group, Professional Investment Services, is increasing its offshore presence in a merger of its NZ advisory firm with life insurance-based business…
FPA announces new director
13 October 2008
The Financial Planning Association has appointed just the one new director to its board...
Survey shows massive gap in financial literacy levels
13 October 2008
ANZ’s latest financial literacy survey shows there is a noticeable difference between the most and least financially literate Australians...
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...
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...