AFA, FPA set to merge after 'historic' vote
06 March 2023
The Association of Financial Advisers and the Financial Planning Association will proceed with a planned merger after their members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move...
Life Insurance
Report predicts 'positive' future for financial advisory sector
06 March 2023
A new report has flagged a “positive” outlook for financial advisory firms, which in recent years have been hobbled by increased regulation, education requirements and rising running costs...
MetLife report outlines under-insurance challenge, value of advisers
06 March 2023
MetLife has released its annual state-of-the-industry report, covering key areas including under-insurance, regulatory reforms and financial advisers...
Certus Life renames business as PSC Life
06 March 2023
Certus Life has started trading as PSC Life since the start of this month, reflecting its company positioning under PSC Insurance Group...
AIA adviser summit packs full agenda
06 March 2023
The AIA Australia annual adviser three-day summit starting tomorrow at the Australian National Maritime Museum has a packed agenda with speakers set to discuss regulatory changes and other challenges facing the industry...
Applications open for women finance scholarships
06 March 2023
Applications for another 12 women finance scholarships have opened as part of an initiative backed by the Federal Government...
Life players make workplace gender equality citation list
06 March 2023
A number of life industry players have been recognised for implementing workplace measures that support gender equality in areas like pay gap and offering family-friendly policies like paid parental leave and flexible working arrangements...
MetLife urges advisers to use its wellbeing program
06 March 2023
MetLife Australia has urged advisers to use its 360Health program to support their personal wellbeing and also that of their clients...
Rating agency raises individual DII profitability alarm
27 February 2023
S&P Global Ratings says individual disability income insurance profitability could “deteriorate”, following similar warnings from the prudential regulator...
Life insurers welcome paper on legislating objective of super
27 February 2023
The Federal Government’s launch of a consultation paper over a proposal to legislate an “agreed objective” of superannuation has the backing of life insurers...
Insurer discharged from liability after murder/suicide
27 February 2023
A life insurer seeking discharge from liability under a policy upon payment of “certain monies” in relation to a claim made by the estranged wife of a co-insured, who took his own life after murdering his de facto partner in 2016, has been granted approval by the Federal Court to do so...
JobKeeper payments are 'genuine' business income, AFCA says
27 February 2023
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has defined how JobKeeper payments should be treated in relation to calculation of policy benefits after a complainant insisted the money from the Federal Government to support covid-affected businesses is an expense, not income...
ClearView Wealth half-year earnings surge on 46% rise in life profit
27 February 2023
ClearView Wealth says its life business performed strongly, enabling the listed financial services group to achieve a 31% rise in first-half underlying net profit after tax to $16.3 million...
Zurich expands group insurance partnership with Queensland super fund
20 February 2023
Zurich Financial Services will provide group insurance to members of Brighter Super, a Queensland-based superannuation fund, from July 1 after the two parties entered into a partnership agreement...
'Free funeral insurance for a year': pensioner gets refund after cold-call con
20 February 2023
A pensioner will be repaid premiums for funeral cover that he was talked into buying over the telephone by a company acting on behalf of Nobleoak Life...
Challenger achieves 'record' life sales
20 February 2023
Challenger’s key life business – its biggest division by earnings – posted “record” sales of $5.5 billion in the December half, up 11% from a year earlier...
NZ regulator agrees to 'fewer questions' for adviser regulatory form
20 February 2023
The Financial Markets Authority as confirmed the information that all classes of licensed advisers must provide in their regulatory returns following a consultation...
Perth financial planner wins Gwen Fletcher award
20 February 2023
The Financial Planning Association has announced Jessica Dean of Perth-based Globe Financial Planning as recipient of the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award for the 2022 summer semester...
'Good versus best': Quality of Advice final report pushes for new advice definition
13 February 2023
Proposed changes to the definition of advice and the existing regulatory framework, including measures to streamline client paperwork, are the key thrusts of the Quality of Advice Review final report...
MetLife makes changes to life products
13 February 2023
MetLife has introduced changes that it says would make it “easier and faster” for customers in Australia to purchase life insurance...