Industry urged to act on fossil fuel divestment
08 February 2016
Australian insurers should follow Allianz’s lead and begin divesting from fossil fuels, according to environmental group Market Forces…
Local
NZ boards focus on risk as technology fears linger
08 February 2016
About three-quarters of New Zealand directors believe their boards spend more time discussing risk management than they did two years ago…
Insurers confident on year ahead
08 February 2016
The financial services and insurance industries expect “solid” improvements this year, with confidence rating just above the national average, according to the latest Sensis Business Index…
Claims figures show rarity of fearful events: IAG
08 February 2016
There is a large disparity between people’s greatest loss fears and their most likely sources of insurance claims, according to research commissioned by IAG New Zealand…
EQC pumps cash into volcano research
08 February 2016
New Zealand’s Earthquake Commission has announced $NZ1 million in grants to support research on volcanic eruptions and other natural hazards facing the country…
Report offers hope for brighter year ahead
01 February 2016
Australian general insurers will see premium rates and combined operating ratios pick up this year, according to a new report…
Summer catastrophes cost insurers $500 million
01 February 2016
The Insurance Council of Australia says four catastrophes declared since November have cost insurers more than $500 million…
Growth a challenge in tough market: Morgan Stanley
01 February 2016
Australian general insurers will find it difficult to generate growth as premium income continues to be pressured by stiff competition and investment yields remain depressed, Morgan Stanley says…
New finds exacerbate flammable cladding ‘crisis’
01 February 2016
A further seven Melbourne high-rise buildings have been found to feature non-compliant building cladding, sparking fresh safety fears…
Dodgy cables pose summer threat, watchdog warns
01 February 2016
Potentially deadly Infinity cables may degrade in hot summer months, causing fires and electrocution, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warns…
Businesses show risky attitude to Asian interruptions
01 February 2016
Australian businesses underestimate the importance of insuring against Asian supply chain interruptions, according to a new report…
Canterbury claims near end after ‘impressive’ 2015
01 February 2016
Private insurers are on track to settle the vast majority of Canterbury earthquake claims by the end of this year, according to the Insurance Council of New Zealand…
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
15 December 2015
This is the final scheduled insuranceNEWS.com.au bulletin for 2015. We will return on February 1, but while we’re in recess any significant industry news will be covered by our Breaking News service…
Natural disasters, slowdown the key risks ahead: Fitch
14 December 2015
A sharp economic downturn and large natural catastrophes are the main risks facing Australian and New Zealand insurers, according to Fitch’s outlook for next year…
Flood group urges insurers to share data
14 December 2015
Floodplain Management Australia says insurers should be more open to sharing flood data to enable better assessment of risks…
NT insurance costs ‘exclude’ low-income households
14 December 2015
Low-income households face “insurance exclusion” due to rapid premium rises, according to a report from the Northern Territory Council of Social Service…
Human touch still crucial in age of automation: Suncorp
14 December 2015
Increasing automation is revolutionising the underwriting industry, but the human touch remains vital, according to a new Suncorp white paper…
Firefighters slam flammable cladding response
14 December 2015
Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade has strongly criticised the response to last year’s blaze at the Lacrosse apartments in the city’s Docklands, which spread rapidly due to the presence of flammable building cladding…
Industry standing firm despite headwinds: S&P
14 December 2015
Australian and New Zealand general insurers are financially strong and the sector’s outlook remains stable despite difficult business conditions, according to Standard and Poor’s…
In Insurance News (the magazine) this month
14 December 2015
Technology and change – and there’s plenty of change going on – feature in the December/January issue of Insurance News (the magazine)…