insuranceNEWS.com.au - Life InsuranceGeneral insurance and financial services news from Australia and around the worldhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/en-auInsurer wins dispute over mental health misrepresentation https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/insurer-wins-dispute-over-mental-health-misrepresentationhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/insurer-wins-dispute-over-mental-health-misrepresentation<p>A complainant who was on anti-depressant medication but failed to provide the information when asked about her history of mental health in her life insurance application form has lost her dispute with the insurer...</p>Mon, 04 Dec 2023 03:07:12 GMTAdvice firm fined $100,000 for false details https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/advice-firm-fined-100-000-for-false-detailshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/advice-firm-fined-100-000-for-false-details<p>Fong Financial Planners has been convicted and fined $100,000 in the District Court of Western Australia on three counts of dishonest conduct that put their clients&rsquo; life insurance coverage at risk...</p>Mon, 04 Dec 2023 03:05:53 GMTNZ life advisory firm’s licence cancelled https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/nz-life-advisory-firm-s-licence-cancelledhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/nz-life-advisory-firm-s-licence-cancelled<p>New Zealand regulator The Financial Markets Authority has cancelled the licence of Foundation Advice after the business went into liquidation in October at the order of the High Court...</p>Mon, 04 Dec 2023 03:05:08 GMTFees for no service: OnePath Custodians penalised $5 million  https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/fees-for-no-service-one-path-custodians-penalised-5-millionhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/fees-for-no-service-one-path-custodians-penalised-5-million<p>Superannuation trustee OnePath Custodians has been penalised $5 million for making false or misleading representations to members about its right to continue charging them fees, in civil penalty proceedings launched in 2021 by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission...</p>Mon, 04 Dec 2023 03:04:04 GMTTAL’s Brett Clark to chair education not-for-profit https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/tal-s-brett-clark-to-chair-education-not-for-profithttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/tal-s-brett-clark-to-chair-education-not-for-profit<p>Education not-for-profit Australian Business Community Network has appointed TAL Group CEO and MD Brett Clark as Chair, replacing Hall &amp; Wilcox Managing Partner Tony Macvean...</p>Mon, 04 Dec 2023 03:02:39 GMTTreasury consults on use of genetic testing results in life underwriting https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/treasury-consults-on-use-of-genetic-testing-results-in-life-underwritinghttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/treasury-consults-on-use-of-genetic-testing-results-in-life-underwriting<p>Treasury has released a consultation paper on the life industry&rsquo;s stance on genetic testing, in response to growing concerns the present setup discourages Australians from undertaking potentially life-saving tests to avoid hurting their chances of securing affordable insurance...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 02:03:06 GMTJones says Government wants ‘meaningful’ advice reforms https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/jones-says-government-wants-meaningful-advice-reformshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/jones-says-government-wants-meaningful-advice-reforms<p>The Federal Government is committed to reforms that will lead to &ldquo;meaningful&rdquo; changes for the advice industry and consumers, Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones said...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 02:01:11 GMTASIC accepts enforceable undertaking from unlicensed iExtend https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/asic-accepts-enforceable-undertaking-from-unlicensed-i-extendhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/asic-accepts-enforceable-undertaking-from-unlicensed-i-extend<p>iExtend Holdings and its subsidiary iExi have entered into a court enforceable undertaking with the corporate regulator after the businesses were found to have provided life insurance services without an Australian financial services licence...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 02:00:07 GMTWT acquires Millennium3  https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/wt-acquires-millennium3https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/wt-acquires-millennium3<p>WT Financial Group is acquiring Millennium3 Financial Services, a financial advice network with more than 140 wealth and personal risk insurance advisers operating in more than 75 privately-owned practices across the country...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 01:58:55 GMTMercer penalised $12 million for breaches https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/mercer-penalised-12-million-for-breacheshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/mercer-penalised-12-million-for-breaches<p>The Federal Court has fined Mercer Financial Advice $12 million for wrongfully charging clients fees for services they did not receive and other breaches, including failure to provide fee disclosure statements...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 01:58:08 GMTProjected rise in adviser numbers not enough to avert looming shortfall https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/projected-rise-in-adviser-numbers-not-enough-to-avert-looming-shortfallhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/projected-rise-in-adviser-numbers-not-enough-to-avert-looming-shortfall<p>Australia still faces a shortage of financial advisers even as recent declines in numbers appear to have plateaued, Rainmaker Information says in a new report...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 01:53:08 GMTAMP announces $100 million class action settlement https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/amp-announces-100-million-class-action-settlementhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/amp-announces-100-million-class-action-settlement<p>AMP will settle a class action lodged by its financial advisers for $100 million after the Federal Court ruled against the business in July, and the two sides agreed to engage in mediation...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 01:52:21 GMTMLC Life announces additions to distribution team https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/mlc-life-announces-additions-to-distribution-teamhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/mlc-life-announces-additions-to-distribution-team<p>MLC Life has announced three new business development manager appointments to its Northern Region Retail Distributions team...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 01:51:22 GMTFAAA names excellence awards winners https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/faaa-names-excellence-awards-winnershttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/faaa-names-excellence-awards-winners<p>The Financial Advice Association Australia has named the winners of its inaugural excellence awards, launched after the peak body was created this year from the merger of the Association of Financial Advisers and Financial Planning Association...</p>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 01:50:35 GMTAdviser reaction mixed as Treasury consults on QAR reforms https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/adviser-reaction-mixed-as-treasury-consults-on-qar-reformshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/adviser-reaction-mixed-as-treasury-consults-on-qar-reforms<p>Reactions from advisers have been mixed after Treasury launched draft legislation to implement the first phase of its response to the Quality of Advice Review final report&rsquo;s recommendations...</p>Mon, 20 Nov 2023 02:27:15 GMTStill room for improvement after life complaints drop: AFCA  https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/still-room-for-improvement-after-life-complaints-drop-afcahttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/still-room-for-improvement-after-life-complaints-drop-afca<p>The Australian Financial Complaints Authority is encouraged by the decline in life insurance disputes, which fell 24% to 1898 in the last financial year and accounted for 2% of overall cases lodged with the ombudsman...</p>Mon, 20 Nov 2023 02:26:07 GMTAsteron Life appoints adviser distribution national manager https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/asteron-life-appoints-adviser-distribution-national-managerhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/asteron-life-appoints-adviser-distribution-national-manager<p>Asteron Life has appointed Kirsten Young as National Manager Adviser Distribution, following a review of the Suncorp-owned New Zealand life insurer&rsquo;s management structure...</p>Mon, 20 Nov 2023 02:25:47 GMTTAL pays record claims https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/tal-pays-record-claimshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/tal-pays-record-claims<p>Life insurer TAL says it paid $2 billion in claims during the six months to September, a record for a half-year period in its history...</p>Mon, 20 Nov 2023 02:25:06 GMTFAAA launches one-stop career portal https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/faaa-launches-one-stop-career-portalhttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/faaa-launches-one-stop-career-portal<p>The Financial Advice Association Australia has launched a one-stop career planning portal for the profession...</p>Mon, 20 Nov 2023 01:33:14 GMTASIC cuts adviser levy from earlier estimates https://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/asic-cuts-adviser-levy-from-earlier-estimateshttps://www.insurancenews.com.au/life-insurance/asic-cuts-adviser-levy-from-earlier-estimates<p>The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has finalised the funding levy that advisers will pay for the 2022/23 financial year...</p>Mon, 13 Nov 2023 02:57:51 GMT