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Insurance News

Insurance Tax Reform Push Puts Premium Pressure Back in Focus Insurance Tax Reform Push Puts Premium Pressure Back in Focus
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Insurance taxes are back in industry headlines, with renewed pressure on Australian governments to address the levies, duties and charges that can add to the cost of keeping cover in place. For tradies, this is not just a policy debate in Canberra or state parliament. It can flow through to the real cost of protecting tools, vehicles, workshops, stock, public liability exposures and business interruption risks. - read more
What APRA’s Latest Life Insurance Data Means for Policyholders What APRA’s Latest Life Insurance Data Means for Policyholders
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

APRA’s latest life insurance performance data has again drawn attention to the balancing act facing Australian life insurers: keeping products financially sustainable while maintaining cover that households can understand and afford. For consumers, the headline is not simply whether insurers are profitable. It is whether that performance flows through to more stable premiums, clearer products and better long-term claims support. - read more
BOM Website Backlash Shows Weather Data Is a Farm Risk Issue BOM Website Backlash Shows Weather Data Is a Farm Risk Issue
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Farmer criticism of the Bureau of Meteorology’s redesigned website is more than a technology complaint. For rural businesses, fast and familiar access to weather information can influence decisions about spraying, harvesting, moving livestock, protecting machinery and preparing for severe events. When that information becomes harder to navigate, even temporarily, the practical impact can be felt at the farm gate. - read more
What Stronger Insurer Results Could Mean for SMEs What Stronger Insurer Results Could Mean for SMEs
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Recent industry reporting on APRA’s latest general insurance performance data points to a healthier operating environment for Australian insurers. Underwriting results have improved, investment income has supported profitability, and the sector remains strongly capitalised. For small and medium-sized businesses, the headline is encouraging, but it should not be read as a simple promise of cheaper cover across every policy class. - read more
Retail Crime Pressures Are a Reminder to Check Your Shop Cover Retail Crime Pressures Are a Reminder to Check Your Shop Cover
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Fresh industry discussion around retail crime is a timely reminder that shop insurance is not only about large-scale disasters. For many Australian retailers, the more immediate risks are break-ins, shoplifting, vandalism, smashed glass, damaged fixtures and the trading disruption that follows. These incidents may be smaller than a flood or fire, but repeated losses can still put pressure on cash flow and margins. - read more
AFCA Complaints Trends Are a Timely Reminder for Office-Based SMEs AFCA Complaints Trends Are a Timely Reminder for Office-Based SMEs
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Fresh complaints data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority has again placed insurance claims handling under scrutiny, with disputes commonly linked to delays, claim decisions, communication breakdowns and disagreement over settlement amounts. For office-based small and medium businesses, the message is not simply that disputes can happen. It is that the quality of preparation before a claim often determines how smoothly the claim can be assessed. - read more
What Asteron Life’s ownership shift means for cover reviews What Asteron Life’s ownership shift means for cover reviews
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Asteron Life’s ownership transition from Suncorp to Resolution Life has put another spotlight on a practical question for New Zealand life insurance customers: what should you do when the company behind your policy changes? For most existing policyholders, an ownership change does not automatically rewrite the promises in a current contract. - read more
Fair conduct focus puts income cover quality back on the agenda Fair conduct focus puts income cover quality back on the agenda
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Recent industry coverage of New Zealand’s financial conduct settings is a timely reminder that insurance is not just about having a policy document in place. The wider conduct regime for financial institutions has shifted attention from one-off sales processes to the ongoing treatment of customers, including whether products are suitable, clearly explained and supported when people need help. - read more
What Insurance Contract Reform Means for Income Protection Customers What Insurance Contract Reform Means for Income Protection Customers
04 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

New Zealand’s long-running insurance contract law reform is shifting from a technical legal issue into something everyday policyholders need to understand. The Contracts of Insurance Act modernises rules that have sat behind insurance policies for generations, including how customers disclose information, how insurers respond to non-disclosure, and how certain policy terms are treated. - read more
What NSW Emergency Services Levy Reform Could Mean for Strata Communities What NSW Emergency Services Levy Reform Could Mean for Strata Communities
01 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

New South Wales strata communities should keep a close watch on renewed efforts to reform the way emergency services are funded through insurance premiums. The long-running concern is that adding emergency services charges to insurance bills can make cover look more expensive, particularly for apartment buildings, mixed-use schemes and larger owners corporations already managing high rebuilding values and complex risk profiles. - read more
Insurance Complaints Put Claims Preparation Back in Focus Insurance Complaints Put Claims Preparation Back in Focus
01 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority’s latest reporting has again highlighted insurance as a major source of disputes, with claim delays, communication breakdowns and disagreements over policy outcomes remaining common pressure points. For domestic and home service businesses, the message is practical: the strength of a policy is often tested not when it is bought, but when a claim is made. - read more
What Storm Claims Teach Freelancers About Cover What Storm Claims Teach Freelancers About Cover
01 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

The insurance fallout from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred is a timely reminder that severe weather is not just a household issue. For Australian freelancers, consultants and sole traders, a storm can interrupt work, damage essential equipment, delay client delivery and expose gaps in cover that only become obvious at claim time. - read more
Why Trainers Should Recheck Cover as Costs Rise Why Trainers Should Recheck Cover as Costs Rise
01 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Fresh industry commentary on business underinsurance is a timely reminder for personal trainers, fitness instructors and small studio owners to look beyond the headline price of a policy. While parts of the commercial insurance market have become more competitive, rising replacement costs and changing business models can still leave fitness operators exposed if their cover has not kept pace. - read more
What APRA’s Latest Numbers Mean for Life Insurance Buyers What APRA’s Latest Numbers Mean for Life Insurance Buyers
01 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

The latest quarterly life insurance performance update from APRA points to a sector that appears more stable than it was during the difficult income protection years, but still faces the familiar challenge of keeping cover sustainable and affordable for Australian households. - read more
Rental Vacancy Signals Put Portfolio Resilience Back on the Agenda Rental Vacancy Signals Put Portfolio Resilience Back on the Agenda
01 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Domain’s latest rental market coverage points to a familiar but important message for Australian landlords: national averages are becoming less useful as a guide to day-to-day portfolio risk. Tight vacancy conditions continue to shape many rental markets, but the pressure is not uniform. Some suburbs remain highly competitive for tenants, while others are showing signs of slower enquiry, affordability strain or changing demand between houses and units. - read more
Rising Rebuild Costs Put Landlord Cover Back in Focus Rising Rebuild Costs Put Landlord Cover Back in Focus
01 Aug 2026: Paige Estritori

Fresh industry commentary on home and property insurance affordability has renewed attention on a problem that can quietly build in the background for landlords: underinsurance. While premium increases often receive the most attention, the larger financial risk for rental property owners may be discovering after a loss that the policy limit no longer reflects the real cost of reinstating the property. - read more
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Professionals Insurance Articles

How Do Insurers Assess Professional Insurance Claims?
How Do Insurers Assess Professional Insurance Claims?
When a professional insurance claim is made, insurers undertake a structured assessment process to determine whether the policy responds to the circumstances of the claim. This assessment involves reviewing the policy wording, the facts surrounding the alleged loss, the information provided by the insured and, where necessary, independent expert evidence. - read more
How Do Insurance Brokers Assess the Risks Faced by Different Professions?
How Do Insurance Brokers Assess the Risks Faced by Different Professions?
Risk assessment in insurance is the process of identifying, analysing and evaluating the exposures that may result in an insured event or financial loss. For professionals and businesses, this assessment considers the nature of the services provided, the operating environment, contractual obligations, regulatory requirements and other factors that may influence the likelihood or potential cost of future claims. - read more
Essential Insurance Solutions for Australian Professionals
Essential Insurance Solutions for Australian Professionals
In today's ever-evolving professional landscape, having the right insurance coverage is becoming increasingly important for Australian professionals. As more individuals step into freelance work and independent contracting, the need for tailored insurance solutions becomes crucial. Professionals in fields like IT consulting, engineering, and interior design face unique risks that necessitate proper protection. - read more
Understanding Insurance Exclusions in Professional Insurance Policies
Understanding Insurance Exclusions in Professional Insurance Policies
Insurance exclusions are provisions within an insurance policy that specify circumstances, events, activities or types of loss that are not covered by the insurer. Together with the policy wording, definitions, conditions and endorsements, exclusions help define the scope of cover provided under the policy. - read more
Protecting Your Professional Income: Understanding Income Protection Insurance
Protecting Your Professional Income: Understanding Income Protection Insurance
Income protection insurance is a financial safety net for individuals who are unable to work due to illness or injury. It ensures that you receive a percentage of your income during times when you cannot earn a salary, helping you maintain your lifestyle as you recover. This type of insurance offers peace of mind by providing financial support when it is needed most, allowing you to focus on recovery rather than financial pressures. - read more

Knowledgebase
Insurance Claim:
Notification to an insurance company requesting payment of an amount due under the terms of the policy.