- Court Ruling Highlights Why TPD Wording Matters for Business Owners
A Queensland Court of Appeal decision involving AIA Australia has put renewed attention on how technical policy conditions can affect total and permanent disability claims, and why business owners should not treat insurance wording as a background detail.
- Mental Health Cover Debate Now Matters for Business Protection
Australia’s life insurance sector is moving into a detailed debate over how mental health conditions should be treated in disability-style cover, and the outcome could matter for business owners who rely on insurance to protect income, debt and operational continuity.
- Why Claims Handling Scrutiny Matters for Business Owners
Fresh compliance attention on life insurance claims handling is a timely reminder that cover is only valuable if it can respond clearly and efficiently when a business is under pressure.
- Why Tax Purpose Matters When Structuring Business Life Insurance
Tax treatment of business-owned life insurance is again attracting attention as accountants and advisers work through year-end planning with SME clients. The central message is not new, but it remains widely misunderstood: business life insurance is not treated as one simple tax category.
- Genetic Testing Reform Could Shift the Way Business Owners Approach Life Cover
Australia’s move to restrict the adverse use of genetic test results in life insurance underwriting is more than a consumer health issue. For business owners, directors and partners, it may influence how confidently they approach cover that protects debt, ownership succession and the financial impact of losing a critical person.
- What the Next Advice Reform Steps Mean for Business Cover
Australia’s financial advice reform agenda has moved from broad policy debate into the more practical question of how advice will be delivered, documented and accessed. For business owners, this matters because life insurance decisions are rarely isolated personal choices.
- Advice Reform May Help Business Owners Close Protection Gaps
Australia's long-running financial advice reform debate is again highly relevant for business owners, particularly those who have delayed reviewing life insurance because the process feels complex, expensive or overly document-heavy.
- Why Insurer Resilience Now Matters More for Business Protection
Recent industry attention on APRA’s operational risk standard, CPS 230, is a timely reminder that life insurance is not only about premiums, policy definitions and benefit amounts.
- Latest APRA Figures Reinforce the Need for Smarter Business Life Cover
APRA’s latest life insurance performance data gives business owners another reason to treat protection planning as an active management issue, not a set-and-forget purchase.
- Why CALI’s Simple Advice Push Matters for Business Owners
The Council of Australian Life Insurers has renewed its push for Australians to receive simpler guidance about life insurance held through superannuation, arguing that many people do not fully understand the cover already attached to their super accounts. For business owners, this is more than a personal finance issue.
- Why Chronic Illness Is Now a Business Continuity Issue
New Zurich research has put a sharper lens on a risk many business owners already sense in their teams and families: Australians are living longer, but more of those years may be affected by chronic illness. For SMEs, this is not only a health story.
- Why Risk Commission Reform Matters for Business Owners
A fresh industry poll has put life insurance remuneration back in the spotlight, with a strong majority of advisers reportedly supporting a review of the Life Insurance Framework commission caps.
- Final Life Code Review Signals Higher Standards for Life Insurers
The independent review of Australia’s Life Insurance Code of Practice has moved from consultation to action, with reviewer Peter Kell releasing a final report that recommends 85 reforms.
- New Report Highlights the Cost of Unplanned Business Succession
A new Business Health research report has put a sharp focus on a familiar but often under-managed risk: what happens to a business if its principal suddenly dies or becomes permanently disabled.
- Surge in Life Insurance Disputes Linked to TPD and Disability Claims
Recent data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) reveals a significant concentration of disputes in the life insurance sector, with Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) and disability income insurance (DII) claims accounting for 88% of all disputes.
- nib and NobleOak Join Forces to Launch New Life Insurance Offerings
In a significant development for the Australian life insurance market, health fund nib has partnered with NobleOak Life to introduce a suite of new life insurance products. This collaboration aims to provide Australians with enhanced financial protection options, addressing the evolving needs of individuals and businesses alike.
- Significant Delays in Income Protection and TPD Claims Raise Industry Concerns
Recent findings from the Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee (Life CCC) have highlighted a concerning trend in the Australian life insurance industry: a significant increase in delays for income protection and Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) claim payments.
- Industry Leaders Collaborate to Enhance TPD Insurance Sustainability
In a recent high-level roundtable, Australia's financial regulators, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), convened with senior executives from 19 insurers and reinsurers to address the pressing sustainability issues within the Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance market.
- BizCover and Zurich Australia Enhance Professional Indemnity Insurance for SMEs
In a strategic move to bolster support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), BizCover has entered into a distribution agreement with Zurich Australia. This partnership aims to expand the availability of professional indemnity (PI) insurance, offering SMEs enhanced coverage options tailored to their specific needs.
- Pacific Life Re Strengthens Leadership with Appointment of Dion Russell
Pacific Life Re has announced the appointment of Dion Russell as Managing Vice President, Business Services, Protection. With over 25 years of experience in the life insurance industry across Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, Russell brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role.
- AFCA Upholds Insurer's Right to Adjust 'Level' Premiums
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) recently dismissed a complaint concerning significant increases in 'level' life insurance premiums. This decision underscores the importance of policyholders thoroughly understanding their insurance agreements and the conditions under which premiums may be adjusted.
- APRA Reports Surge in TPD and Disability Income Insurance Disputes
Recent data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) reveals a significant concentration of disputes in the life insurance sector, with Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) and disability income insurance (DII) claims accounting for 88% of all disputes.
- Hostplus and MetLife Australia Renew Group Insurance Partnership
Hostplus, one of Australia's leading superannuation funds, has announced the extension of its group insurance partnership with MetLife Australia until June 2028. This renewed collaboration aims to enhance the insurance offerings available to Hostplus members, focusing on improved servicing models, lower premiums, and a more personalised claims experience.
- Interim Review Highlights Strengthened Consumer Protections in Life Insurance
The interim report of the ongoing review of Australia's Life Insurance Code of Practice (Life Code) has been released, receiving positive feedback from the country's life insurers.
- Swiss Re Suspends New Life Insurance Operations in Australia
Swiss Re Life & Health Australia has announced a suspension of new life insurance business activities in the country, effective October 2025.
- AIA Australia Highlights Structural Shifts in Life Insurance Industry
AIA Australia CEO Damien Mu has cautioned that the life and health insurance industries are facing structural changes driven by mounting mental health claims, rising premiums, and ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
- Regulators Assess Life Insurers' Progress on Premium Practices
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) have released an update on the progress life insurers have made in addressing issues related to premium increases, product design, and disclosure and marketing materials.
- TAL's Beau Riley on Adapting to Australia's Evolving Life Insurance Needs
Beau Riley, General Manager of Retail Sales & New Business at TAL, has highlighted the evolving landscape of Australia's life insurance industry, emphasising the need for adaptation to meet changing consumer expectations.
- Interim Review Highlights Strengthened Consumer Protections in Life Insurance
The interim report of the ongoing review of Australia's Life Insurance Code of Practice (Life Code) has been released, receiving positive feedback from the country's life insurers.
- Acenda's Workforce Reductions Post-Merger Raise Union Concerns
In the wake of the merger between MLC Life and Resolution Life Australia, the newly formed entity, Acenda, has implemented significant workforce reductions, leading to union criticism over the consultation process.
- APRA Reports Significant Increase in Life Insurance Underwriting Profits
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has released data indicating a substantial rise in underwriting gains within the life insurance sector for the December quarter of 2025.
- IBISWorld Forecasts Surge in Life Insurance Mergers Amid Market Challenges
According to a recent IBISWorld report, the Australian life insurance industry is poised for increased merger activity as companies strive to achieve economies of scale in response to market challenges.
