K63 Insurance and Superannuation Funds

Super changes to cost AMP $30m annually

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 19-Feb-19

Embattled wealth manager AMP has advised that the federal government’s superannuation reforms will reduce its operating earnings by about $10m in 2019 and up to $30m in 2020. The reforms will allow the Australian Taxation Office to consolidate super accounts that are inactive or have low balances. AMP estimates that the reforms will affect about 370,000 of its super accounts. The bill has been passed by the Senate with the Greens’ support, although it has yet to be passed by the lower house.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

AMP reaps $100m in zombie fees

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 1-Feb-19

The federal government’s legislative agenda for February will include a bill to enable the Australian Taxation Office to transfer monies from inactive superannuation accounts with low balances to the fund member. There are about 7.3 million inactive super accounts in Australia, and it is estimated that AMP alone generates at least $100m in fees each year from more than one million such accounts. Australians also pay some $2.6bn a year in fees for multiple super accounts.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, MOTOR TRADES ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA SUPERANNUATION FUND PTY LTD, REST SUPER PTY LTD, FIRST SUPER PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Murray in the crosshairs as battered AMP faces shareholder revolt

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis, Ben Butler
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 23-Jan-19

AMP could face a board spill at its 2019 annual meeting under the ‘two strikes’ regime, after more than 61 per cent of votes cast at the 2018 meeting rejected its remuneration report. The election of chairman David Murray is also uncertain, with at least two institutional investors said to be planning to vote against the resolution. They include Hamish Carlisle of Merlon Capital Partners, who opposes the election of Murray and non-executive director John O’Sullivan.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, MERLON CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, RESOLUTION LIFE GROUP LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, AUSTRALIAN ETHICAL INVESTMENT LIMITED – ASX AEF, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Industry funds the likely beneficiaries of proposed superannuation changes

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Jan-19

New findings from Roy Morgan show that the level of satisfaction with the financial performance of industry superannuation funds was 61.8% in the six months to November 2018, compared with 57.2% for retail super funds. Satisfaction with industry funds has increased by 2.6% over the last year, while satisfaction with retail funds has declined by 0.3%. Eight of the top 10 performing funds, based on satisfaction with financial performance, were industry funds over the six months to November. The highest rating was for Catholic Super with 70.5%, followed by Unisuper on 69.7%. The only retail funds to make it into the top 10 were ASGARD with 65.1% and Macquarie with 63.7% satisfaction, but both were below the average of 65.5% for the top 10. These are the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s ‘Satisfaction with Financial Performance of Superannuation in Australia Report’ November 2018, which is based on in-depth interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 consumers per annum in their homes, including over 30,000 with superannuation.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, CATHOLIC SUPER, UNISUPER LIMITED, ASGARD SUPER, MACQUARIE SUPER

Future Fund’s returns good, not great

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 16-Jan-19

Data from Chant West shows that the federal government’s Future Fund achieved an average return of 10.7 per cent over the seven years to September. This is lower than the returns of major industry superannuation funds over the same period, including AustralianSuper, Hostplus and Cbus. Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia CEO Martin Fahy says the Future Fund would have lower costs and lower net returns if it were to be converted from a sovereign wealth fund into a super fund.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FUTURE FUND MANAGEMENT AGENCY, CHANT WEST FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, UNISUPER LIMITED, THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD

Health insurers’ poor prognosis

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 17 & 19 : 15-Jan-19

HBF CEO John Van Der Wielen says that affordability concerns remain an issue for the health insurance sector. Members Own Health Fund CEO Matthew Koce warns that even a small fall in private health insurance membership could have a big impact on the public hospital system, given that 40 per cent of medical procedures are carried out in private hospitals. Dwayne Crombie of Bupa notes that not everyone understands the community-rated health system under which health insurers operate; the system means that costs are spread across all fund members.

CORPORATES
HBF HEALTH LIMITED, MEMBERS OWN HEALTH FUNDS LIMITED, BUPA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, THE HOSPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS FUND OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF

Insurers urge caution over hail sales

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Original article by Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 10-Jan-19

Cars that were damaged by a hailstorm that struck Sydney in late December are now being offered by sale by car dealers. However, Youi and Suncorp are among the insurers that have advised consumers to exercise caution when buying hail-damaged cars. They say bargain-hunters should consider factors such as the cost of repairing such vehicles, the likely resale value and whether they will be able to obtain insurance. Both companies have ruled out offering comprehensive insurance for cars that were damaged in the storm.

CORPORATES
SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, YOUI PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED MOTOR INSURERS LIMITED, GIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BINGLE.COM PTY LTD

Industry super roars to the lead

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Jan-19

Rice Warner forecasts that industry superannuation funds will hold assets worth $800m in 2020, displacing self-managed super funds as the sector’s largest asset managers. Rice Warner also estimates that industry funds’ assets will top $1bn in 2024 and $1.7trn in 2033. Industry funds will boast a 37 per cent share of the market in 2033, ahead of SMSFs (30 per cent) and retail funds (23 per cent). Industry experts note that employers are becoming more willing to embrace industry funds, while the fallout from the financial services royal commission is expected to accelerate the shift from retail funds to industry funds.

CORPORATES
RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, VANGUARD INVESTMENTS AUSTRALIA LIMITED

AMP hotlines to bury fears of charging dead

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Original article by Duncan Hughes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 3-Jan-19

Embattled financial services group AMP has implemented a range of measures aimed at avoiding a repeat of the scandal in which clients continued to be charged fees after they had died. Amongst other things, AMP has established a deceased estates hotline and an online services for administrators, executors and legal representatives of the deceased. AMP’s share price has fallen sharply in the wake of the financial services royal commission’s revelations, while five law firms are preparing class actions.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, RESOLUTION LIFE GROUP LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED

Super members on track for first loss since 2011

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Original article by Samantha Bailey
The Australian – Page: 13 & 18 : 19-Dec-18

Data from SuperRatings shows that the median balanced superannuation fund has gained just 1.8 per cent so far in 2018. The firm says the median fund is likely to post a negative return for the full year, after shedding 3.1 per cent in October and 0.6 per cent in November. SuperRatings’ executive director Kirby Rappell says the market volatility of recent months is likely to continue in 2019. However, SuperRatings notes that balanced funds have delivered strong returns over a 10-year period.

CORPORATES
SUPERRATINGS PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX