K63 Insurance and Superannuation Funds

AMP CEO De Ferrari won’t get a new life insurance deal

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 6-Dec-18

Merlon Capital is among the AMP shareholders that oppose the sale of its life insurance business. However, AMP CEO Francesco De Ferrari says the $3.3bn deal will proceed, arguing that the wealth manager lacks the global scale to compete with much larger international rivals in the life insurance sector. De Ferrari has also expressed support for AMP’s vertically integrated business model, but says this will be unwound if the final report of the financial services commission recommends it.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, CREDIT SUISSE AG, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, MERLON CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD

Super loopholes cost retirees billions

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Original article by Anthony Klan, Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 3-Dec-18

Professor Thomas Clarke says lobbyists from the financial sector have done a good job in persuading governments to go easy on the regulation of superannuation over recent decades. The University of Technology, Sydney academic says this has come at the expense of workers and retirees, who he claims are losing billions each year because of exemptions in various pieces of superannuation legislation. The Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, which funded Clarke’s research, states that both sides of politics have been guilty of watering down legislation.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SUPERANNUATION TRUSTEES, RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SUPERRATINGS PTY LTD

Super mergers could save $1.8bn

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 17 & 24 : 26-Nov-18

The Productivity Commission claims that $1.8 billion in savings could be gained each year if Australia’s 50 highest-cost superannuation funds were forced to merge with the 10 lowest-cost funds. The Commission’s research indicates that around eight per cent of all superannuation accounts are "trapped" in funds that have high fees and generally underperform, while there are 93 funds with less than $1 billion in assets. Its figures come as the banking royal commission prepares to take the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority to task over its tardy oversight of the superannuation sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

Industry Superannuation Funds increase satisfaction lead

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Nov-18

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 October 2018, compared with 58.2% for retail super funds. Satisfaction with industry funds has increased by 2.7% over the last year, compared to a gain of 1.3% points for retail funds. The only area where retail funds have higher satisfaction than industry funds is for balances below $5,000, where they lead marginally with 49.0% compared to 48.6%. However, this segment is of little current value as it only holds 0.1% of the total market value, despite having 10.9% of customers. These are the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s "Satisfaction with Financial Performance of Superannuation in Australia Report October 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

AMP digs in as fresh queries arise over insurance arm sale

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 22 : 1-Nov-18

AMP’s acting CEO Mike Wilkins has defended the wealth manager’s $3.45bn deal to sell its life insurance arm, arguing that it is in the best interests of long-term shareholders. He adds that AMP’s board felt that it was appropriate to proceed with the transaction without putting it to a shareholder vote, although Dean Paatsch of proxy advisory firm Ownership Matters believes that the size of the deal means it should have been approved by shareholders. An ASX Limited spokesman has indicated that the deal is unlikely to breach listing rules.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX

Fundies blast AMP over $3.4b fire sale

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 22 : 31-Oct-18

Allan Gray Australia and Merlon Capital Partners are among the institutional investors that have criticised AMP’s proposal to divest its life insurance business. They believe that the $3.4bn sale price undervalues the life business, and Merlon has flagged the possibility of seeking an extraordinary general meeting to challenge the deal. Merlon has written to AMP arguing that the deal demonstrates a "reckless disregard" for shareholders’ funds, while Simon Mawhinney of Allan Gray describes it as a "disastrous deal" for AMP’s shareholders.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MERLON CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, MACQUARIE COUNTRYWIDE MANAGEMENT LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RESOLUTION LIFE GROUP LIMITED, AXA ASIA PACIFIC HOLDINGS LIMITED

AMP implodes as investors flee amid fund outflows

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 26-Oct-18

Wealth manager AMP has advised that its fund outflows totalled $1.5bn in the September quarter, compared with just $243m in the previous corresponding period. Acting CEO Mike Wilkins says lack of fund inflows is a bigger concern than the rise in outflows, adding that the problem is likely to persist until the financial services royal commission delivers its final report. AMP has also announced a $3.3bn deal to sell its life insurance business to Resolution Capital. AMP shares reached a record low on 25 October, reducing its market capitalisation by $2.3bn.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AMP LIFE LIMITED, RESOLUTION CAPITAL LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Super hit in $50bn plunge

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Original article by David Rogers, James Kirby
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 26-Oct-18

The S&P/ASX 200 has shed almost seven per cent so far in 2018, including a fall of 10.8 per cent since August. The big sell-down on 25 October will impact on superannuation funds’ returns, with balanced funds having lost about 2.5 per cent so far in 2018-19. SuperRatings MD Jeff Bresnahan says most super fund members who have chosen the balanced option can expect the value of their super to fall by around four per cent in response to the sell-off.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, SUPERRATINGS PTY LTD, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX, NIKKEI 225 INDEX, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, ALPHABET INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, XERO LIMITED – ASX XRO, AFTERPAY TOUCH GROUP LIMITED – ASX APT, WISETECH GLOBAL LIMITED – ASX WTC, AUSTRALIA. FUTURE FUND MANAGEMENT AGENCY, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

InvoCare and Propel set to win from Hayne royal commission

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

The Hayne royal commission has slammed the funeral insurance sector, and has urged the Australian Securities & Investments Commission to use new product intervention powers to close down "junk funeral insurance". Listed funeral companies InvoCare and Propel Funeral Partners, which offer only pre-paid funeral contracts, are likely to benefit from the commission’s attack on funeral insurance. InvoCare CEO Martin Earp says funeral insurance does not offer value for money, while Propel CEO Albin Kurti contends funeral insurance ends up costing consumers more when compared to pre-paid contracts.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, INVOCARE LIMITED – ASX IVC, PROPEL FUNERAL PARTNERS LIMITED – ASX PFP

Satisfaction with Industry Superannuation Funds lead Retail Funds at top end

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Sep-18

New results from Roy Morgan shows that in the six months to August 2018, satisfaction with the financial performance of industry superannuation funds was 71.5% for all balances over $100,000. This compares with a satisfaction rating of 63.0% for retail funds with balances of at least $100,000. Over the last 12 months, industry funds had an overall gain in satisfaction of 3.9% points, ahead of the 0.9% point improvement for retail funds. The biggest improvement for industry funds was in the $700,000+ segment, where satisfaction improved by 6.4% points. Retail funds only showed improved satisfaction for balances below $250,000 and declining satisfaction for higher balances, where 64.5% of the superannuation funds are held. These are the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s "Satisfaction with Financial Performance of Superannuation in Australia Report", 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