INSURANCE COMPANIES – AUSTRALIA

Insurers hit with flood of storm claims

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Original article by Lachlan Moffet Gray
The Australian – Page: 18 : 17-Jun-21

Insurance Australia Group is the latest insurer to advise that its natural hazard allowance for 2020-21 is set to be exceeded as a result of the recent storms in Victoria. IAG says it has received about 4,300 claims arising from the storms to date, which will result in its net natural peril claim costs rising to at least $720m for the financial year. IAG had previously advised that its peril claims costs for the year would be within the range of $660m to $700m, following storms on the east coast earlier in 2021; it has a perils allowance of just $658m for the financial year.

CORPORATES
INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG

RAA tops for general insurance customer satisfaction – marginally ahead of RACT, RAC and Shannons

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 21-Apr-21

The latest Roy Morgan General Insurance Satisfaction report shows that South Australia-based RAA had the highest general insurance satisfaction rating of 94% in December 2020, an increase of 3% on a year ago. It is followed by Tasmania’s RACT with a customer satisfaction rating of 92% (down 1%), Western Australia’s RAC on 92% (up 5%) and Suncorp Group-owned Shannons on 91% (up 1%). The largest improvement among the leaders for general insurance satisfaction has been by the Suncorp Group’s Bingle, which increased customer satisfaction by 8% points during 2020 to an impressive 88%. The larger general insurance brands which cater to a more diverse range of customers nation-wide have also had a good year, with improvements in customer satisfaction across the board. The big improvers include CommInsure (up 8% points on a year ago), Budget Direct (up 8% points), Allianz (up 5% points), and the larger State-based RACQ in Queensland (up 5% points) and NRMA in NSW (up 3% points). Overall in December 2020 a majority of 82% of Australians are satisfied with their general insurer, up 3% points from the same time a year ago (79%). These latest results are based on in-depth interviews conducted with over 50,000 consumers per annum, including over 35,000 with general insurance.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, RAA INSURANCE LIMITED, RACT INSURANCE PTY LTD, RAC INSURANCE PTY LTD, SHANNONS, BINGLE.COM PTY LTD, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, COMMINSURE, BUDGET DIRECT INSURANCE AGENCY PTY LTD, ALLIANZ AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RACQ INSURANCE LIMITED, NRMA INSURANCE LIMITED

Floods to lift reinsurance costs: Youi

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Original article by Liam Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 29-Mar-21

The Insurance Council of Australia notes that more than 25,600 insurance claims arising from the recent floods in New South Wales and Queensland have been lodged to date. Youi CEO Hugo Schreuder says the insurer has already received about 1,000 claims, and he warns that the floods may result in higher reinsurance costs. This could in turn increase the insurance premiums of customers. Meanwhile, the ICA is concerned that so-called ‘disaster chasers’ could increase the final cost of the floods, by encouraging policyholders to make claims that were not directly linked to the floods.

CORPORATES
INSURANCE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, YOUI PTY LTD

Insurers face big loss from income policies

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 5-Jun-20

The Australian individual disability insurance sector has lost a combined $5 billion over the past five years. Australian Prudential Regulation Authority executive member Geoff Summerhayes warned in late 2019 that individual disability insurance products may soon become unviable in Australia if the industry did not take suitable action. However, despite his warnings and the sector’s ongoing losses, individual disability insurance providers are continuing to sell unsustainable products during the COVID-19 shutdown.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, CLEARVIEW WEALTH LIMITED – ASX CVW, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

Medibank mulls cash refunds

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 16 : 7-May-20

Health fund Medibank Private expects its earnings and dividends to be in line with previous guidance, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Customers will save about $120m after Medibank opted to delay premium increases for six months, while CEO Craig Drummond has indicated that it may be open to providing partial refunds due to a fall in claims during the lockdown. NIB Holdings recently flagged the possibility of providing fund members with cash rebates due to the coronavirus.

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF

Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards 2019: the best brands in banking and finance

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Feb-20

The 2019 Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards have been presented in Melbourne. This year’s awards added six new banking and finance categories, taking the total list of winning banks, insurers and superannuation funds to fourteen. Commonwealth Bank (Major Bank) continued its dominance by securing its seventh straight customer satisfaction award. Bank Australia (Bank) and Newcastle Permanent Credit Union (Building Society/Credit Union) both recorded their first win of the annual award. RACT (General Insurer) and RAC (Major General Insurer) won their respective categories with seven and 12 monthly wins respectively. Insuranceline (Risk and Life Insurer) took out its third annual award, and MLC (Major Risk and Life Insurer) was a first-time winner. Tasmanian-based St.LukesHealth (Private Health Insurer), Defence Health (Major Private Health Insurer – Not for Profit or Restricted) and ahm (Major Private Health Insurer – Retail) were the other insurance category successes. Macquarie (Retail Superannuation Fund) fought off stiff competition to win another annual award, whereas Colonial First State (Major Retail Superannuation Fund) won comfortably with 11 monthly awards. HESTA (Major Industry Superannuation Fund) was welcomed to the winner’s podium for the first time.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

From bad to worse for AMP: $2.5bn loss, $6.3bn outflows, more to come

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 14-Feb-20

Wealth manager AMP has posted a statutory loss of $2.5bn for the 2019 calendar year, while its underlying profit fell by 32 per cent to $464m. A $2.35bn impairment charge in the first half was the major contributor to the big loss. Meanwhile, AMP’s wealth division recorded net cash outflows of $6.3bn for the year, and CEO Francesco De Ferrari says outflows are likely to be high again in 2020. AMP has advised that its customer remediation program is expected to be completed in 2021.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

People’s Choice Credit Union – 95% customer satisfaction – highest satisfaction score in the general insurance category

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 21-Jan-20

People’s Choice Credit Union has won Roy Morgan’s General Insurer of the Month Award for November 2019, with a customer satisfaction rating of 95%. It is now ahead of RACT (92%), RAA (91%), Shannons (90%) and RAC (87%), and has won its second consecutive monthly award. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says that while RACT has been the dominant brand throughout 2019, People’s Choice Credit Union has been the standout performer in terms of ratings growth, increasing its rating by 9% over the last 12 months. The latest customer satisfaction ratings are taken from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, compiled by in-depth face-to-face interviews with over 50,000 Australians each year in their homes.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, PEOPLE’S CHOICE CREDIT UNION, RACT INSURANCE PTY LTD, RAA INSURANCE LIMITED, SHANNONS, RAC INSURANCE PTY LTD

Health funds fear surge in fire claims

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Original article by Jared Lynch
The Australian – Page: 15 & 16 : 15-Jan-20

Private health insurers expect the bushfire crisis to result in a sharp increase in insurance claims, particularly from customers who have been affected by the smoke haze. However, they say it is too soon to determine the exact impact of the fires. Latrobe Health Services CEO Ian Whitehead anticipates a big increase in claims related to mental health issues arising from the bushfires, as well as physical health problems. Australian Medical Association president Tony Bartone says the longer-term effects of inhaling hazardous smoke will not be known for some time.

CORPORATES
LATROBE HEALTH SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, BUPA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, AUSTRALIAN UNITY LIMITED

ASIC puts insurers on notice over bushfires

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Original article by Max Maddison, Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 10-Jan-20

Suncorp has estimated that its bushfire claims for the current financial year have cost between $315 million and $345 million to date. Around 9,000 bushfire insurance claims have been made across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia since September, while the Australian Securities & Investments Commission has urged insurers to deal with bushfire claims fairly and efficiently. ASIC has warned consumers to be on the lookout for fraudulent tradespeople and repairers offering to help them with insurance claims.

CORPORATES
SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA