INSURANCE COMPANIES – AUSTRALIA

AMP rebuffed Mohl in choosing Brenner to fill chair

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Original article by Karen Maley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 3-May-18

It has been revealed that AMP’s former CEO Andrew Mohl had approached acting chairman John Palmer about taking on the role of chairman following the sudden resignation of Simon McKeon in 2016. However, AMP’s board chose to appoint Catherine Brenner as chairman, and it did not even consider Mohl for the role. Brenner subsequently resigned in the wake of the banking royal commission’s revelations about misconduct at the financial services group.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AXA ASIA PACIFIC HOLDINGS LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, EGON ZEHNDER INTERNATIONAL, CLAYTON UTZ, BEST AND LESS PTY LTD

RACT leads general insurance satisfaction

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Apr-18

The Roy Morgan General Insurance Satisfaction report shows that 79.2% of Australians were satisfied with their general insurer in February 2018, down 0.4% from the same time in 2017. RACT has the highest level of customer satisfaction within the general insurance industry, at 93.5%; it is followed by Defence Service Homes Insurance (91.1%) and AMP (90.8%).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, RACT INSURANCE PTY LTD, DEFENCE SERVICE HOMES INSURANCE SCHEME, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

Health insurance industry distrusted by Australians

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Mar-18

Healthcare professions consistently rank as the most respected in Australia and have done so since 1994, when Roy Morgan started measuring honesty and ethics. Nurses, doctors, pharmacists and dentists are consistently at the top of the list. Yet the private health insurance industry, with its member touchpoints embedded in this trusted health ecosystem, is itself distrusted. According to a new landmark survey, private health insurance is more distrusted than it is trusted by Australians. In Net Trust Score (NTS) surveys conducted by the Roy Morgan Research Institute between Oct 2017 and Feb 2018, the health insurance industry recorded a negative NTS of -2.6%. In relation to other industries, it is lower than retail and travel, sitting between gambling, real estate and FMCG. The Roy Morgan Private Health Insurance Tracker survey reveals that while the most trusted funds are BUPA and Medibank Private, they are also the most distrusted, with BUPA being more distrusted than it is trusted.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, BUPA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL

Health merger takes on majors

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 20-Feb-18

Health insurance industry leaders forecast further consolidation in the sector after HCF and HBF revealed plans to merge. They are currently Australia’s two largest not-for-profit health funds, and the merged entity would boast $A4bn worth of assets, about 2.5 million members and a market share of around 18.4 per cent. HBF CEO John Van Der Wielen says the merged group would have a greater chance of ensuring that premium increases are kept in line with the inflation rate. He adds that both funds have had the industry’s lowest premium increases in 2018.

CORPORATES
THE HOSPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS FUND OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, HBF HEALTH LIMITED, BUPA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

IAG profit jumps 24pc, as insurer mulls Asian exit

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 21 : 15-Feb-18

Insurance Australia Group has posted a 2017-18 interim net profit of $A551m, which is 24 per cent higher than previously. The insurer has written down the value of its Asian assets by $A50m, and indicated that it could potentially exit the region. Meanwhile, CEO Peter Harmer says the company took action to remedy problems with its "add-on" car insurance business well before the financial services commission commenced, and opted to withdraw from this sector of the market.

CORPORATES
INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, SWANN INSURANCE (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, NRMA LIMITED, CGU INSURANCE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INCORPORATED

Choice urges Hayne focus on unfair fees

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Original article by Jonathan Shapiro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 8-Feb-18

Consumer group Choice has used its submission to the banking royal commission to urge the inquiry to examine issues such as the use of trailing commissions in the financial services sector and the methods used to calculate fees and charges. Choice has argued that unfair fees is a key issue that the general public would like the royal commission to address. Choice has also criticised the financial services industry’s self-regulation regime, noting the shortcomings of self-regulation for insurers in particular.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

Insurers admit avoiding cover for risky areas

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Original article by Alice Uribe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 23-Jan-18

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is investigating the level of competition within the general insurance sector in northern Australia, along with premium increases in that part of the country. The ACCC is due to make its final report to the Treasurer by late 2020. Insurance companies have conceded that they avoid covering some properties in the region, which is prone to cyclones, but have denied suggestions that they have engaged in "premium price-gouging".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, INSURANCE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN

Health premium rises tipped

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 15 : 18-Jan-18

There is speculation that private health insurance premiums will rise by an average of four per cent in 2018. Macquarie Group analysts estimate that Medibank and NIB will increase their premiums by an average of 3.85 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively. Macquarie has increased its share price targets for both insurers. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt expects the lowest increase in health insurance premiums for 17 years. He will announce the premium increases in the next several weeks.

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Bank inquiry’s massive dragnet

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 21-Dec-17

The royal commission into financial services will require banks, insurers and superannuation funds to disclose any instances of misconduct since the start of 2008, and whether they are currently the subject of criminal or civil proceedings. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne has indicated that industry super funds will also be required provide an explanation for any expenditure that not is related to the fund’s administration or the payment of members’ benefits. Meanwhile, Small Business & Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell, has reservations about a revised banking code of practice.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN, INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Social media drives up insurance costs

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 11-Dec-17

The insurance sector is seemingly an industry under siege, with its inclusion in Australia’s royal commission into the financial services sector its latest woe. Online calculators and comparison sites are making it easier for consumers to switch policies. Richard Enthoven, the chairman of insurance company Greenstone and the founder of insurance firm Hollard, points to social media as another cause of the industry’s problems. He contends that the practice of unhappy insurance customers complaining about their experience on Facebook and the like is pushing up the cost of insurance premiums.

CORPORATES
GREENSTONE LIMITED, HOLLARD INSURANCE GROUP, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, TWITTER INCORPORATED, INSTAGRAM LLC, COMMINSURE, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD