Articles tagged with 'Insurance Advisers'
Insurance disputes reach record high
29 July 2025 - The Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO) is facing a record surge in disputes, signalling rising consumer frustration with insurers amid premium hikes and claim disputes
Should FAPs be accepting signature-less policy processing
29 July 2025 - While signature-less processes have been a thing for one or two providers, we now have around half that will process policy changes without the need for signatures in some shape or form.
Insurers see 'unprecedented' claims levels
1 July 2025 - The growth in claims is being driven by public waiting lists, medical inflation and changing attitudes towards preventive healthcare
Service levels and transfer of workloads
24 June 2025 - If you're an adviser, you will have seen the challenges with provider service levels trending downwards and your admin loads increasing.
Foundation Life windup plan finally ready for a vote after 7 years
7 May 2025 - Foundation Life’s shareholders say they “share our policyholders’ frustration” at the time it has taken to finalise a plan to wind up the near $500 million business while giving policyholders choices about whether to take cash, swap for new policies with greater benefits or a combination.
Financial Advisers deserve fairness and value for money too
1 May 2025 - How does this sound when buying your professional indemnity insurance: No-strings-attached quotes, no need to sign yourself over to a new broker just so you can get a price, complete clarity and transparency around policy wording and fees, and premiums that will be around 10%-15% lower than the low rates we negotiated last year?
[Opinion] Life advisers need a mindset change: away from ‘we sell’ to ‘we advise’.
22 April 2025 - Opinion: Selling is essential in life insurance, but as necessary as it is, it must now be accompanied by suitable advice. We live in a new advice environment – changes are likely needed from what we did before because there are several new expectations.
Medical premiums and the public system
1 April 2025 - Most of you will have seen the notices advising increased premiums in the last month, ranging from 16% to 22%.
Insurance advisers' pet hates could be their greatest advantage
10 July 2023 - Some of the things life insurance advisers probably hate most, including increasing regulation, technology and complexity, are converging to make the services advisers offer more in demand than ever, according to Russell Hutchinson of Chatswood consulting.
Cigna extends adviser-only campaign
22 December 2021 - Cigna is extending its 'Good things come in twos' offer to advisers and is backdating the campaign to December 17.
Mass media praise the value of advice
22 December 2021 - The media is usually critical of advisers, often citing high commissions as an obstacle to providing objective and good value advice. But recently, journalist...
Foundation Advice - proving the naysayers wrong
15 December 2021 - Almost a year ago to the day, Ratebroker’s financial advice business Foundation Advice launched an innovative scheme aimed at turning Covid-hit travel brokers into financial advisers.
Old school cold calls still make a difference
14 December 2021 - If it hadn’t been for a cold call, this claimant would have received a tiny fraction of their claim.
Cold call changes insured's life
13 December 2021 - It takes a strong person to talk about their health issues on a live webcast but for Neville Greedus a series of life-changing medical events helped him realise the importance of having a top-quality adviser in his corner.
Cigna helps advisers meet regulation requirements
8 December 2021 - Cigna New Zealand has released the first of a series of improvements to help independent financial advisers stay on top of their regulatory obligations.
Fidelity Life drops the jargon, boosts adviser support
29 November 2021 - Changes to customer documentation, dropping industry jargon from policies and revised wordings are some of the new features Fidelity Life is introducing to make life easier for its advisers and customers.
Advisers key to closing the protection gap
11 November 2021 - The protection gap is the preferred name for the difference between what a client should have and what they actually own.
Former Fidelity exec joins Cigna
11 November 2021 - Cigna has appointed Fidelity's former national sales manager to its team.
Cigna campaign benefits customers and advisers
9 November 2021 - Two months since launching its "good things come in twos campaign", Cigna New Zealand says the business has been overwhelmed with positive feedback.
nib offers two months free cover online
2 November 2021 - nib New Zealand has launched a new campaign through its online application tool, nibAPPLY, offering eligible Kiwis who apply through their adviser two months’ free health cover.
Non-disclosure case highlights need for better records
29 October 2021 - A life and health insurance adviser has agreed to pay $1000 in compensation to a client who complained to Financial Services Complaints Ltd that she had not been adequately advised about the risks of non-disclosure.
Asteron launches promo to support local business
18 October 2021 - Asteron Life has launched a promotion to thank its new customers for signing up by giving them some money to put back into their local economies.
AIA and Iress intergrate Xplan quoting system
30 September 2021 - AIA New Zealand, in partnership with the global financial technology provider, Iress, are integrating Xplan's and AIA’s quoting system offering greater efficiencies for advisers.
[OBITUARY] Highly respected adviser passes on
24 September 2021 - Admired for his intense loyalty, honesty, love of family, friends and golf, well-known insurance adviser Steve Richens has passed away suddenly at the age of 66.
FMA licensing workshops popular with Fidelity Life advisers
17 September 2021 - A series of online licensing support workshops jointly hosted by Fidelity Life and the Financial Markets Authority have attracted almost 200 adviser registrations.
Death by 10,000 paper cuts
7 September 2021 - The advice industry is undergoing much change, and you could be forgiven if you hadn't noticed what's happening to our brethren - mortgage advisers.
Asteron offers Best Doctors package to advisers
2 September 2021 - Asteron Life is extending the benefits of its popular Best Doctors service, currently only available to customers with disability insurance products, to eligible insurance advisers.
Adviser opportunities have never been better
10 August 2021 - Right now there have never been fewer advisers serving so many consumers with the need for cover, or better cover, and I think the market has plenty of growth left in it.
Advisers should talk to advisers about professional indemnity
7 July 2021 - An experienced insurance adviser is urging financial advisers to heed their own advice and speak to an expert when it comes to Professional Indemnity (PI) cover.
[GRTV] Ballantyne on how new regs are changing advice and the fall in replacement business
3 May 2021 - In this edition of GRTV Good Returns' Philip Macalister speaks to the Partners Life managing director Naomi Ballantyne on how the new regulations are impacting advisers, replacement business and PI.
Partners Life focuses on advisers with new appointment
21 April 2021 - Partners Life has promoted its former adviser distribution general manager to its executive team as it focuses on the value independent financial advisers bring to its business.
Cigna unveils significant changes
8 April 2021 - Monday, April 12 is set to be a big day for Cigna in New Zealand when the company rolls out a range of new technology solutions, a new commission structure, new underwriting rules and a new specific injury cover product to the local market.
Have you been thinking enough about qualifications?
6 April 2021 - Welcome to the New World, the most significant piece of financial legislation enacted in New Zealand, and it's an amendment Act.
Client servicing is a big issue under the new rules
22 March 2021 - Jon-Paul Hale reckons the way advisers "service" clients under the obligations of the new financial advice regime is going to be challenging.
Getting cross over Cancer cover
22 March 2021 - Jon-Paul Hale's recent column on Southern Cross Cancer Cover Plus got the company, well, cross. Here's the latest.
Disclosure warning as new regulations come into effect
18 March 2021 - Insurance advisers are being warned to clearly disclose all fees and charges after one broker was caught adding $34,000 of additional charges to a client’s policies over a period of three years.
New initiative sees travel brokers retain as insurance advisers
7 December 2020 - Partnership between a large travel firm, a financial technology business and MSD could bring nearly 200 new advisers into the industry.
Should you stay, or should you go?
8 September 2020 - There still seems to be a delay in some advisers getting their transitional licence – insurance adviser Jon-Paul Hale with a follow-up to his article Tied Agency 2.0.
Ways to sell more insurance
19 June 2020 - Russell Hutchinson offers some ideas about how to sell more insurance.
The Covid edition
29 May 2020 - The future is bright for those focused on the right outcomes for clients says Jon-Paul Hale.
FMA: Insurance, advisers have stepped up
20 May 2020 - New Zealand’s insurance industry has responded well to the outbreak of Covid-19 and the impact of that on its clients, the Financial Markets Authority’s director of banking and insurance, Clare Bolingford, says.
Cigna boosts commission
14 May 2020 - Cigna will double service commission payments to financial advisers through June and July.
$1.5 billion in claims paid, FSC says
12 May 2020 - New Zealand life insurers paid out a total of $1.49 billion in claims in the year to March, the Financial Services Council says.
Cigna offers enhancements, online quote tool
11 May 2020 - Cigna is launching a new online quote tool, designed to help boost efficiency and improve advisers’ experience of working with the company.
Ballantyne: No more normal
21 April 2020 - Some advisers are writing more new insurance business during the lockdown period than they were in the weeks leading up to it, Partners Life managing director Naomi Ballanytne says.
Cigna offers new commission options
15 April 2020 - Cigna is rolling out new commission structures for level-premium products.
Scrutiny sows 'seeds of doubt'
23 January 2020 - Scrutiny of New Zealand's life insurance sector puts "seeds of doubt" into consumers' minds, the Financial Services Council says.
MBIE expects advisers to bear costs of regime change
9 December 2019 - Insurers and financial advisers can expect a “low to medium” increase in their costs as a result of changes to insurance law, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says.
Support for advisers 'vital'
30 October 2019 - It will be important to support financial advisers into the new regulatory regime to ensure that New Zealanders’ access to independent advice is maintained, says Fidelity Life’s chief distribution officer, Adrian Riminton.
What is the advice risk?
21 October 2019 - You could be forgiven for keeping your head down, servicing clients and paying the bills. And frankly, we all need to be doing that.
Asteron offers to guide advisers through change
3 October 2019 - Asteron Life says it wants to help advisers take advantage of changes happening in the insurance industry.
The Adviser Platform offers general insurance add-on
1 October 2019 - The Adviser Platform is offering a new fire and general insurance option for advisers.
What SMEs think of life insurance advisers
25 September 2019 - Asteron Life has just released its annual survey of SMEs. Find out how life advisers compare to their business counterparts.
Advisers feeling overwhelmed by change and scrutiny, group says
19 September 2019 - Financial advisers are struggling mentally with the amount of change they are being forced to go through and need more than just business and licensing support, one dealer group says.
Commission structure may need Govt intervention: FMA
18 September 2019 - An insurance industry reluctant to move on high upfront commissions may find the Government does it for it, the Financial Markets Authority says.
Insurer response 'not good enough'
17 September 2019 - Commerce Minister Kris Faafoi says insurers are "passing the buck" to advisers.
The growing but slowing market for insurance
16 September 2019 - This market is a good one, and I am a perennial optimist for both financial services in general and insurance financial advice in particular.
Adviser ordered to pay $1,000 after 'dragging heels'
13 September 2019 - A client who said his insurance adviser took too long to arrange redundancy cover for him has taken his complaint to FSCL.
Kiwis face 'trade-off' buying insurance
11 September 2019 - New Zealanders face an unintended risk trade-off when they assess the value of insurance, new research from the Financial Services Council shows.
The willful ignorance of a miopic point of view
10 September 2019 - Sounds angry and somewhat is. It comes from constantly being told that commission-based sales people, especially life insurance advisers, are bottom-feeding scum of the earth.
More work needs to be done on policy ownership
30 August 2019 - Getting the ownership of life insurance policies right is critical; but one bank has no idea, Jon-Paul Hale says.
Insurers rethink agreements
10 July 2019 - Advisers should expect to see their agreements with most insurers rewritten over the near future, one insurance commentator has warned.
Givealittle no competition for insurance
29 May 2019 - Fundraising sites are more likely to serve as a reminder of the importance of insurance than to take its place, local industry commentators say.
Leave good client outcomes to advisers: Whyte
21 May 2019 - Regulators' proposals for reform of the insurance sector seem to be trying to dilute non-aligned advisers' relationship with their clients, one industry commentator says.
FADC hands down its punishment in non-disclosure case
16 May 2019 - A financial adviser who breached the Code of Conduct by skimping on client medical histories in insurance applications has learnt the fate.
Partners Life: This is what good advisers do
13 May 2019 - Partners Life managing director Naomi Ballantyne has fired back in the debate about commission, highlighting the amount of work that advisers do for nothing.
Adviser fights insurance company for commissions after sex claims
29 November 2018 - A financial adviser has been fighting through the courts to reinstate his contracts with an insurer, which cancelled them because of his inappropriate behaviour.
Insurers share advisers' responsibility to clients, Accuro boss says
14 November 2018 - If insurers do not ask for evidence from advisers that they have delivered the service expected to their clients, those insurance companies must take some of the blame for any poor outcomes, one product provider says.
Insurance documents 'too confusing'
5 October 2018 - Insurance policy documents need to be simplified so consumers can understand them, two academics say.
Clients 'should expect ongoing service'
4 October 2018 - The fact of having a financial adviser should give clients sufficient reason to expect an ongoing advice relationship - whether or not that person is paid trail commission, one insurance boss says.
Record keeping and all that
3 September 2018 - What’s all the fuss about record keeping and all that? There’s one school of thought that runs, in effect, that it’s the advice that counts – not the file.
Insurance conduct regulation's missing piece
29 August 2018 - More oversight is needed of insurance companies’ conduct, to fill a gap in regulation of the New Zealand market, one commentator says.
nib on deal hunt as profits rise
20 August 2018 - Health insurer nib is on the lookout for acquisitions after posting an operating profit of $27.4 million for its New Zealand business last year.
Patten takes down broking shingle after 16 years
18 July 2018 - Veteran mortgage adviser Bruce Patten has hung up his shingle as a broker and moved into a new role at the NZ Financial Services Group.
Commission model swaps one problem for another: Ballantyne
18 July 2018 - A new commission structure proposed for the industry is unlikely to solve any of the perceived problems with the existing one, an insurer says.
How automated is your business?
16 July 2018 - With the onset of regulation and the discussion around disclosure, where MBIE is looking to not have a full disclosure document.
Needs analysis and your advice process
2 July 2018 - Now this is been scratching away at my brain for a while. With the many advice processes discussed, in conversations with advisers over the years, I still struggle with two fundamentals when it comes to risk management and life cover planning.
Severn: Change focus of incentives
21 May 2018 - Insurance companies should put some of the money they spend on soft commissions towards promoting consumer education programmes, creating career paths for new advisers and educating existing advisers, the chief executive of the PAA says.
Soft commission schemes untenable under new regime: FMA
17 May 2018 - Many soft commission incentives currently offered to financial advisers will not be able to continue under new advice laws, the Financial Markets Authority says.
Advisers, not consumers benefit from soft commissions: FMA
16 May 2018 - Insurers' soft commissions and sales incentives may be setting advisers up to fail in their obligation to exercise care, diligence and skill for their clients, the Financial Markets Authority says.
New way to do overseas trips
8 May 2018 - Jon-Paul Hale defends overseas trips for life insurance advisers and comes up with a new way of doing them which would kill all the bad press around them.
Claims – the case for applying
10 April 2018 - Many policyholders don't make claims on their life insurance, when they should do Russell Hutchinson says. He reckons, even if in doubt, make a claim and let the company decide.
Question: Can you define what you do?
20 March 2018 - Good Returns' new insurance columnist, Jon-Paul Hale, kicks off by asking advisers as simple question: "Can you define what you do?" It may sound simple, but the answer could be difficult.
Broker pleads guilty
16 March 2018 - An insurance broker who was convicted of fraud a decade ago has pleaded guilty to new charges brought by the Financial Markets Authority.
Law review terms released
6 March 2018 - How insurers deal with unintentional non-disclosure is likely to be a significant aspect of the review of New Zealand’s contract law.
Platforms' commission question
28 February 2018 - Platforms offering no advice receive the same insurance commission rates as financial advisers offering personalised guidance on insurance products.
Financial planning and insurance advice
10 January 2018 - Nigel Tate recently commented on the foundation of the new member advisory committees for FANZ that he would like to position financial planning as a distinct...
Getting to Know: Paul Sewell
15 December 2017 - After a stint in banking, it was a newspaper article that prompted Paul Sewell into financial advice.
Financial Advice NZ recruiting
12 December 2017 - New professional association Financial Advice NZ appears to be addressing concerns about how it will represent all strands of advice, by opting for a system of colleges.
Working group outlines new code's principles
1 December 2017 - Investment advisers look unlikely to need to meet higher competence standards under the new code of conduct for the industry.
Adviser explores what it will take to engage consumers
27 November 2017 - A New Zealand insurance adviser is working on research to determine how much of a discount insurers will have to offer to make customers think it’s worthwhile sharing their activity tracker data.
Stop filling out forms for clients: IFSO
22 November 2017 - A client whose policy was avoided because he did not disclose health issues is a reminder to advisers that completing insurance applications on behalf of clients can be risky, the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman says.
A survival guide for financial adviser licensing
21 November 2017 - All financial advisory businesses will begin a mandatory licensing process, but do not fear, the FMA comes in peace, John Berry says. In the first of two-part commentary he shares his views on what to expect and how to prepare for change.
Quality mark questions
9 November 2017 - A quality mark system is coming - but what will it mean, and how will it fit with the CFP designation?
Getting to Know: Jon-Paul Hale
20 October 2017 - Insurance adviser Jon-Paul Hale wants to see the industry working together much better.
Getting to Know: Anand Srinivasan
6 October 2017 - Anand Srinivasan has been making waves since he gave up working for a provider to work for himself.
Transparency, simplicity 'key for insurance growth'
28 September 2017 - More needs to be done to ensure that insurance products and advice are transparent and easy to understand, industry commentators say.
Clients complain about advisers
21 September 2017 - Financial advisers who did not explain their terms of business, in particular their fees, who did not action client requests to change or cancel policies, and issues of disclosure were some of the most common causes of complaints about advisers over the past year, IFSO says.
Online offer 'more than quote and compare'
14 September 2017 - A new insurance advice firm is promising consumers a more in-depth online service.
FMA outlines plans - has eyes on advisers
30 August 2017 - The Financial Markets Authority is laying out how it plans to use its new, increase level of funding – and advisers can expect to receive its attention.
Getting to Know: Reagan Bax
25 August 2017 - Is Reagan Bax, brother of model Kylie Bax, the only member of the NZ financial advice sector to have played golf with Donald Trump?
Pro-bono work recognised
18 August 2017 - A pro bono initiative run by the Southland branch of the IFA could be replicated across the country when Financial Advice NZ becomes operational.
Get basics right: Ballantyne
9 August 2017 - Naomi Ballantyne, Managing Director of Partners Life, talks about adviser businesses and getting them ready for the future, plus an update on their upcoming roadshow.
Goal-based insurance planning
9 August 2017 - It still strikes me as amazing that lots and lots of home loan insurance is sold and not very much “you get to keep your home” insurance is sold.
Bawden's business rebrand
4 August 2017 - RE/MAX New Zealand is rebranding its finance arm which is run by Geoff Bawden.
Awards to industry's finest
4 August 2017 - Industry stalwarts and newcomers have been recognised with awards at this year’s joint IFA/PAA conference.
More than insurance advice
25 July 2017 - Imagine an adviser presenting a large per-mile loading for motorbike racing. The client is looking at the choice between the exclusion and the eye-wateringly large cost with the loading. How do they respond?
Review a resounding win for the 'big end of town'
19 July 2017 - Murray Weatherston, a founding member of SIFA, talks to us about the Financial Adviser Review Act, where it’s going and some of his thoughts on it.
Lyndal Cruickshank Brunt joins Plus4 Insurance Group
13 July 2017 - Plus4 Insurance Solutions, the national insurance advisory and financial services group, today announced that Lyndal Cruickshank Brunt, a Registered Financial Adviser based in Queenstown, has joined the group.
Review of insurance contracts law coming - but what will it cover?
22 June 2017 - A review of insurance contracts law has been described as "well overdue".
Give FMA insurance expertise: IMF
1 June 2017 - The International Monetary Fund has outlined the improvements it thinks should be made to the regulation of insurance and insurance brokers in New Zealand.
Releasing claims data not straightforward: Insurers
28 October 2016 - New Zealand insurers offering life and health insurance would need to change a number of processes before they could start publishing data on the number of claims they accept.
Dormant products drive replacement business: Adviser
23 September 2016 - There are calls for insurers to do more to help clients with “dormant” products that are becoming increasingly uncompetitive as the insurance market evolves.
The cost of convenience
5 September 2016 - The trend towards selling non-underwritten cover is growing.
Women left behind
7 July 2016 - Financial advisers are being urged to consider what they can do to get more women engaged with their financial futures.
What do you cut when something has to give?
23 May 2016 - What’s the right process for cutting cover when the client’s budget is tight?
New adviser group launched
7 April 2016 - A new adviser group, mySolutions has been launched which aimed at filling a gap for insurance advisers.
Triplejump franchises set up independent firm
7 April 2016 - After nine years as a Triplejump franchisee, Auckland insurance advisers Jamie Lester and Heath Cleland have made the leap to operate independently under the own brand, Advice Plus.
Court battle costs broker everything
22 March 2016 - A Napier-based insurance adviser says his reputation is in tatters after being dragged through a court case.
