Chatswood serves the life and health insurance sector in New Zealand with market intelligence, data, and bespoke consulting services. Some of these are provided in conjunction with Quality Product Research Limited - a subsidiary that brings you Quotemonster.

We believe that good decisions are more likely to occur when we have good information about the market environment in which we operate. Intuitive leaps and creative decisions are always required, of course, but the more they are based on a firm foundation of observation, the better they tend to be.

Kelly O Kelly O

Chubb Life Support Person of the Year entries are open

Chubb Life is bringing back their Support Person of the Year award, to recognise behind the scenes team members.

Chubb Life is bringing back their Support Person of the Year award. The award recognises behind the scenes team members. To nominate someone, enter here before 24 May.

The winners will receive a $1,000 Prezzy Card, runner up with receive a $500 Prezzy Card and third place will receive a $300 Prezzy Card.

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Doreen Dutt Doreen Dutt

Chubb Life Lifetime Reward Campaign live on Quotemonster

Chubb Life Lifetime Reward Campaign is now live on Quotemonster and here we provide instructions on how to include the offer in your quotes.

Chubb Life have increased their 10% Lifetime Reward discount to 15% for all new Assurance Extra and Assurance Extra Business Life and Trauma policies issued from 16 April to 30 June 2024 for customers who:

- have a BMI measurement of between 18.5 and 24.9, and

- have been a non-smoker for at least 12 months

Clients can also combine this with the current 2 months’ free and multi-benefit discount offers.

Click here to read about the offer and any terms and conditions that may apply.

How to include this option on Quotemonster:
- Create or open a quote
- Enter client information and click through to the Benefit Details screen
- Add in the benefit details and click Crunch to get a premium comparison
- Click on the Chubb Life logo in the Result window to open the Quote result window,
- Tick the Apply 15% Lifetime Reward checkbox.

You will need to do this for each quote where you want to include the discount.

Scroll down to review that the 15% Lifetime Reward has been applied.

If you have any questions, comments, or complaints, we want to hear them so please drop an email to  info@quotemonster.co.nz.

Happy Crunching!

 
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Kelly O Kelly O

Chubb Life increase their Lifetime Reward discount and enhance commission offering

Chubb Life have increased their current 10% Lifetime Reward discount to 15% for all new business issued from 16 April to 30 June 2024.

Chubb Life have increased their current 10% Lifetime Reward discount to 15% for all new business issued from 16 April to 30 June 2024. The discount is available on Life and Trauma covers on Chubb Life’s Assurance Extra and Assurance Extra Business policies for customers who have a BMI measurement of between 18.5 and 24.9 and who have been a non-smoker for at least 12 months.  Clients can combine this offer with the current 2 months’ free and multi-benefit discount offers.

Chubb have updated their scenario videos to help you explain how different customers can make the most of the offers.

From 30 April, Chubb Life are increasing their pendulum commission offering for new business, providing an up-front component when you choose either the 15%, 20% or 30% renewal option. They will pay renewal commission from Month 2. Chubb Life have also increased their Disability Income upfront rate and pendulum options.

 

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Kelly O Kelly O

AIA launches new AIA vitality app

AIA NZ has launched a new AIA Vitality app with enhanced features and functionality. The refreshed app has a new look and feel and boasts several new features.

AIA NZ has launched a new AIA Vitality app with enhanced features and functionality. The refreshed app has a new look and feel and boasts several new features:

·         increased security via multi-factor authentication during the login process

·         a new voucher wallet to view and access rewards

·         a streamlined AIA Vitality Age Assessment

·         new Financial Wellbeing Assessment.

AIA NZ Chief Customer Officer Angela Busby says

“Throughout the first five years of AIA Vitality, we have worked hard to continually enhance and develop the programme for our members. The new app will take this a step further, making it even easier to engage with the programme, track their health journey, and earn rewards.”

Russell Hutchinson, one of our directors and also an AIA Vitality member says:

“The new app is a big step forward in usability - simple things like showing you which surveys and activities you have completed and which you still have to go make it much easier to get a sense of where you are at from a points perspective. I was also pleased that as soon as I logged in, it pointed out that I’d earned a reward, and claiming it involved about half the clicks previously required!” 

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Chubb Life's eApp now automatically identifies if customers qualify for 10% Lifetime Reward discount

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Westpac and NZFSG recognised at the 2024 New Zealand Mortgage Awards

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Kelly O Kelly O

Bill could modernise insurance law

On March 21st, a Member’s Bill was drawn that, if passed, could modernise insurance law. Labour Party MP Duncan Webb, a former insurance lawyer, says his Insurance Contracts Bill will require “…insurance contract terms to be both clear and fair”.

If the Bill is passed, it would introduce penalties for insurers who failed to act in good faith, such as not completing a claim in a timely manner. The Bill requires polices be clearer and in plain language, to better help consumers understand the terms of the insurance they’re signing up for.

We’ll keep an eye on this and report back as the situation progresses.

 

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Kelly O Kelly O

Southern Cross cautioned by FMA for neglecting to apply advertised discounts

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has issued warnings to Southern Cross Medical Care Society and Southern Cross pet Insurance for failing to apply advertised discounts to their insurance products.

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has issued warnings to Southern Cross Medical Care Society and Southern Cross pet Insurance for failing to apply advertised discounts to their insurance products.

Both entities have accepted they had breached the fair dealing provisions of the Financial Markets Conduct Act by making false or misleading representations. The FMA determined the cause of each issue was due to poor controls and/or technical errors. The FMA found no evidence of deliberate misconduct.

Southern Cross Pet Insurance initially reported to the FMA in November 2022 some of the contraventions. Further enquiries from the FMA and an internal review in the wider Southern Cross Group established the extant of the contraventions.

SCPI failed to correctly apply the following discounts:

·         Additional pet discount

·         Direct debit discount

·         Southern Cross membership discount.

SCMCS failed to correctly apply the following discounts:

·         Free child discount

·         Healthy lifestyle rewards discount

·         Low claims discount.

The total amount of Southern Cross Pet Insurance premiums overcharged was $424,508, affecting 7,542 customers. Southern Cross Medical Care Society overcharged $161,547 across 1,957 customers.

 

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Kelly O Kelly O

Asteron Life updates personal and business insurance products

Asteron Life has unveiled a raft of updates to their personal and business insurance products.

Asteron Life has unveiled a raft of updates to their personal and business insurance products.

The changes include clarification of existing policy terms to ensure greater transparency and ease of understanding and a range of new and enhanced benefits.

The new benefits and enhancements include:

  • Repatriation benefit on personal and business life cover

  • Advancement benefit for terminal conditions on personal life cover

  • Shortened waiting periods for income protection and mortgage and living cover

  • Cover conversion benefit on business disability cover and farmers disability cover

  • Enhancements to the Funeral benefits on life cover, kids cover and business expenses

  • Enhancements to two definitions for trauma recovery and 11 definitions for major trauma

  • The requirement for 14 days total disability as part of the waiting period has been removed from business disability cover, farmers disability cover and business expenses cover

  • Introduction of a premium and cover suspension to the optional needlestick benefit

  • Removal of some restrictions from various benefits such as specific injury support – lump sum and monthly, trauma reinstatement option and the crisis benefit within the optional immediate assist package

Claire Sutton, Executive Manager Life Portfolio and New Business at Asteron Life said

“It's key that our range of covers continue to add value for our customers, policies and terms are easy to understand, and insurance remains as affordable and accessible as possible. We know that these things really matter for our customers and advisers. We also worked hard to ensure that these improvements have not increased customer premiums, given we know how tough it is for many New Zealanders right now.”

 

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Russell Hutchinson Russell Hutchinson

AIA introduce new cover for prophylactic surgery following cancer

AIA have enhanced their on-sale health insurance products as well as eligible closed products to cover prophylactic or preventative surgery following an acceptable breast or ovarian cancer claim, subject to certain criteria.

AIA have enhanced their on-sale health insurance products as well as eligible closed products to cover prophylactic or preventative surgery following an acceptable breast or ovarian cancer claim, subject to certain criteria.

Previously AIA’s health insurance products specifically excluded preventative treatment including those related to cancer. The changes came about after a need was identified through customer feedback. Details of the changes are available here.

Insurers have been getting increased requests for preventative treatment to be available. One example of the media coverage is available at One News here.

Comments like this one sum up the media view: “If you had a very high cancer risk, but there was surgery available to cut that risk by up to 90% - that would be amazing, a no-brainer, right?” – well, it depends on what you mean by a ‘very high rate of cancer’. That risk must outweigh the risks associated with a preventative surgery. It will not be the same for all clients – and may vary depending on each person’s circumstances.

These trade-offs make it a much more difficult decision to make than funding cancer treatment itself. Insurers are conservative and usually wait many years to assess data to decide whether to cover different treatment types. That’s bad news for individual customers who have an expensive and difficult choice to make, but it helps protect the interests of hundreds of thousands of other customers, who need affordable cover.

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The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is holding a Ian Axford Fellowship webinar with Rachel Levinson-Waldman on 25 March

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Kelly O Kelly O

Chubb appoints new Country President for New Zealand

Chubb has appointed David Morrow as the new Country President for New Zealand.

Chubb has appointed David Morrow as the new Country President for New Zealand. Morrow was previously Head of Property and Casualty (P&C) for Chubb New Zealand and will start the new role effective immediately. His new role will be responsible for overseeing Chubb’s commercial P&C, traditional and specialty personal lines, and accident and health insurance.

Peter Kelaher, Chubb country president for Australia and New Zealand, said

“David's tenure with us has been marked by progressive leadership, showcasing his ability to steer our business with excellence. His expansive network and deep understanding of both Chubb and the general insurance industry positions us to capitalise on growth opportunities in the New Zealand market.”

 

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