
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.
nib NZ completes company amalgamation
nib NZ has successfully amalgamated its two operating entities into a single company, nib nz limited.
nib NZ has successfully amalgamated its two operating entities, nib nz limited and nib nz insurance limited, into a single company, now operating as nib nz limited.
nib NZ Chief Executive Officer Rob Hennin said
“By bringing our health, life and living insurance businesses together, we’re making it easier for members to engage with us and access the support they need. Importantly, this change does not affect members’ existing insurance cover, benefits or terms and conditions. For most, the only visible difference will be the name of the insurer on policy documents, renewal certificates and bank statements.
More news:
mySolutions webinar 'Kevin Smee- presents a Business Case Study' 9 July
FSC announce Dress of Success as charity partner for FSC25 Conference: Transforming for Tomorrow
Financial Advice NZ 'Professional Ethics Workshop' 31 July
Jon-Paul Hale believes AI doesn't have the nuance required for individual situations
Financial hardship withdrawals from KiwiSaver reach record highs
Recent rate changes on Quotemonster
We are pleased to confirm that the following rate changes are live on Quotemonster effective 1 July 2025.
Dear Quotemonster users,
We are pleased to confirm that the following rate changes are live on Quotemonster effective 1 July 2025.
nib Ultimate Health and Ultimate Health Max
Southern Cross Wellbeing 1 and 2
If you have any questions or comments on these changes please reach out to us on info@quotemonster.co.nz
Happy Crunching!
New CEO of nib announced
Skye Daniels has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer at nib New Zealand, effective from 4 August 2025.
Skye Daniels has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer at nib New Zealand, effective from 4 August 2025.
Skye Daniels
Daniels was formerly the Chief Financial Officer at Southern Cross Health Society and the Executive Sponsor for the Southern Cross life insurance strategy, Māori strategy, Te Ao Māori Rōpū and the Pacific languages collective.
nib Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ed Close said
“We look forward to Skye joining nib NZ and leading our NZ team. Skye has strong commercial, strategic and financial service skills, and brings to nib knowledge of the local healthcare market, and extensive experience across a broad range of New Zealand industries.”
More news:
Asteron Life announce enhancements across Personal and Business Insurance
Asteron Life has announced a suite of enhancements across their Personal and Business Insurance products.
Asteron Life has announced a suite of enhancements across their Personal and Business Insurance products. All enhancements apply to in-force policies issued after August 2004 and will apply to claimable events from 5 June 2025.
Some of the key enhancements include:
New support benefits. An example is the new Family Member Accommodation & Transport Benefit which offers up to $300/day for accommodation and $2,500 in travel expenses reimbursed to support a family member during treatment.
Life Cover with accelerated Trauma Recovery Cover conversion benefit
Updated definition for major organ transplant, including widening the scope of eligible procedures.
Updated definition for diabetes, including reducing the threshold for claims from two complications to one.
New Rehabilitation and retraining Benefit for Business Insurance customers - increased support of return-to-work efforts by reimbursing rehabilitation and retraining costs.
Increased flexibility to increase cover in line with life or business changes that happen to customers.
More news:
FSC's Empower & Elevate Women in Finance Leadership series, Session 3: Male Allyship is on 22 July
The FMA has said the CoFI regime “is essential” for it
Russell Hutchinson writes of Australians longevity and some of the reasons for it
mySolutions webinar 'Booster - How to give KiwiSaver advice efficiently' is on 11 June
Kiwibank won't charge third parties for standard API requests
Gallagher named Official Insurance Broker for the All Blacks, Black Ferns
NZ consumer confidence dropped in May, with the ANZ-Roy Morgan index falling 5.3 points
nib Ultimate Waiver of Premium Rates
We are pleased to confirm that the rate changes for nib’s Ultimate Life & Living Waiver of Premium, effective 26 May 2025 are live on Quotemonster.
We are pleased to confirm that the rate changes for nib’s Ultimate Life & Living Waiver of Premium, effective 26 May 2025 are live on Quotemonster.
Happy Crunching!
AIA announce four new national sales manager appointments
AIA has made four new appointments within their Distribution team.
Aaron Gilmore has been appointed National Sales Manager, Retail. Gilmore has been with AIA since 2023 and has been an AIA Vitality Coach and Northern Region Manger, Business Development.
Carley Ellis has been appointed National Sales Manager, Aligned Advice. Ellis has 20 years of experience in New Zealand’s financial services industry and has a proven track record in business development, financial advice, and leadership.
Sarah Hepper has been appointed National Sales Manager, Corporate Solutions. Hepper has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, and has spent the past 15 years contributing to the growth of Corporate Solutions at AIA NZ
Nick Russell has been appointed as National Sales Manager, Home Loans. Russell has extensive experience working alongside home loan advisers.
More news:
AIA Trauma Buy-back Enhancement
nib's Amanda Savill unpacks changes in how advisers support their clients
Government announces changes to KiwiSaver
The FSC welcomes decision to increase default KiwiSaver contribution rate
Financial Advice NZ webinar 'Data-Informed Decisions for Private Health Insurance' 28 May
FSC Investment and KiwiSaver Committee meeting on 3 June
Michelle Russell and Tim Horgan step into permanent leadership roles at ANZ
Southern Cross Health Trust funds starter pack for nursing students
Medical premiums keep on rising – Jon-Paul Hale takes a look at why
Jon-Paul Hale has taken a look at the pressures that have resulted in sharp increases in medical premiums this year.
Jon-Paul Hale has taken a look at the pressures that have resulted in sharp increases in medical premiums this year. From more claims leading to additional people and resources needing to be hired by insurance companies to the flight of clinicians overseas and training on new technologies and tools, there seems to be a perfect storm leading to the hikes. Hale compares premiums in NZ to those in Australia, and despite the recent increases, we’re still looking affordable in comparison. Hale also ponders what would help stabilise premiums, giving a few examples. It mostly comes down to spreading the cost across a wider pool of people. A good article, one we’d recommend you check out.
More news:
Chubb Life's Essential Underwriting Guide is now available
nib produce Warrant of Wellness guide
Nominations open for Chubb Life Support Person of the Year award
mySolutions webinar 'Leo Moloney-Geany from Minitech - using AI in your business' 28 May
Apex Advice announce a new partnership with the Evidential KiwiSaver Scheme
Financial Advice NZ's Community of Practice: Hamilton event is on 2 July
Westpac announce they won't charge fintechs for standard API calls
FinTechNZ roundtable 'Digital payments for all: Exploring innovative solutions to improve access to basic transaction services' 3 June
nib research finds more adults are staying on top of essential health screenings
Recent nib research has found that more adults are staying on top of essential health screenings, but costs remain a barrier.
Recent nib research has found that more adults are staying on top of essential health screenings, but costs remain a barrier. The research was carried out in February 2025 and surveyed 1,010 Kiwi, building on the last survey conducted in December 2023. Some of the key findings include:
An increasing number of adults are keeping up with necessary health screenings - up to date with eye checks (45% up from 43%), dental check-ups (36% up from 35%), and heart health screenings (31% up from 28%).
30% believe their health is better than their peers, up from 25% in 2023.
Financial concerns are increasingly preventing Kiwi adults from accessing health checks, with 36% citing cost as a barrier (up from 29%).
80% of those with health insurance are committed to health screening checks (vs 72% overall).
More parents feel clear about which screening checks their children need (72% up from 58% in 2023).
More parents believe an annual health check is essential for their children (84% up from 75% in 2023).
More children are staying up to date with common screening tests - hearing checks (54% up from 48%), dental check-ups (66% up from 55%), eye checks (57% up from 50%) and general health exams (59% up from 57%).
Rob Hennin, Chief Executive Officer at nib New Zealand, said
“Proactive health screenings can be lifesaving and it’s really encouraging to see that Kiwi are taking the reins when it comes to their wellbeing. It’s clear to see that accessibility and cost issues continue to be barriers.”
More news:
Jason Gunn announced as new AIA Vitality Ambassador
Gallagher introduce new fundraising initiative, Gallagher Club Kickback
Partners Life go live with “no signature required” for majority of policy administration processes
mySolutions roadshows run across May in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland
mySolutions webinar 'Exclusive Small Business Group Health' is on 23 April
Financial Advice NZ are holding an Ethics Workshop on 8 May
TAP webinar 'Ready to see TAP in action?' 8 May
Westpac launches a pilot for a basic transactional bank account
Product changes at Chubb Life
Chubb Life introduce a Moderate Trauma Cover option, make enhancements to Assurance Extra Trauma Covers and Assurance Extra Business Life, Trauma, Complete Disablement and Monthly Disability Covers and change underlying premium rates.
Chubb Life have introduced a Moderate Trauma Cover option under Assurance Extra. Offering coverage for the same critical illness conditions, it is a more affordable alternative to Trauma Cover. Moderate Trauma Cover requires a higher level of severity to be met on 11 of the more common conditions to be eligible to claim. Customers have the option to take Moderate Trauma on its own or mix and match their cover level across both Trauma and Moderate Trauma Covers. They’ll also have the option to take out Continuous Trauma on both covers.
Chubb have also made enhancements to Assurance Extra Trauma Covers and Assurance Extra Business Life, Trauma, Complete Disablement and Monthly Disability Covers. Assurance Extra Trauma Covers have added a Newborn Children’s Benefit, Complimentary Children's Benefit conversion enhancement and added a feature allowing policyholders to convert Trauma Cover to Moderate Trauma Cover. Assurance Extra Business policies have had to Age 65 and to Age 70 level premium review periods added and the payment term options have been extended to include a two-year payment term for Replacement Labour.
Chubb Life has made changes to the underlying premium rates on their Specific Injury Cover under Assurance Extra, Assurance Extra Business, Business Assurance and Agribusiness Extra. The new underlying rates come into effect on 8 May 2025 and will see the average Specific Injury premium increase by $3.10 per month depending on gender, occupation and cover level.
They have also updated their non-medical codes and associated limits – reducing the number of medical code categories and removing several mandatory testing requirements, and making some improvements to limits.
Chubb Life have also extended their 15% Lifetime Reward and 2 months’ free cover for new policies or cover increases under an existing eligible policy until 31 March 2026.
More news:
Rob Hennin to step down as nib CEO
Steve Wright writes of how advisers need a mindset change away
Naomi Ballantyne to lead TAP's inaugural Women in Advice event
nib New Zealand launches Ultimate Life & Living product range
nib New Zealand has launched Ultimate Life & Living, a suite of six new insurance products available exclusively through advisers.
nib New Zealand has launched Ultimate Life & Living, a suite of six new insurance products available exclusively through advisers.
The six new products are:
Ultimate Life Insurance
Ultimate Trauma Insurance
Ultimate Income Protection Insurance (available in both Indemnity and Agreed Value)
Ultimate Mortgage Protection Insurance
Ultimate Total & Permanent Disability Insurance
Ultimate Waiver of Premium
nib is introducing a simplified application process. The updated system, nibAPPLY, will allow advisers to quote and submit applications for health, life and living insurance products simultaneously, improving efficiencies.
Advisers must complete product training and accreditation to offer the new products. nib offers online modules for both new and experienced advisers.
For a limited time, new customers get a $300 credit on their nib Ultimate Life & Living Insurance policy after paying for their first month or more when processed through nibAPPLY before 30 June 2025.
For a limited time, existing nib health clients can get 10% off their Health Insurance premiums when they bundle Health with Ultimate Life & Living Insurance, when any member on an eligible health policy is issued with a new Ultimate Life & Living Insurance policy (subject to meeting minimum premium criteria). The discount applies to the total health policy premium excluding the policy fee and the offer is available exclusively through nibAPPLY until 30 September 2025.
More news:
AIA bring back popular one month’s premium free campaign
New AIA Vitality Garmin reward
Naomi Ballantyne honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
Lifetime Group awarded Community Impact Award
AIA change reinstatement rules for policies lapsed for 180 days or more
AIA release updated Underwriting Guide
AIA have refreshed their conduct standards for advisers
The FMA wants to see advisers avoid burying disclosure in lengthy documents full of jargon
nib combine member engagement and digital transformation teams