A few weeks ago when I was watching the disturbing photographs of the bush fires in Queensland and New South Wales they showed footage of the Premier of New South Wales meeting with volunteer fire fighters. I wanted to post something at the time, but did not feel it appropriate when people’s lives and homes were at risk, but the thought crossed my mind. How […]
I fully support the review of Fire Service Levy in NZ
It was a nice way to end a tough week to read in InsuranceNEWS that the New Zealand Government is looking at alternatives to having the fire service levy heavily funded by insurance. There is absolutely no doubt that people buy less insurance when the price goes up. We saw it here in Victoria before the Black Saturday bush fires, in North Queensland due to […]
Blog Question on Non-conforming cladding
I received the following question from an old friend who I first met while handling a complex claim for his company in 1984. I rang yesterday looking for advice or some information from LMI on the building cladding issue and if the commercial insurance underwriting industry are already or are considering paying claims out for “damage or loss” to the buildings. I wonder if its […]
Even before we get a chance to stuff up, we are being criticised by the media and politicians. Let’s get real.
I thought, with the long overdue departure of Karl Stefanovic, who so unfairly attacked the industry after the Brisbane floods that I stopped watching the Today Show, that we would be getting more balanced reporting by the media. However, no doubt picking up on the Deputy Premier’s call for banks and insurers to “lift their socks” and show compassion to North Queenslanders’ affected by the […]
Can we learn from a tragedy
Like many readers, I was upset to hear about the death of Abby Hartley, a mother aged 41, who fell seriously ill and contracted septicemia while enjoying a second honeymoon in Bali. She was placed in an induced coma on August 15 and sadly died on Sunday (September 09) surrounded by her husband and two children. Her family sought help from her travel insurer who denied the […]
Is travel insurance free with your credit card better than Corporate Travel Insurance?
Most insurance brokers and travel insurers would immediately say, of course not! Corporate Travel is the Rolls Royce of travel insurance. Well, free travel insurance with a credit card is better for one insurer when it comes to cancellation due to illness between the date of purchasing the tickets and the start of the travel. In this case, the Insured had been with the same […]
Making sure you make your monthly car insurance payments
A matter has been brought to us by a broker whose daughter purchased motor insurance on a month by month basis. It appears she did not use her dad but purchased it through what appears to be an authorised representative of the insurer. I could stand corrected on this as it is only early days. Anyway, on the day the monthly payment was meant to […]
Beware the hire car scam
I received the following email from a broker this morning; Hi Allan, Hope your well and keep the blogs coming. I thought this may be something that you may find interesting. Please find attached a notice of Intention to sue that was sent to my friend. I think there maybe something wrong with the whole situation. To put you in the picture my friend […]
A blog question on public liability leads to 3 issues around leases.
A broker contacted me following a concerned client of hers who had been joined in an action where someone had fallen over a step in a commercial body corporate complex. The broker was not aware of the client owning a commercial strata in the complex. The Strata insurer was prepared to defend the body corporate but not the individual unit holder. When I was approached […]
Serious amounts of lead in some Hashmi eyeliners.
I often ask you to keep your eye out for our warnings on recalled products. This one I want you to keep your eyes well away from. The NSW Health Department uncovered the issue when 3 children from the same family became sick. On testing two eyeliners, namely Hashmi Surmi Special and Hashmi Kohl Aswad, it was found they were a staggering 84 per cent […]