RBA: 50 basis point cut

PRESSURE is mounting on the Reserve Bank to slash interest rates when its board meets later today, after major industry groups joined the chorus for the cut to be as wide as half of 1 per cent.
The housing sector last night pleaded for a cut after woeful new home figures showed sales had collapsed to [...]

Non banks can regain market share over the coming year

Funding options for mortgage managers and originators are improving and there is growing optimism that the sector can regain market share over the coming year.
Speaking to The Adviser, National Mortgage Company’s chief executive Angelo Malizis said that while the Global Financial Crisis forced many mortgage managers to scale backm, a number of groups are now [...]

Guide Dogs Australia enters the insurance market,

FAMILIES are paying as much in veterinary bills for sick pets as it would cost them to buy a new car.
Some are plunging into financial stress trying to find the money for surgery and other procedures for their animals that cost as much or more than treatment for humans.
One family was slugged $18,000 [...]

Income protection and its Benefits

Income Protection Insurance (IPI) is the types of insurance that has the significant intention of facilitating the people who are laid up because of an injuries or illness. The policies that drop within IPI are also referred as Long lasting Wellness Insurance policies. The Income Protection quote was at first launched in Ireland and United [...]

RBA left rates on hold

The Reserve Bank of Australia has left the official cash rate on hold for the third consecutive month.
The official cash rate remains at 4.25 per cent, which is in-line with forecasts from leading economists that rates will stay on hold until mid-year
In the minutes of the Monetary Board Meeting, the Board said that [...]

Government plans to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Julia Gillard

DISABILITY groups are “relieved and excited” the government plans to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme in the budget, a process they say could cost more than $3 billion over the next four years.
This money would cover the $550 million cost of setting up the National Disability Insurance Agency [...]

Australian life insurers are competitive on life insurance market

Australian life insurers are offering competitive premium rates compared to the rest of the world, and premiums are often cheaper through advisers, according to a study released by Clearview Wealth last week.
The study is based on research conducted by RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia and compares life cover premiums based on a particular scenario across [...]

Australian Brokers fail to generate leads online

Almost one in five brokers have no web presence and only a minority are generating their own leads online according to a newThe Adviser poll.
A straw poll conducted last week found that 17 per cent of the 300 respondents said they do not have a web page to promote their business.
Interestingly, of those that [...]

The lack of data on the “churning” of life insurance business raises questions

The lack of data on the “churning” of life insurance business raises questions about legislating against the practice, a life insurance dealer group director says. Synchron director Don Trapnell says the group approached four major life insurance companies to obtain statistics on churning, but none was able to furnish any meaningful [...]

Steady Cash Rate at 4.25 per cent !

BORROWERS will have to wait at least another month for lower repayments after the RBA kept rates on hold today.
It is the second consecutive month the central bank has taken a cautious approach to safeguarding the economy leaving the official cash rate at 4.25 per cent – among the highest of the [...]