Adviser News and Insights
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Latest Insights
October 19, 2020
I’m sure I’m not alone in breathing a sigh of relief as we approach the end of this rollercoaster of a year. No sooner had the devastating bushfires ended, before we were faced with all the challenges of COVID-19.
October 19, 2020
COVID-19 Stimulus Packages Repacked
With so much change happening so frequently, _ZONE is bringing you an important webinar which unpacks what the recent Federal Government stimulus measures contain. Zurich Risk Strategy Specialist, Adam Crabbe, will explore what the measures mean for you as a financial adviser, your clients and what practical tools you can use to advise your clients.
October 19, 2020
Supporting clients through their recovery, with wellness and rehabilitation
At Zurich, our support to clients doesn’t stop once a claim is paid. We are committed to supporting clients during their recovery, with continued investment in our wellness, rehabilitation and return to work programs.
October 19, 2020
My Wellbeing Hub is now available! We have compiled a collection of health and wellbeing resources to support you, your clients and your practice on the journey towards overall wellness.
October 19, 2020
This month's _Zone Session: Supporting Vulnerable clients
Presented by OnePath's Wellness and Rehabilitation Manager Alicia Gibbs and Consultative psychologist Anthea Hickey, this webinar will equip you with the skills to be able to identify client vulnerability and provide you with tips on how to best support them through these challenging periods.
October 15, 2020
Phase 3 of the Morrison Recovery Blueprint
COVID-19 has changed the world as we know it. (Wow that’s insightful!) Some things will change for the longer term (ways of working, blind reliance on a single lowest cost supply chain, being naive about cyber security and soft power, etc) some for the next 2-5 years (attitudes to monetary policy and budget deficits, globalisation, immigration flows, etc). In Australia one of the biggest short-term adjustments is, and will continue to be, what happens on fiscal policy.
October 15, 2020
On 6 October 2020, the Treasurer, Mr Josh Frydenberg, delivered the 2020-21 Budget, setting out the economic plan and outlook for Australia for the years ahead. With the Australian economy in recession (the first time in almost 30 years) as a result of COVID-19, there remains substantial uncertainty around the global and domestic outlook, as well as the extent of any longer-lasting economic effects from the pandemic.
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Life Insurance
October 19, 2020
I’m sure I’m not alone in breathing a sigh of relief as we approach the end of this rollercoaster of a year. No sooner had the devastating bushfires ended, before we were faced with all the challenges of COVID-19.
October 19, 2020
COVID-19 Stimulus Packages Repacked
With so much change happening so frequently, _ZONE is bringing you an important webinar which unpacks what the recent Federal Government stimulus measures contain. Zurich Risk Strategy Specialist, Adam Crabbe, will explore what the measures mean for you as a financial adviser, your clients and what practical tools you can use to advise your clients.
October 19, 2020
My Wellbeing Hub is now available! We have compiled a collection of health and wellbeing resources to support you, your clients and your practice on the journey towards overall wellness.
October 19, 2020
This month's _Zone Session: Supporting Vulnerable clients
Presented by OnePath's Wellness and Rehabilitation Manager Alicia Gibbs and Consultative psychologist Anthea Hickey, this webinar will equip you with the skills to be able to identify client vulnerability and provide you with tips on how to best support them through these challenging periods.
October 19, 2020
Supporting clients through their recovery, with wellness and rehabilitation
At Zurich, our support to clients doesn’t stop once a claim is paid. We are committed to supporting clients during their recovery, with continued investment in our wellness, rehabilitation and return to work programs.
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Investments
October 15, 2020
Phase 3 of the Morrison Recovery Blueprint
COVID-19 has changed the world as we know it. (Wow that’s insightful!) Some things will change for the longer term (ways of working, blind reliance on a single lowest cost supply chain, being naive about cyber security and soft power, etc) some for the next 2-5 years (attitudes to monetary policy and budget deficits, globalisation, immigration flows, etc). In Australia one of the biggest short-term adjustments is, and will continue to be, what happens on fiscal policy.
October 15, 2020
On 6 October 2020, the Treasurer, Mr Josh Frydenberg, delivered the 2020-21 Budget, setting out the economic plan and outlook for Australia for the years ahead. With the Australian economy in recession (the first time in almost 30 years) as a result of COVID-19, there remains substantial uncertainty around the global and domestic outlook, as well as the extent of any longer-lasting economic effects from the pandemic.
September 03, 2020
It may be feeling more like summer, but winter is coming.
A lot of the working population are holding up pretty well financially so far during the pandemic. The chart below from Macquarie Research shows the sharp spikes in household cashflow driven by Government benefits and early superannuation withdrawals. Two elements of this – the second round of one-off $750 Government support payments and early super withdrawals - are unlikely to be repeated going forward. It is highly unlikely the early release of Super scheme will be extended, especially given calls from some union quarters that the Government should top up super for low income earners to cover their withdrawals. (Strange, I thought it was the individual who made the call to withdraw early, it wasn’t compulsory like contributions to super are). Of course, for some people this was a necessary evil to bridge the cashflow gap as (effective) unemployment rates soared. Regardless, this bounty has now come to an end.
September 02, 2020
It’s hard to believe the incredible gains that share markets around the world have made in recent months. Depressionary levels of unemployment and economic contraction have seen corporate profits plummet yet the returns from equity markets look remarkably resilient. Massive amounts of government support, negligible interest rates and promising vaccine developments have clearly helped sentiment, however beneath the surface it has been a select group of stocks that have lifted markets off their March lows.
August 04, 2020
COVID-19 Stimulus packages - Adviser resources
With the pandemic response in Australia evolving rapidly, it’s easy to lose track of the latest information. We’ve been monitoring the situation and have developed resources to support you so you can focus on helping your clients.
April 03, 2020
Government assistance for Australians in financial stress
On 22 March 2020, the Australian Federal Government announced its second economic stimulus package designed to support those most severely affected through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This builds on the first financial package which was announced on 12 March, 2020.
July 07, 2020
What can hold back our economic recovery post COVID? Reregulation & politics
In an “upgrade” the IMF now believes Australia’s economy will only contract by 4.5 per cent in 2020, revised from -6.7 per cent a few months ago. While this is welcome news, it will be several years before we regain the level of economic activity we enjoyed pre COVID-19. This is partly due to the global economic outlook (the IMF has projected to a "deeper recession" than initially expected with a GDP contraction of 4.9% in 2020) but is also the result of our inflexible economy. So apart from the blinding obvious, what could hold our economic recovery back? Answer: Over regulation and politics.