Adviser News and Insights
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Latest Insights
November 20, 2020
Changes to our executive leadership team
I’m excited to share with you some changes to our executive leadership team, to support the integrated service agenda of the Zurich and OnePath business. These key appointments include;
November 20, 2020
New premium relief options for customers – Extended to 31 January 2021
Zurich are extending their short term premium relief options to 31 January 2021 to help assist advisers and customers with premium payments in the face of this global pandemic.
November 20, 2020
This month's _Zone session: Protection During Disruption
2020 has seen an extraordinary period of disruption, impacting employment, health, the broader economy and personal freedoms. As decreasing employment further heightens the community's view on their cash flow. In this session, Adam Crabbe seeks to capture clarity on the role of government and non-government support, shedding light on the discrepancy this can have to an individual and their family, along with an analysis of the changing face of employment and the implications for the future.
November 20, 2020
We are in a period of economic uncertainty - whatever job status and financial situation millennials have, there has never been a more important time for us to have honest and open conversations about changing workplaces.
November 06, 2020
History has shown that the listed AREITs markets can over-react, particularly relative to unlisted markets, because they are liquid and can fully reflect investor uncertainty. A strong case can be made that this is exactly what is happening to REIT mall landlords today. This presents a potential opportunity for active long-term investors.
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Life Insurance
November 20, 2020
Changes to our executive leadership team
I’m excited to share with you some changes to our executive leadership team, to support the integrated service agenda of the Zurich and OnePath business. These key appointments include;
November 20, 2020
New premium relief options for customers – Extended to 31 January 2021
Zurich are extending their short term premium relief options to 31 January 2021 to help assist advisers and customers with premium payments in the face of this global pandemic.
November 20, 2020
This month's _Zone session: Protection During Disruption
2020 has seen an extraordinary period of disruption, impacting employment, health, the broader economy and personal freedoms. As decreasing employment further heightens the community's view on their cash flow. In this session, Adam Crabbe seeks to capture clarity on the role of government and non-government support, shedding light on the discrepancy this can have to an individual and their family, along with an analysis of the changing face of employment and the implications for the future.
November 20, 2020
We are in a period of economic uncertainty - whatever job status and financial situation millennials have, there has never been a more important time for us to have honest and open conversations about changing workplaces.
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.
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Investments
November 06, 2020
History has shown that the listed AREITs markets can over-react, particularly relative to unlisted markets, because they are liquid and can fully reflect investor uncertainty. A strong case can be made that this is exactly what is happening to REIT mall landlords today. This presents a potential opportunity for active long-term investors.
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.