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Do ABN holders need insurance?

In the bustling world of entrepreneurship, you’ve taken the first crucial step and registered for an Australian Business Number (ABN). Your business idea is finally in motion, a dream now tangibly within reach. 

But amidst the whirlwind of launching your venture, there’s a critical question you need to ask: Do ABN holders need insurance?

The straightforward answer is yes. However, the ‘why’ is an intricate tapestry woven with legislative requirements, risk management, and safeguarding your financial future. Here at Business Insurance Consulting, the Best Consulting Insurance Company, we’ll unravel that tapestry for you.

Understanding The Insurance Landscape for ABN Holders

Firstly, it’s crucial to grasp that holding an ABN changes the game. Suddenly, you’re no longer an individual, but a business entity, stepping onto a platform where the risks are higher and the fall can be harder. This shift brings about certain legal and financial responsibilities, one of which is insurance.

In Australia, some types of insurance are compulsory for businesses. For instance, if you have employees, you’re obligated by law to take out Workers’ Compensation Insurance. Professional Indemnity Insurance is mandated in certain professions like legal services or financial advice.

However, the necessity of insurance for ABN holders isn’t solely about legal compliance. It’s about making your business resilient, capable of weathering storms and emerging stronger.

Why ABN Holders Need Insurance: Real-Life Scenarios

Imagine you’re an IT consultant with an ABN, offering your expert services to businesses. You’ve worked on a project for months, dedicating countless hours to develop a customised software system for a client. But then, something goes wrong. 

The software crashes, leading to a significant loss for your client. The next thing you know, you’re slapped with a lawsuit for professional negligence.

In such a scenario, Professional Indemnity Insurance would cover the legal costs and potential damages, protecting both your business and personal assets. Without this insurance, you could face financial ruin, wiping out years of hard work.

Or consider you’re a retailer with a bricks-and-mortar store. A customer trips over a misplaced item and sustains a severe injury. 

As the business owner, you are liable for any injuries that occur on your premises. Public Liability Insurance would cover the ensuing medical expenses and legal costs, preventing a serious financial blow to your business.

Insurance: A Safety Net for ABN Holders

Running a business is akin to sailing in unpredictable waters. At times, you’ll enjoy smooth sailing under clear skies. But storms can rise suddenly, whipping up tumultuous waves that threaten to overturn your vessel. Insurance serves as the life raft that keeps your business afloat during these challenging times.

Insurance is not a grudge purchase, but a shield that protects your business, your livelihood, and your dreams. It provides a buffer against the unexpected, offering peace of mind that you can weather the storms and sail towards success.

At Business Insurance Consulting, we understand the unique needs and risks associated with holding an ABN. We are here to guide you through the complex maze of insurance, ensuring you have the right coverage for your business.

Your Insurance Journey with Business Insurance Consulting

As the best consulting insurance company, we don’t merely provide insurance – we create tailored insurance strategies that fit your business like a glove. We take the time to understand your business, identifying potential risks and providing comprehensive coverage solutions that ensure your business is prepared for whatever comes its way.

ABN holders, don’t leave your business exposed to the perils of unforeseen events. Contact Business Insurance Consulting today, and let us safeguard your business with tailored, comprehensive insurance solutions.

Dive into the Depths of our Services at Business Insurance Consulting

At Business Insurance Consulting, we cater to a diverse range of business needs. Our array of services forms a broad spectrum designed to provide holistic protection to your business.

Professional Indemnity Insurance: Professional advice is invaluable, but what happens when it goes awry? Our Professional Indemnity Insurance offers a safety net for professionals whose advice or services could lead to a client’s financial loss.

Public and Product Liability Insurance: Whether it’s an unfortunate incident at your premises or an unexpected fault in your product causing harm, our Public and Product Liability Insurance provides you the assurance you need to continue operations fearlessly.

Management Liability Insurance: Managing a company comes with its unique set of risks. Our Management Liability Insurance protects you from claims that may arise from the decisions and actions taken within the scope of regular business operations.

Cyber Insurance: In an age where business and technology are intricately linked, cyber threats are a rising concern. Our Cyber Insurance protects your business from the potentially devastating impacts of cyber-attacks and data breaches.

Broadening the Horizon: Expanding on Real-life Scenarios

Let’s paint a more detailed picture with extended real-life scenarios.

Imagine a manufacturing company that produces a line of toys. Despite stringent quality checks, a defective toy that poses a choking hazard slips through. Unfortunately, a child chokes on a small part, leading to a public outrage and a lawsuit. This is where Public and Product Liability Insurance steps in, covering legal costs and potential damages.

To delve into Management Liability Insurance, consider a scenario involving a company’s board of directors. They make a decision that, while well-intentioned, leads to financial losses. The shareholders could sue the directors for breach of fiduciary duty. In this case, Management Liability Insurance can help protect the directors and the company’s finances.

For Cyber Insurance, envision a small online retailer. Despite maintaining an efficient and secure e-commerce site, they fall victim to a cyberattack. Customer data is compromised, and their reputation takes a hit. Cyber Insurance can help mitigate the costs associated with the breach, including legal fees, notification costs, and even PR efforts to restore reputation.

Safeguard Your Business with Business Insurance Consulting

In the unpredictable realm of business, the only constant is risk. However, you can convert these risks into calculated ones with the right insurance. Don’t allow unforeseen incidents to take the wind out of your sails. Equip your business with robust, tailored insurance solutions from Business Insurance Consulting, the Best Consulting Insurance Company. 

With our comprehensive range of services, you can operate your business confidently, knowing you’re protected against unexpected storms.

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High level of underinsurance in flood affected areas

The Queensland and NSW floods have caused losses reaching an estimated $2.3 billion. This devastating extreme weather event has deeply impacted many families and businesses.

A survey conducted by the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has highlighted a significant level of underinsurance among the affected communities. 

The ICA reported on March 21st that insurers had received 153,769 claims, which is a 2% increase from the previous week’s figures. 

ICA also released results from a survey of more than 1000 people from three flood-prone areas in southeast Queensland and NSW. The survey found that 37% of respondents say they wouldn’t have enough insurance to rebuild. 

Two-thirds of respondents also stated they don’t believe governments are investing enough to properly protect homes and communities from extreme weather events. More than 90% of those respondents said the spending should at least double. 

From the survey the ICA reports that an astonishing 94% of people said there should be better controls on where homes are built so they are not at risk of flood. 

On affordability and availability constraint drivers, the survey finds 47% say flood cover can be difficult or expensive to obtain due to the risk of flood, one in five says it is driven by insurer profits and 11% cite climate change. 

“The Insurance Council has long called for greater investment in measures that better protect homes and communities from the impact of extreme weather,” ICA CEO Andrew Hall said. 

“This most recent flood has unfortunately brought this issue into sharp relief, and now those directly impacted have added their voices to this call.”

The ICA survey was conducted from March 11th-14th across the Northern Rivers, Western Sydney and Greater Brisbane regions. 

If you wish to discuss your home or business insurance options, you can contact Craig from Business Insurance Consulting. 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 0412 212 099

Credit: https://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/flood-losses-rising-as-survey-shows-high-levels-of-underinsurance

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Insurers step up their commitment to tackling climate change

Allianz Australia has stepped up their climate commitment in 2021 by becoming the first insurer to join Climate League 2030. 

Climate League 2030 is a private sector-focussed 10-year initiative that aims to reduce Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the targets set by the Paris Agreement in 2015. 

The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) launched the initiative in October 2020, starting with investor participants. 

IGCC is a collaboration of both Australian and New Zealand investors focussed on the financial impact of climate change on investments. 

Supporting Climate 2030 means Allianz must commit to taking at least one new action each year that will make a demonstrable contribution to reducing Australian emissions. 

Allianz Australia MD Richard Feledy says the business is “proud” to be the first insurer to join the initiative.

“Allianz is committed to a net-zero emissions future and we are decarbonising our operations, insurance portfolio and investments to help us achieve that goal,” Mr Feledy said. 

“We believe climate risks are better mitigated when we collaborate with other organisations, industries and markets.”

“By joining initiatives such as Climate League, we hope to enable an orderly transition.” 

IGCC CEO Rebecca Mikula-Wright says hopefully more insurers will follow Allianz and join the initiative. 

“More and more investors, banks and insurers are now recognising that reducing emissions on a Paris-aligned pathway represents responsible action to secure a healthy economy for Australia,” she said.

“The Investor Group on Climate Change continues to support other organisations, including hopefully more insurance firms, to join Climate League to support a stronger 2030 national emissions reduction commitment, which will remain in focus in the lead up to COP27 in Egypt next year.”

Allianz also announced changes to reduce their ties with fossil fuels. They are removing thermal coal from proprietary investment and underwriting portfolios and in 2021 the insurer stopped insuring or investing in infrastructure facilities that derive more than half their revenue from thermal coal. 

From 2023, Allianz plans to no longer provide property & casualty insurance or make proprietary investments in companies that plan new coal mines, generate more than 25% of revenue from thermal coal mining, or produce more than 10 million tons of thermal coal annually. 

This focus on handling climate change is no new thing, and has been a hot topic in the insurance industry. 

After a turbulent year last year in terms of extreme weather events, Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston also made comments on the need to face this issue head on. 

“Call it La Nina, climate change, or just bad luck, it really doesn’t matter – the results and impacts are the same.” he said. 

“At a time when homeowners really need adequate home insurance, allowing tax revenue from insurance to keep growing due to climate change makes little economic sense.

“Pushing people out of the insurance market simply transfers the cost of the extreme weather event, and the one after, to the taxpayer.”

Mr Johnston said “climate change is an intergenerational challenge that must be tackled” by setting ambitious targets and providing support for industries and jobs impacted by the transition.

You can read more about what he had to say here

Australia continues to face extreme weather conditions each year. 

If you want to discuss your personal, home or business insurance, get in touch with us today! 

Credit: 

https://www.insurancenews.com.au/corporate/allianz-steps-up-climate-commitment
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Questions remain after cyclone reinsurance pool details are released

After announcing that they would be going ahead with the long-debated proposal, the Federal Government has quickly moved to develop a cyclone reinsurance pool. 

The draft legislation was released December 2021. It provided various details, but still left key questions regarding the pool unanswered. 

The two-week public consultation period on the draft bill closed on the 17th of December 2021, and the legislation is due to be introduced into Federal Parliament this year, and the pool is set to commence from July. This is ahead of the election due by late may this year. 

The pool will cover cyclone and related flood damage for claims that arise from the beginning of a cyclone until 48 hours after it ends. The cover includes wind, rain, rainwater, rainwater run-off, storm surge, and riverine flood damage. 

The Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation (ARPC) will administer the scheme, and based on advice from the Bureau of Meteorology they will declare an event. The initial announcements regarding the proposed pool had referred to a region above the Tropic of Capricorn, however the new material simply refers to “cyclones in Australia”, including offshore territories such as Norfolk Island. 

The eligible policies include, household property, residential and mixed-use strata, small business, charity and not-for-profit property policies, and farm residential policies. 

However there are certain restrictions. 

Business property policies would need to have sums insured of $5 million or less and strata and community title properties will be eligible where at least 80% of the total floor space of units are used mainly for residential purposes. Business marine cover remains a work in progress and is set to be included from the middle of 2023. 

This cyclone pool will be mandatory and insurers are expected to start entering into agreements with the ARPC from July. 

Large insurers have until December 31 next year to join the scheme, and small insurers have an extra 12 months to ensure all eligible risks are reinsured with the scheme. 

The pool will be funded by insurer premiums but the scheme is backed by a $10 billion annual Government guarantee. In the case of rare cyclone activity levels that draw down the available funds, the Government guarantee can be increased after talks involving the Prime Minister, Treasurer and Financial Minister. 

Premiums determined by the ARPC will be subject to actuarial review, and won’t include a profit margin. The pricing formula is set to be finalised before July and will use property-level data such as geography, building characteristics, and mitigation. 

Treasury says key principles for the formula include that it should lower the reinsurance cost for most policies with medium-to-high exposure to cyclone risk and have minimal impact on premiums for lower cyclone-risk properties. 

The treasury says it should also maintain incentives for risk reduction and offer discounts for properties that undertake mitigation. 

From July to June 30, 2025, the cyclone pool should cover the entire cost of eligible cyclone and related flood damage claims above the policyholder excess, “to support insurer transition and maximise the potential premium reductions through the pool”. 

After that time, the pool will operate on a risk sharing arrangement with the insurers, where the pool will continue to cover a significant proportion of eligible claims. 

Insurers will continue to manage any of the claims, while the policyholders will still be able to choose their insurer. 

“The scheme is expected to improve insurance access and affordability in cyclone-prone areas, build the financial capability of affected households and small businesses to recover from natural disasters, and support the economic resilience and development of cyclone-prone areas,” the Treasury paper says.

“The scheme is also expected to increase competition by encouraging greater insurer participation in cyclone-prone areas and support higher levels of insurance coverage by property owners.” 

Pricing and the pass-through of savings from the scheme will be monitored by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commision. The first review is scheduled for three years after it commences, and every five years thereafter. 

While the scheme is expected to commence in July this year, critical issues around the setting of premium pricing are still to be determined. Debate continues about the breadth of this cover, and the expected level of savings for policyholders remains unknown. 


You can read the draft legislation, along with further details here. 

Credit: https://www.insurancenews.com.au/analysis/cyclone-pool-details-revealed-but-questions-remain

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AFCA says there is no excuse for not disclosing your claims history

A couple has lost their claims dispute after failing to remember their previous claims history when purchasing an Auto & General motor policy. 

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has ruled that the oversight was a breach of the disclosure obligations and the insurer was entitled to decline the latest claim for damage to the couple’s vehicle. 

When purchasing their policy, the couple was asked how many claims they had made in the last five years. They indicated they were unsure whether it was one or two, and the insurer’s representative suggested that they disclose two claims. 

The couple should have disclosed four claims. If they had disclosed the full extent of their claims history, the insurer’s underwriting criteria would have ruled them out. 

“The complainants say they forgot about one of the non-recoverable claims,” the AFCA’s ombudsman said. 

“While this may have been the case, it does not change the outcome.”

“It is reasonable to expect a person to know their claims history. I do not accept forgetting means the claims history was not known to the complainants for the purpose of section 21A(5)(i) of the [Insurance Contracts] Act.”

The AFCA said that an innocent non-disclosure is still a non-disclosure, and therefore a breach of the complainant’s duty. 

“I am satisfied that, by failing to disclose two of the four claims the complainants had in the five years prior to policy inception, the complainants failed to comply with their duty of disclosure.”

“I am satisfied if the complainants disclosed their full claims history, the insurer would not have agreed to offer the policy and would not have insured the complainants.”

“Therefore, under section 28 of the Act, the insurer is entitled to reduce its liability to nil and refuse to pay the claim.” 

You can read the full ruling here.

Interested in a dedicated broker for your home or business? Contact us for your own specialised quote. 

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