Chatswood serves the life and health insurance sector in New Zealand with market intelligence, data, and bespoke consulting services. Some of these are provided in conjunction with Quality Product Research Limited - a subsidiary that brings you Quotemonster.

We believe that good decisions are more likely to occur when we have good information about the market environment in which we operate. Intuitive leaps and creative decisions are always required, of course, but the more they are based on a firm foundation of observation, the better they tend to be.

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Hays publish salary guide

Hays have published their Salary Guide for FY24/25.

Hays have published their Salary Guide for FY24/25. Of note, the extreme skills shortage is lessening yet there is a hesitancy for businesses to take on new hires, due to macro-economic conditions.

Their survey data highlights the importance of brand reputation; diversity, equity and inclusion policies; and environmental, social and governance strategies in attracting talent. Once an employee starts, team culture and job security are the biggest reasons an employee plans to stay with their employer. A huge 82% of employees said that team culture is the most important factor in their decision to stay with their current employer, and 64% said that continued remote or hybrid working was important. More than 77% of employees are currently looking or planning to look for a new job within the next 12 months, with the rising cost of living being the most cited reason (64%).

Currently, 97% of organisations offered a hybrid working model, with 74% not expecting their hybrid work offering to change in the year ahead. This tracks closely with employee wants, with 92% preferring a hybrid mode of working.

86% of organisations are planning on offering pay rises in the year ahead, though the value of the salary increases is dropping, at odds with employee expectations, with 61% of employees expecting an increase of more than 3%. 71% of employees stated that a pay rise was the most important factor to their career in the year ahead but benefits also featured highly in priorities – with learning and developing technical skills (63%) and being able to work flexibly (54%) being important to people.

The survey had 15,324 respondents across Australia and New Zealand, across both employers (6,461) and employees (8,863).

 

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The FSC Awards 2024 have been announced

Nominations and entries to the FSC Awards 2024 have opened.

Nominations and entries to the FSC Awards 2024 have opened. There are eight categories, each open to FSC members only, with the exception of the 'Contribution to Community' Award which is also open to registered not-for-profit organisations and charities.

  • Chair’s Award for Services to the Industry

  • Team of the Year Award

  • Emerging Trailblazer Award

  • Contribution to Community

  • Workplace Savings Award

  • Excellence in Sustainability Practices

  • Excellence in Governance

  • Excellence in Wellbeing and Inclusion

Entries and nominations close on 30 June 2024, with the awards being presented at the FSC Awards Dinner on Wednesday 4 September 2024 at the Cordis Hotel, Auckland.

 

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Fidelity Life offers new customers 3 months' premium-free

Fidelity Life is offering new customers their first 3 months’ premiums free.

Fidelity Life is offering new customers their first 3 months’ premiums free. The offer applies to all eligible Platinum Plus, Platinum Plus Level Term, Mortgage Protector and NZHL Life policies that are:

  • illustrated between 1 May until 31 August 2024 and

  • applications are submitted within 30 days of the illustrations being generated and 

  • a policy is issued within the 6 months of the offer period end date.

 

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Fidelity Life and Kaplan Professional join together to deliver Career Connect training

Fidelity Life has partnered with Kaplan Professional to deliver their Career Connect financial adviser training programme. Kaplan Professional will join as the programme’s education provider, in conjunction with Massey University.

Fidelity Life has partnered with Kaplan Professional to deliver their Career Connect financial adviser training programme. Kaplan Professional will join as the programme’s education provider, in conjunction with Massey University. Kaplan Professional will fund a new Women in Finance Scholarship, to join Fidelity Life’s existing six scholarships.  

Applications are open for Career Connect’s 2024 intake, with 30 places, including 7 scholarships, available. The programme runs from May until December 2024.

The scholarships available are:

  • Women in Finance scholarship brought to you by Kaplan Professional, designed to assist female applicants to become financial advisers

  • Rural scholarship brought to you by FMG, designed for applicants with a rural connection

  • Pounamu scholarship, designed to assist Māori applicants

  • Kōwhai scholarship, designed to assist Pasifika applicants

  • Rāngi Po scholarship, designed to support underrepresented identities in our industry.

  • Toe Toe scholarship, designed to recognise outstanding young applicants.

  • Pāua scholarship, designed to recognise outstanding applicants who demonstrate excellence.

Kaplan Professional CEO Brian Knight said

“Programs like Career connect provide the ideal launchpad for a bright future in financial advice, so we are delighted to collaborate with Fidelity Life on what we believe is a terrific initiative to strengthen New Zealand’s talent pipeline.”

“We also remain steadfast in our commitment to encouraging and promoting diversity within the industry, so we are thrilled to be able to provide a scholarship for women in every intake of the program.”

There is a free online career evening on March 19 where those interested can find out more about becoming a financial adviser, what being a financial adviser is really like and how Career Connect can support you to gain the qualifications and skills necessary to become a successful financial adviser.

 

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The Co-operative bank is hosting a webinar on 12 March about proposed governance changes

Stats NZ data indicates significant changes in NZers’ household spending patterns due to rising costs of living

The New Zealand Health Survey found roughly a million New Zealanders missing out on seeing their GP

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Fidelity Life release financial results

Fidelity Life has released its annual report and financial results for the year ended 30 June 2023.

Fidelity Life has released its annual report and financial results for the year ended 30 June 2023. Highlights include:

·         Insurance premium revenue of $450.4 million, up 33% from FY22

·         Total comprehensive income (net of tax) of $3.2 million, an improvement from their FY22 loss of $24 million

·         Underlying profit, excluding the impact of government bond rate changes (net of tax), of $19 million

·         Claims paid out in FY23 $209.7 million, up 27% from FY22

·         304,867 customers

·         Market share of 15.7%

Fidelity Life resumed payment of dividends, with Fidelity Life’s shareholders receiving a full-year dividend of $8.013 per share. The dividend is unimputed as the Group continues to utilise brought forward tax losses.

Fidelity Life Chair Brian Blake says

“We expected the benefits of our Westpac Life acquisition to start materialising in FY23, and that’s proven to be the case. Our performance shows the business is in good shape and proving resilient against a weak economy and the high cost of living.

…In response to adviser feedback, we’re introducing a raft of new initiatives spanning the digital, product and service spaces to make it easier for advisers to do business with us, focus on growth, and together take our respective businesses to the next level.”

 

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Ainsley McLaren talks about the investment needs and behaviours of women

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