| Why rural heavy vehicle safety matters for insurance Wed, 22 Jul: The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s latest focus on agricultural heavy vehicle safety is a timely reminder for farm, livestock, grain and regional freight operators: safety standards are not just a compliance issue. They can also shape claims outcomes, business interruption, liability exposure and future access to affordable truck insurance. - read more
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| Why Longer Lives May Change the Way Businesses Think About Keyman Cover Wed, 22 Jul: Australians are living longer, but new industry research suggests those extra years are not always being lived in good health. Zurich’s latest chronic care analysis ranked Australia strongly for health system performance and reduced mortality, yet pointed to a rising morbidity challenge: more people are living with long-term illnesses that can affect work, income and financial resilience. - read more
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| Why Life Insurance Advice Reform Matters for Australians Wed, 22 Jul: A fresh industry push for financial advice reform is putting a spotlight on a problem many Australians quietly face: having life insurance in place, often through superannuation, but not fully understanding what it covers, when it pays, or whether it still matches their circumstances. - read more
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| Australians Urged to Check Life Insurance Held Through Super Wed, 22 Jul: New industry research has put a sharp focus on one of the most common but least understood forms of financial protection in Australia: life insurance held through superannuation. - read more
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| RIC Loan Rate Rise Adds a Fresh Planning Point for Farm Borrowers Wed, 22 Jul: The Regional Investment Corporation’s latest rate move is a timely reminder that farm borrowing costs can shift even when a loan is designed to provide concessional support. From 1 August 2026, the variable interest rate applying to RIC loans is set to rise from 5.18 per cent to 5.71 per cent, ending a two-year period without an increase. - read more
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| What ASIC’s Private Credit Alarm Means for Small Borrowers Tue, 21 Jul: Australia’s corporate regulator has renewed attention on private credit, warning that a fast-growing part of the lending market is now facing a tougher test. Private credit generally refers to loans arranged outside the traditional banking system, often through funds, investment managers or specialist lenders. While this may sound distant from everyday small loans, the health of non-bank credit can still influence how finance is priced, assessed and made available. - read more
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| July Motorcycle Finance Rates: What Riders Should Know Tue, 21 Jul: Australian riders have a fresh snapshot of the motorbike finance market, with Money.com.au updating its motorcycle loan comparison guide on 20 July 2026. The table shows several advertised motorcycle and vehicle finance offers starting in the mid-five per cent range, led by a secured Harmoney car loan at 5.66% p.a. with the same comparison rate, followed closely by Liberty and MoneyPlace secured vehicle products starting from 5.67% p.a. - read more
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| What Allianz’s Farm Cover Revamp Means for Farmers Tue, 21 Jul: Allianz Australia has refreshed its farm pack insurance, with the updated product announced on 20 July 2026. For farmers and rural property owners, the significance is less about one insurer changing a product and more about what it signals across the broader farm insurance market: insurers are trying to make cover easier to understand while adjusting policy features to better match modern farming operations. - read more
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| Why Personal Loan Borrowers Need to Look Past the Advertised Rate Tue, 21 Jul: Australian borrowers comparing personal loans in July are facing a market where the headline rate can tell only part of the story. Canstar’s latest personal loan update, published on 21 July 2026, shows some competitive rates remain available, but the gap between the cheapest and most expensive unsecured offers is still substantial. - read more
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| New APRA Data Highlights a Split Professional Indemnity Market Tue, 21 Jul: Fresh analysis of APRA’s latest National Claims and Policies Database has added useful detail to the current professional indemnity insurance conversation. The database, released in early July 2026, covers professional indemnity, public liability and product liability policy and claims information, giving insurers, brokers and business owners a clearer view of how different parts of the liability market are moving. - read more
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| ASIC’s Private Credit Warning: What It Means for Borrowers Tue, 21 Jul: Australia’s fast-growing private credit market is again under the regulatory spotlight, with ASIC warning that borrowers, investors and superannuation members may be more exposed to private lending risks than many realise. The latest concern centres on a sector that has expanded as banks have become more selective, especially in areas such as property development, construction finance and specialist business lending. - read more
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| Sea-Trex Growth Points to a Practical First-Boat Market Tue, 21 Jul: Sea-Trex’s first year back in the Australian market is a timely signal for buyers who want boating to remain achievable, not just aspirational. Relaunched in July 2025 by Tim Stessl, the entry-level brand has now built a dealer network across Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria, with expansion into New South Wales and South Australia already underway. - read more
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| Small Firms Tap the Brakes on Borrowing in June Tue, 21 Jul: Australian small businesses appear to be moving into a more defensive phase, with new Equifax data for June 2026 pointing to a sharp divide between larger companies still borrowing for expansion and SMEs conserving cash. The latest Business Market Pulse suggests overall business loan demand is still growing, but at a slower pace than the stronger credit activity recorded late last year. - read more
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| Off-Road Demand Pushes Australian Motorcycle Sales Higher Tue, 21 Jul: Australia’s new motorcycle market has carried its early-year momentum into the halfway mark of 2026, with fresh industry figures showing FCAI member brands sold 46,023 motorcycles, scooters and off-highway vehicles between January and June. That represents an 8.2 per cent lift on the same period in 2025, when 42,549 units were reported. - read more
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| Broker Remuneration Debate Puts Disclosure on the Agenda Tue, 21 Jul: The debate over Australia’s draft Insurance Brokers Code of Practice has intensified, with industry and consumer voices questioning whether the proposed changes go far enough on remuneration disclosure and conflict management. For real estate agencies, the issue is not abstract. Many agencies rely on intermediated advice when arranging professional indemnity, public liability, management liability, cyber cover, office insurance and commercial motor policies. - read more
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| Overseas Medical Emergency Puts Travel Insurance Back in Focus Tue, 21 Jul: A recent Australian travel insurance case has offered a sharp reminder that the most expensive travel risk is often the one no traveller expects. According to Finder, an Australian woman who became seriously ill while 19 weeks pregnant in Mallorca faced medical costs of more than $40,000 after being taken to hospital by ambulance. The ambulance component alone reportedly reached $12,000, with the remaining costs linked to hospital admission, testing and treatment. - read more
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| What Unfair Trading Reform Could Mean for Small Business Insurance Claims Tue, 21 Jul: Australia’s latest unfair trading practices reform has opened a fresh debate for the insurance sector, with small business advocates and insurers watching closely to see whether the new rules will eventually extend into business-to-business dealings. - read more
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| What Victoria’s Bushfire Loss Estimate Means for Restaurant Cover Tue, 21 Jul: Australia’s latest bushfire loss update offers a practical warning for restaurant, café and hospitality operators: natural catastrophe risk is not confined to homes, farms or large industrial sites. Perils has lifted its estimate for the January 2026 Victorian bushfires to $860 million, with commercial properties accounting for the largest share of insured losses. - read more
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| What QBE and Blue Zebra’s Motor Partnership Means for Operators Tue, 21 Jul: QBE and Blue Zebra have extended their motor underwriting partnership, with Blue Zebra confirming a new multi-year agreement after the previous arrangement expired. QBE has been underwriting Blue Zebra’s commercial and private motor products since July last year, following the end of the agency’s earlier arrangement with Youi. - read more
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| Income Protection Claim Dispute Offers Lessons for Tradies Tue, 21 Jul: A new Australian Financial Complaints Authority decision has put income protection claims under the spotlight, with useful lessons for tradies who rely on their own capacity to work. The dispute involved a delivery driver who had received weekly income protection benefits after a serious arm-related medical condition prevented him from working. The insurer later tried to recover more than $31,000 in paid benefits, arguing it had information suggesting he could have returned to work earlier. - read more
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| Super Fund Service Falls Short for Many Australians Tue, 21 Jul: Australians are often told to compare superannuation funds by returns, fees and insurance, but a new customer service assessment suggests another factor deserves attention: how well a fund responds when members actually need help. - read more
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| Private credit warning puts super investors on notice Tue, 21 Jul: Australia’s corporate regulator has lifted its level of concern about private credit, warning that the fast-growing market could expose more Australians to losses than many realise. The issue is no longer confined to sophisticated investors or large institutions. Through superannuation funds, managed funds and property-linked investment products, ordinary workers may now have indirect exposure to loans that sit outside the traditional banking system. - read more
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| New CHU Green Grants Signal a Shift for Strata Risk Tue, 21 Jul: CHU Underwriting Agencies has launched its inaugural Green Grant Program, distributing $50,000 across seven strata communities on 16 July 2026. The initiative is modest in scale, with grants capped at $10,000 per successful application, but it points to a larger change in the way strata insurance risk is being discussed. Instead of focusing only on premium increases after extreme weather or building losses, insurers are increasingly looking at practical ways to reduce risk before claims occur. - read more
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| Why first-home buyers are turning to Western Sydney apartments Tue, 21 Jul: New NSW property sales data points to a practical shift in the first-home buyer market: more buyers are choosing apartments in Western Sydney, while overall transaction volumes across the state have lifted. InfoTrack’s latest quarterly figures show NSW sales activity rose between April and June, with first-home buyers increasingly clustering around suburbs that offer a mix of relative affordability, transport, jobs and established services. - read more
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| New Marsh Strata Lead Points to a More Complex Insurance Market Tue, 21 Jul: Marsh Risk has appointed Justin Gillingham as its new head of strata, in a move that reflects how quickly the Australian strata insurance market is becoming more specialised. Announced on 20 July 2026, the appointment brings a senior insurance and risk professional into a role focused on buildings, owners corporations and communities dealing with increasingly complicated cover, compliance and claims issues. - read more
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Please Note: If this information affects you or is relevant to your circumstances, seek advice from a licensed professional.
