Sat, 24th Jan 2026

On this episode of Financial Services Online, host Paige Estritori reports on the recent events in the finance world. Notably, Australian general insurance posted an after-tax profit of $7.3 billion, a decade-high, due to a decrease in catastrophe-related losses and robust investment returns. However, the industry faces challenges around pricing, fairness, and transparency in the face of consumer demand. There has also been a regulatory change in the cosmetic nursing sector, requiring nurses involved in non-surgical procedures to hold specific insurance. Meanwhile, private health insurers have been warned against unscrupulously raising premiums, prompting potential legislative responses. Positive projections for the Australian general insurance market expect the direct written premiums to hit $146.9 billion by 2029, fueled by various factors such as economic recovery and increasing demand for natural disaster coverage. More details available on their website.n