| Log In Subscribe for $0.99/week
Lessons for life insurers from 1918
Insurance

Lessons for life insurers from 1918

A researcher who published a paper on the US life insurance industry in the 1918 flu pandemic says there are some messages that are relevant to the situation currently facing the New Zealand life insurance industry.

Wed, Feb 4th 2026 08:04AM
Protecting access to healthcare while keeping premiums within reach

Protecting access to healthcare while keeping premiums within reach

4 min read
ICIB Brokerweb picks up Chch-based advice firm

ICIB Brokerweb picks up Chch-based advice firm

2 min read
Adviser complaint a reminder of importance of reviews

Adviser complaint a reminder of importance of reviews

2 min read
Fidelity v Partners: Who pays out the most in claims?

Fidelity v Partners: Who pays out the most in claims?

3 min read
Southern Cross is updating its life insurance offering

Southern Cross is updating its life insurance offering

2 min read
Partners Life grabs Chubb's COO

Partners Life grabs Chubb's COO

2 min read
MDRT Academy tightens criteria after first NZ year

MDRT Academy tightens criteria after first NZ year

2 min read
Removing FBT on insurance would cut premiums, FSC says

Removing FBT on insurance would cut premiums, FSC says

2 min read
AIA launches cheaper trauma product aimed at cost-pressed customers

AIA launches cheaper trauma product aimed at cost-pressed customers

2 min read
Another FAP licence taken away

Another FAP licence taken away

2 min read
Partners Life named top life insurer

Partners Life named top life insurer

2 min read
[Steve Wright] Why advisers must read policy wordings - Part One

[Steve Wright] Why advisers must read policy wordings - Part One

3 min read
Another FAP licence taken away

Another FAP licence taken away

2 min read
Rising costs require fresh thinking, AIA NZ CEO says

Rising costs require fresh thinking, AIA NZ CEO says

4 min read
Asteron Life gets ratings boost

Asteron Life gets ratings boost

1 min read
NEWS BITES
What's Hot
Morningstar finalists this year
Thu, Feb 5th 2026 08:45AM
01
Castlepoint funds take unexpected hit
Thu, Dec 4th 2025 08:31AM
02
The wedge edge for businesses and trusts
Sun, Oct 5th 2025 09:32PM
03
10 years; $10 billion
Sun, Oct 5th 2025 05:14PM
04
Latest Comments
[OPINION] Tax Efficiency vs. Real Returns: Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?
On a slightly different matter. A friend of mine owned a business and made enough to afford to purchase a property (office cum warehouse) for his business. I asked why don't he buy instead of rent? He said his accountant told him to rent, don't buy, to reduce his tax. He heeded his accountant's advice. 30 years later, he retired, his cash savings was nowhere near the value of the property he didn't buy. Had he purchased the property, at least he has two options - rent out the property for his retirement income or sell it and realise the capital gain (no tax) which far exceeds the tax savings during his business trading years. Penny wise pound foolish, eh?
1 day ago W K
[OPINION] Tax Efficiency vs. Real Returns: Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?
Great article and points made, Andy. I had to explain recently and demonstrate these very points to a very senior professional trustee. I was instructed by the trustee to "make the portfolio tax efficient." I guess, from a CA point of view, that made sense to her. As luck would have it, the newly appointed CA completing the accounts didn't quite see it that way and agreed with my advice and your article.
2 days ago John Milner
Lessons for life insurers from 1918
Remember that New Zealand did not have bodies overwhelming morgues in the midst of the pandemic so we didn't see a spike in deaths - unlike a lot of other countries. Hence no panic to get cover.
3 days ago Mark Stone
Competing with fintechs the way to go
If an adviser has their own FAP license, why would they risk having their client’s data (basically their whole business) held in an aggregator owned CRM?
5 days ago Valkyrie Vulcan
Should KiwiSaver hardship applications be centralised?
It should be that onerous. It's a retirement scheme. not a fix the car scheme not a bail out your bad choices scheme the temptation for it to become so grows as balances grow. And KiwiSaver reules must resist it. Every year there will be a new record for withdrawals, because there will be more in it to take, and more people looking to use it. That's not a failure, that means it works.
1 week ago Regan Thomas