Pre-Budget Submission to the Federal Government Re: Funding of Financial Counselling Services Makes Sense
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Making Insurance Claims handling a Financial Service
The Financial Services Royal Commission recommended improvements in consumer protection for insurance claims handling. We support that recommendation and the draft legislation to implement it.
The proposed changes will ensure that insurance claims are covered under the definition of “Financial Service” in the Corporations Act and improve disclosure when settling an insurance claim. This will be beneficial for people claiming on their insurance policies.
Additional protections are needed in the proposed laws however, to protect people from exploitation, including extending the legislation to include paid claims handling services and life insurance. There should also be additional protections for people settling an insurance claim following a natural disaster.
Licensing Debt Management Firms: Exposure Draft Regulations
Joint consumer group submission (led by Consumer Action Law Centre) into proposed laws that will require some debt management firms (DMFs) to hold an Australian Credit Licence. The submission supports this proposal but sets out why are more robust licensing and conduct regime is needed to adequately prevent consumer harm. This would include a requirement that all DMFs act in the customer’s best interests, a ban on upfront fees, a ban on DMFs taking a legal charge over a client’s assets to secure their fees, and mandatory signposting to free services such as financial counselling as other options.