But there’s a big problem that has nothing to do with human health: the law currently allows Australian life insurance companies to access genetic test results and take them into account when setting premiums.

Even though a worrisome result generally just means that you’re at a higher risk for a certain disease, life insurance companies will price your premiums as if you’re definitely going to get that disease, or summarily decide not to insure you. And if you pay those inflated premiums for your policy your whole life and end up dying of something else, they won’t be reimbursing the extra premiums to your survivors.

Health professionals have a duty to warn patients about the possible life insurance implications of taking these tests, and the consent forms also carry such warnings.

As a result, many people steer clear of genetic testing, and thereby run the risk of developing a life threatening disease that may have been caught early or prevented.

Use of genetic test results by insurers to be banned

All this is set to change, and it has been a long time coming. In 2018, a Joint Parliamentary Committee Inquiry recommended that Australia immediately ban the use of genetic test results in life insurance, a rule that’s been in effect (with some exceptions) in the UK since 2001.

The practice is also banned in Canada as well as many European countries. In the US, health insurers and employers are prohibited from using genetic information as part of the underwriting or hiring process. 

In November this year, the federal government introduced legislation that would ban the use of genetic test results by life insurers in Australia once and for all. It’s expected to come into effect in mid 2026.

In a statement, Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said the bill “supports medical practitioners to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor a range of cancers, cancer predisposition syndromes and other heritable conditions”.

He added: “Some people aren’t getting tested because they’re concerned about the impacts of the results of those tests on the affordability and accessibility of life insurance”.

The bill “has broad support across the Parliament”, Mulino said.

Industry self-regulation proved ineffective

The November announcement was the culmination of years of advocacy work by health professionals and other consumer advocates, who faced stiff headwinds from the insurance industry.

There were half-measures along the way. In 2019, the then peak body for the Australian life insurance industry, the Financial Services Council (FSC), forged a compromise, requiring people who applied for life insurance to disclose genetic test results only if the policies had death or permanent disability benefits of more than $500,000. 

But this measure was entirely self-governing. No government agency was checking to see if insurers were following it. (A new peak body, the Council of Australian Life Insurers, was established in 2022.) 

In 2020, the federal government funded a project (called the A-GLIMMER project) to investigate whether this industry self-regulation was working. The final report of the project, published in June 2023, makes clear that the FSC partial ban was far from effective at putting a stop to genetic discrimination in life insurance.

The three-year investigation uncovered several troubling facts, chief among them that some life insurers were ignoring the industry-led partial ban (technically a moratorium) and that the lack of independent oversight meant that no one really knew how widespread the non-compliance was.

The lead investigator on the A-GLIMMER project, Dr Jane Tiller – an ethical, legal and social adviser in public health genomics at Monash University – has long been convinced that a total ban on life insurers’ access to genetic test results is the only answer. 

Health professionals and patients whose views were sought as part of the investigation overwhelmingly agreed.

“Many Australians have been afraid to have genetic testing that could save their lives, because of the potential financial implications of their genetic test results,” Tiller says.

“Life insurers can still legally use genetic test results to deny coverage, increase the cost of premiums or place conditions on cover. This means people are making decisions about genetic testing based on insurance fears, not health needs.”

“Choosing not to have genetic testing means people could miss out on critical health information and access to early intervention or prevention, which can be life-saving.”

Years of industry pushback

Tiller, who has been campaigning against the use of genetic test results by Australian life insurance companies for the past ten years, says the prolonged pushback by insurers in Australia followed a well established pattern.

“Every time a new country embarks on this process, the local industry fights vigorously against it,” Tiller says.

“We certainly faced a lot of opposition in the early days, with the industry very strongly saying that this would have catastrophic implications, that it would impact consumers in bad ways because premiums would rise, that the life insurance industry would be unsustainable. These claims were made in other countries as well. So for the first several years, it was very hard to get any traction.”

The A-GLIMMER investigation put a fine point on what happens when profit motives get mixed up with medicine.

“In our research, we found two things,” Tiller says. “One is that people don’t trust insurance companies, and that’s very clear. People don’t trust them to use their data when that data is of benefit to the life insurer.”

“And we heard reports of multiple insurers not complying with even their own moratorium [on using genetic test results for policies with death benefits of $500,000 or less]. Brokers were telling us that the life insurers they worked with were very happily using whatever mechanism they could to get around that and not comply.”

The effect on patient outcomes

Designing a study to measure the effect of avoiding genetic testing on long-term patient outcomes would be difficult at best, but Tiller says the substantial anecdotal evidence gathered through the A-GLIMMER project suggests people who avoid such tests face higher health risks.

The data on test avoidance itself is clearer.

“We know that there are many people who go to a genetic counselling appointment, are told about the insurance implications, and decide not to have testing. And we know that lots of people say they would never have genetic testing because of the insurance issue,” Tiller says. 

She recounts a story recently told to her by a clinical geneticist of a patient who came in for genetic testing for a BRCA variant (which would indicate a seven-in-ten risk of breast cancer).

“She said, ‘I’m going to go away and think about it. I’m worried about this insurance issue’. When she came back a year later, it was because she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer. These kinds of stories happen all the time, and I’ve heard many of them.”

“I can only imagine the number of stories that I haven’t personally come across. They are discussed incessantly in community groups, in advocacy, organisations, in research. There’s a constant conversation about having to tell people about the life insurance issue and the fact that they go away and don’t come back.”

Tiller is co-leader of a study called DNA Screen at Monash University, which aims to increase the uptake of genetic testing. For one project, 10,000 young people were tested for the risk of preventable cancer and heart disease.

“There is huge community interest in this kind of actionable genetic information,” Tiller says. “But lots of people dropped out along the way. And when we surveyed them, more than half said the reason they decided to drop out was because they learned about the insurance issue.”

“So we know it’s the biggest barrier and the biggest reason people don’t participate. And we know that this will eventually lead to high rates of cancer, of heart disease, and of other conditions that may have been prevented or treated earlier.”

Law won’t be retroactive

The new law – should it pass – will be written into the Insurance Contracts Act, which is enforced by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. It will also dictate an amendment to the Disability Discrimination Act, giving people the right to file a civil suit if it’s contravened.

Applying it to existing insurance contracts would have been the ideal outcome, but Tiller acknowledges there are tricky legal issues involved in applying new conditions to old contracts. 

“It will only apply going forward to people who take out new insurance policies,” she says. “It won’t apply to people who have current policies that are discriminatory. And that’s something that we’ve always been concerned about. What about that group of people that won’t be helped?”

Some genetic test results mean not just that you’re at higher risk but that you’re certain to develop the disease, such as those that reveal the gene variations linked to Huntington’s Disease.

“But we’re talking here more about tests that show that someone has a future risk of disease,” Tiller says.

“People walking around with these genetic variations have them whether they have the test or not. And so if they go and get insurance without having a test, that’ll actually be underwritten at standard rates. But they would then be at a higher risk that they’re not addressing.”

“If they have the genetic test, they’re able to take preventive steps. But until this law comes into place, they would then be subject to pricing discrimination because they took that proactive step.” 

Tiller is confident that the bill will become law, and that a federal law is a lot better than relying on the industry to monitor itself.

“I think that the legislative framework is robust enough that it will ensure that most insurers change their practices. It is a total ban. And that was something that we weren’t sure we would get in the early days.”

“Will it be able to be enforced is the real question, and that is always a challenge. But I think the more robust the regulation is, the more of a deterrent it creates. This is leaps and bounds better than what existed before.”

The post Genetic discrimination in life insurance to be banned appeared first on ����Vlog.

The opportunity to upsell can be like catnip for a salesperson, especially if there’s a hefty commission to be had. When you’re a customer plunking down tens of thousands on a car and have entered an altered state of mind, the salesperson knows they’ve got you right where they want you. In the heat of the moment, they convince you to buy stuff you don’t need.��

This is the story behind ‘add-on’ insurance – also known as junk insurance – a type of extra cover that car dealers in particular are fond of foisting on unsuspecting customers.��

It has long been regarded as a product consumers get talked into buying by self-serving salespeople. The commissions they stand to make are generally around 20%.��

Add-on insurance has been the subject of a series of reviews and regulatory actions by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) that go back to 2011. The regulator has targeted inappropriate and unfair sales tactics and terms and conditions that greatly favour the insurer.��

The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry also addressed several issues with add-on insurance in its 2018 hearings. After its 2019 final report came out, a number of firms made changes to improve consumer outcomes. But most firms – to their credit – stopped selling it altogether.��

In the wake of the ASIC investigations, a number of providers (outlined below) have agreed to refund over $130 million to customers who were sold add-on insurance unfairly.��

Mandatory four day waiting period��

Since new regulations came into effect on 5 October 2021, car dealers have had to wait four days after a car purchase before trying to sell you add-on insurance, a move aimed at shifting these transactions away from the pressure-sales environment of the car dealership.��

If you were sold add-on insurance after buying a car before this mandatory pause, you can file a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) asking for your money back.

This also holds true if you believe you were unfairly sold add-on insurance before July 2019, but in this case you only have until the end of this financial year, 30 June 2025, to file a complaint with AFCA due to time limits.����

“It’s important that consumers know this deadline is fast approaching,” says AFCA’s lead ombudsman for insurance, Emma Curtis, adding that “AFCA is very familiar with add-on insurance and the issues that arose in sales of this product”.��

“AFCA is designed to be a free and simple alternative to a court or tribunal process, without people needing to pay for representation. If you have a complaint, please make sure you lodge by the deadline,” Curtis says.

The extra car insurance you don’t really need��

Add-on insurance comes in many flavours when it comes to new car sales. Here’s a sample of what’s on offer, with an explanation of why it’s not good value.

1. Tyre and rim insurance

It covers you if you damage your tyres or rims while driving due to poor road conditions, but doesn’t cover general wear and tear. Replacing or repairing your tyres or rims will probably cost less than the insurance policy.

2. Mechanical or motor breakdown insurance

An extended warranty that covers you for mechanical failures or defects, but it doesn’t kick in until your manufacturer’s warranty has expired, which can range from three to seven years or a certain number of kilometres (generally 100,000).��

You also have guarantees under consumer law on top of your warranty, so this third level of cover is highly unlikely to be worth it.

3. Guaranteed asset protection (GAP) insurance

Also known as ‘motor equity insurance’ or ‘shortfall insurance’, it supposedly covers you if your car is a write off after an accident and there’s a gap between what you still owe the car loan provider and what you get from your insurance claim.��

The problem is that the value of your car and how much you owe the lender are continually decreasing, so the longer you have your GAP insurance, the less likely it is that you’ll receive any payout on any claims.��

4. Loan termination insurance

If you can’t make the payments on your car loan due to illness, injury or death and it has to be returned to the dealer, this insurance product promises to pay the difference between what the car is worth and what is still owed on the loan.��

But the terms and conditions are tilted in favour of the insurer. For instance, it may cover you for accidental death, such as if you’re hit by a car, but not death from illness. And there are caps on any payouts.

5. Consumer credit insurance

Allegedly covers your loan repayments (including car, personal and home loans as well as credit card debt) if you lose your job, get sick or injured, or die.��

But the reality is that any payout will be much less than you would expect due to the tricky terms and conditions, and your debt will not be cleared.��

Plus you may already be covered under life or income protection insurance or your home or car insurance policy.

Companies that have sold or still sell add-on insurance

If you were unfairly sold add-on insurance from one of these or another provider before July 2019, you have until 30 June 2025 to file a complaint with AFCA. If you were sold add-on insurance after 5 October 2021 before four days had passed since you bought a car, you are eligible to file an AFCA complaint with no deadline currently set.��

• Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company Australia (sells Toyota Insurance)
• NM Insurance (underwrites motorcycle insurance for The Holland Insurance Company, AAI – part of Suncorp – and AIG Australia)
• Eric Insurance (formerly AVEA Insurance)
• LFI (insurer for Liberty Finance)
• Sovereign Insurance
• Virginia Surety
• QBE Insurance
• MTA Insurance (owned by Suncorp)
• Swann Insurance
• Allianz Insurance
• National Warranty Company

How do I know if I bought add-on insurance?��

Check your car or motorcycle loan contract. It will indicate whether you paid for add-on insurance.

The post Are you owed a refund for that extra car insurance you bought?�� appeared first on ����Vlog.

If your insurer has knocked back your claim, it’s not the end of the road.��Whether it’s a health insurer or a home insurer, the process is straight forward, and persistence is the key. Stick up for your rights and don’t put up with sub-standard service.

1. Internal dispute resolution – complain to the insurer

Gather your information together, and complain to the insurer first:

• Make a note of key details and dates.
• Include your membership number.
• Review any correspondence.
• Note any relevant contact.

For home, car, pet, travel or life insurance, once you’ve lodged your case and all the supporting information and documents, the insurer has 45 days to complete its internal dispute resolution process.

They’ll usually keep you up to date about the progress of your complaint every 10 business days.

Whether it’s a hard copy or in the cloud, keep your insurance policy documents handy. If you’re travelling, keep your travel insurance policy details with you at all times while on your trip and share them with family or friends before you leave.

2.��External dispute resolution – complain to the ombudsman

If you aren’t happy with the insurer’s decision, you can escalate your complaint to an external Ombudsman. For health insurance complaints, go to . When submitting your complaint:

• keep it brief (500 words)
• list key dates and any contact
• provide your contact details.

For all other insurers, take your complaint to the Australian Financial Complaint Authority (AFCA). They’ll handle your case for free.

• AFCA will mediate between you and the insurer to find a resolution.
• If mediation is unsuccessful, they may make a preliminary assessment or give a determination straight away on your dispute.
• A determination is legally binding on the insurer but not on you.
• There’s no appeal process with AFCA.
• For more information, visit .

3. Legal action – the last resort

If you’re unhappy with an AFCA determination, you might want to consider taking legal action against the insurance company. It’s not a step to take lightly, so seek advice. Legal centres such as the , and the may be able to help you with the next steps.

The post How to complain about an insurance company appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Australia's big insurers: Who are they?
• Are NRMA, Allianz, QBE, AAMI, GIO and Suncorp not-for-profit?
• How satisfied are NRMA, Allianz, AAMI, GIO and Suncorp customers?
• NRMA, Allianz and AAMI claims satisfaction compared
• Home insurance key features
• Car insurance key features
• Insurance discounts

They are:

• IAG – 24%
• Suncorp – 21%
• QBE – 14%
• Allianz – 14%

*Based on gross earned premium in Australia, APRA, 2022/2023

Australia’s big insurers: Who are they?

IAG

IAG is the largest general insurance company in Australia and New Zealand and is selling insurance under many brands. IAG brands in Australia include:��NRMA, Rollin, CGU, Coles Insurance, Bupa General Insurance, Swann Insurance, WFI (Wesfarmers Federation Insurance).�� In 2024, IAG also acquired 90% of Queensland’s��RACQ��insurance and Victorian insurer��RACV��distributes insurance for IAG under the RACV brand.

Suncorp

Suncorp��is an Australian finance and insurance corporation based in Brisbane, Suncorp was owned by the Queensland government until 1997, and in 2000 the government sold its last shares in the company through a public offer. Next to its Suncorp-branded policies, brands in Australia underwritten by Suncorp include:��AAMI,��GIO, Bingle,��Apia��and Shannons.��

Allianz

Allianz��is a German financial services company founded in 1890 and started in Australia in 1914 where it was originally known as the Manufacturers’ Mutual Accident Insurance Association Limited (MMI). Allianz is also the underwriter for many insurance brands from banks, credit unions and building societies, including NAB, Westpac, St.George, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA, TIO, Great Southern Bank, Hume Bank and National Seniors. In 2024, Allianz also acquired South Australia’s��RAA��insurance business.

QBE

QBE is an international general insurance and reinsurance company offering services through a network of agencies in 27 countries. QBE Australia was incorporated in Australia. Next to its QBE-branded policies, brands in Australia underwritten by QBE include Australia Post and Kogan.

Should you buy your policy from one of the big insurers?

Are the big insurers better than smaller insurers like��Budget Direct���ǰ���Youi��? It depends. All home and car insurance policies include some essential features but there are differences in the bells and whistles and consumer satisfaction.��

To compare small and large insurers, see ����Vlog��car insurance�����Ի���home and contents insurance reviews. We’re not like the other insurance comparison websites – we don’t get paid by any of the insurers we’re comparing. And ����Vlog is nonprofit, so your membership fees help our fight for fair consumer rights and empower you to get the best products.������

Are NRMA, Allianz, QBE, AAMI, GIO and Suncorp not-for-profit?

All the four big insurance groups are for-profit.

Allianz is foreign-owned. QBE, IAG (NRMA) and Suncorp (GIO, AAMI) are all listed on the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange). There are a few mutual, not-for-profit insurers in Australia, they include:

• RACV (Victoria)
• RAC (Western Australia)
• RACT (Tasmania).

How satisfied are NRMA, Allianz, AAMI, GIO and Suncorp customers?

����Vlog conducted a car and home insurance satisfaction survey in 2023. We found the large majority of respondents rated their insurer as above average or excellent. RAA rated best for car insurance and RACQ rated best for home insurance.

There are differences between the customer ratings for NRMA, Suncorp, GIO, AAMI and Allianz in customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction for home insurance and car insurance, with NRMA, Suncorp and GIO rating better than Allianz across the board. AAMI has mixed results. We did not have enough responses for QBE to publish a rating.��

Customer satisfaction with home insurance

Suncorp customers are the most satisfied of the five brands for which we have data, with 77% rating their home insurance experience as above average or excellent. This was followed closely by GIO with 76%, and NRMA with 74%.

AAMI was lagging somewhat behind with 69% above average and excellent ratings, and Allianz scored the lowest, with only 58% of customers rating their experience with home insurance as above average or excellent.

Customer satisfaction with car insurance

Of the five brands, NRMA performed best. Of the NRMA customers we surveyed, 77% rated their experience with car insurance as above average or excellent.

GIO, with 73%, also received an above-average result, and Suncorp, with 72%, was about average.

AAMI with 65% rated below average, and again, Allianz had the lowest score of the big insurers with only 62% of Allianz customers rating their experience with car insurance as above average or excellent.

NRMA, Allianz and AAMI claims satisfaction compared

Home insurance claims

NRMA received the best result for claims satisfaction, with 75% of customers who made a claim rating the company as above average or excellent. AAMI received an average rating with 63% of AAMI customers rating their claim experience with the company as above average or excellent.

Allianz received the lowest result, with close to half (47%) of the insurer’s customers rating the claims experience as average, below average or poor.

We did not receive enough responses from Suncorp, GIO and QBE customers with claims to publish their rating.

Car insurance claims

A majority of NRMA, Allianz and AAMI car insurance customers who made a claim had a good experience with their insurer. Ratings of above average or excellent were given by 74% of AAMI customers, 69% of NRMA customers and 60% of Allianz customers.��

We did not receive enough responses from Suncorp, GIO and QBE customers with claims to publish their rating.

Home insurance key features

Home and contents insurance is all about being financially prepared for a major disaster like a fire, flood or storm. It’s important to choose the right home and contents insurance to protect your hard-earned assets should the worst happen. If you’re looking for a home insurance policy, check our expert��home insurance comparison.

Underinsurance protection

Underinsurance is when the amount you insure your property for isn’t enough to replace it, leaving you out of pocket or settling for a cheaper alternative. The best way to prevent underinsurance is to make sure your home and contents sum insured values are up to date.

The sum insured is the dollar value to completely repair, rebuild and replace everything. If you’re taking out a combined home and contents policy, you’ll need to list two sum insured figures: one for your home and one for your contents.

Many insurers offer an underinsurance safety net for building cover. Depending on the size of the safety net, you could claim up to 30% above your sum insured if the cost of rebuilding your home escalates. This can be useful if rebuilding costs go up in the wake of a natural disaster.

Home and contents insurance policies that cover a safety net include:

• AAMI Complete Replacement Cover – total building replacement
• GIO Platinum – 30%
• GIO Classic Extras – 25%
• GIO Classic – 25% (optional)
• NRMA Home Building and Contents plus – 25%
• QBE Home – 30%
• Suncorp Classic Advantages – 30%
• Suncorp Classic Extras – 25%��
• Suncorp Classic – 25% (optional)

Home and contents insurance policies that do not cover a safety net include:

• AAMI Home and Contents
• Allianz Home and Contents
• NRMA Home Building and Contents Standard

Fair offers for cash settlement

If you’ve been waiting a long time in temporary accommodation and your insurer offers a cash settlement for your claim, you may be very tempted to accept it. If you don’t want to rebuild, it may seem like a good idea but there are a number of traps to be aware of.

Some insurers let you ask for a cash settlement, but be careful – you could end up out of pocket, as many will only pay what it will cost the insurer to rebuild, not what it will cost you to rebuild. This could leave you with a shortfall. Insurers have deals with builders, industry knowledge and bargaining power, so they may get a better price than you’d get.��

Read more about cash settlements.Policies that cover your cost if you ask for a cash settlement include:

• NRMA Home Buildings and Contents Standard
• NRMA Home Buildings and Contents Plus
• QBE Home

Policies that cover only the insurer’s cost if you ask for a cash settlement include:

• Allianz Home and Contents
• AAMI Home and Contents
• AAMI Complete Replacement Cover
• GIO Classic
• GIO Classic Extras
• GIO Platinum
• Suncorp Classic
• Suncorp Classic Extras
• Suncorp Classic Advantages

Car insurance key features

All comprehensive policies cover basics like accidents, natural disasters and vandalism but there can be differences in the bells and whistles each policy provides.

An important cover feature is how your insurer goes about repairing your car and making a payout if your car is a write-off.

If you’re looking for the best policy for the lowest price, use our car insurance review to compare over 50 comprehensive car insurance policies. You’ll save money and get better cover with car insurance policies recommended by ����Vlog.

Agreed versus market value

Agreed value is when you insure your car for a specific amount (within a range set by the insurer). If your car is a total loss (written off or stolen), the insurer will pay you this amount, less the excess.

Market value is when you insure your car for what its value is at the time of an accident, determined by your insurer. Selecting this option reduces your premium, but it gives you less certainty about the value of your payout in the event of a loss. Not all policies allow you to insure your car for agreed value. Policies that allow you to insure your car for agreed value include:

• AAMI Comprehensive
• Allianz Comprehensive
• GIO Comprehensive
• GIO Comprehensive Platinum
• NRMA Comprehensive
• NRMA Comprehensive Plus
• Suncorp Comprehensive
• Suncorp Comprehensive Extra
• Suncorp Comprehensive Advantage

Policies that only allow you to insure your car for market value include:

• NRMA Comprehensive Basics
• QBE Comprehensive

Choice of repairer

Car insurance policies that offer a ‘choice of repairer’ let you choose your own repairer if your vehicle has been in an accident. Some policies may include a choice of repairer as a policy feature, others may not cover it at all, and some insurers will give you the option to pay more to have a choice of repairer.

If you don’t have a ‘choice of repairer’ option, the insurer will choose the repairer.

Policies that cover choice of repairer include:

• Allianz Comprehensive
• GIO Comprehensive
• GIO Comprehensive Platinum
• Suncorp Comprehensive
• Suncorp Comprehensive Extra
• Suncorp Comprehensive Advantage

Policies that cover choice of repairer for an additional charge include:

• NRMA Comprehensive
• NRMA Comprehensive Plus
• QBE Comprehensive

Policies that do not offer choice of repairer (insurers chooses the repairer) include:

• AAMI Comprehensive
• NRMA Comprehensive Basics

Insurance discounts

A good way to save on car insurance is to look out for special offers, such as online discounts. And if there isn’t an online discount, try to get a human on the line as some insurers will match or beat competitors’ quotes. If you use your car less than the average driver, mention this when you get a quote and negotiate a cheaper premium.

Discounts may also be available if you have other policies with the same company or have an approved engine immobiliser or alarm installed in your car. But most discounts only last for your first policy year – they’re just there to get you through the door, and you’ll be stung with a steep increase in a year’s time.

A discount can be a good way to shave some dollars off your premium, but don’t let that be the deciding factor in your purchase.��

All six major insurers offer discounts on insurance, but some of those are only available from time to time during promotional periods.��

AAMI

Discounts from AAMI can include:

• $50 for the first year if you buy home or car insurance online
• 10% on car insurance if you pass a skilled driver course.

Allianz

Allianz discounts can include:

• no claim bonus of up to 30% for home insurance
• 10% discount if you combine home and contents insurance on the one policy
• 10% online discount on your first year if you buy Allianz car insurance from Westpac or NAB.

GIO

GIO discounts can include:

• 10% off your first year if you buy car insurance online
• 15% off combined home and contents insurance.

NRMA

In 2024 NRMA Insurance changed the way it applies discounts. On some policies you now can get a discount of:

• 10% of the premium in the first year if you take out your policy online
• 5% of the premium if you hold a policy for more than five years, and 10% if you hold it more than 10 years
• 5% of the premium if you hold at least two policies, 10% if you hold at least four policies, and 15% if you hold nine or more policies.

Suncorp

Suncorp discounts can include:

• $50 for the first year if you buy comprehensive car insurance online
• $100 if you buy home and contents insurance online
• a 15% multi-policy discount.

QBE

QBE discounts can include:

• $75 or the first year if you buy car insurance online
• 10% for the first year if you buy home, car or landlord insurance online.

Read our articles for other ways to save on home insurance and how to save on car insurance.

The post Allianz, NRMA, QBE, AAMI, GIO and Suncorp insurance compared appeared first on ����Vlog.

Along with our lab-tested product reviews, ����Vlog has a long and proud history of reviewing – and recommending – insurance products.

Why proud? Because we do things differently to commercial comparison sites such as Compare the Market, Finder, iSelect, Compare Insurance, Choosi, and Canstar.��

We’re different because, unlike the above-mentioned businesses, we don’t have a financial relationship with the insurance industry or individual insurance companies. They take commissions or other payments from the insurers whose products they recommend, and we don’t. That means we’re free from the potential and actual bias that arises from such relationships.��

Conflict of interest

When you receive a commission or other form of payment from the companies whose products you recommend without an unbiased basis for that recommendation, we think there’s a problem.

By contrast, the criteria for our recommendations are strictly objective. We highlight the best value products for a range of scenarios based on our expert analysis – with no financial motive at work.��

None of the commercial comparison sites can legitimately make this claim. In fact, some comparison sites are actually owned by or affiliated with the insurance companies whose products they recommend – a blatant conflict of interest.��

In our view, commercial insurance comparison sites that have financial relationships with insurance companies are effectively an extension of the respective insurance company’s sales arm.

It’s no secret that insurance companies have a long history of incentivising people and businesses to sell their products. It’s how their sales models generally work.��

Commercial sites acting as brokers for insurance companies

The business models of commercial comparison sites such as Compare the Market and Finder vary, but they can include some of the following.

Commissions

The site may be paid an upfront commission as well as ongoing commissions by the insurance company when a customer buys a policy through the respective commercial comparison site.

This can mean that the products that pay the highest commissions are promoted over products that may better suit your circumstances and cost less. In this scenario, the comparison site is basically acting as a broker for the insurance company, not an independent reviewing platform prioritising your best interests (like ����Vlog).

Referral fees

Commercial comparison sites may receive referral fees from the insurance companies whose products you click on, and then an acquisition fee if you end up buying the insurance product.

Once again, it means comparison sites may favour products in search results that pay them the highest fees, instead of showing you the products that are objectively the best.

Fee-for-service

Other commercial comparison sites may get paid a flat fee-for-service from the insurance company if you choose one of their products, based on a percentage of the premium you pay.

The insurance company has the comparison site in its back pocket, or perhaps the other way around.��

����Vlog insurance recommendations: Commission-free – now and forever��

For the record, we don’t do any of the things described above, and we never have. It’s not how we operate.

Aside from the inherent conflict of interest in these commission-driven models, the extra money that goes to the comparison sites as a reward for being an effective sales platform gets wrapped into the premiums that policyholders pay. In short, commissions increase your premium costs.

That’s all well and good, you’re thinking, but what can ����Vlog offer me that commercial insurance comparison sites can’t?��

• A market-wide review of insurance products. Commercial comparison sites often limit the companies and products they review to those they have financial relationships with.
• Totally objective and unbiased insurance reviews and recommendations – the commercial sites can’t make this claim.
• A team of insurance experts whose sole purpose is to help you find the best possible insurance product when it comes to both value-for-money and the right features, with no profit motive involved – full stop.

After all, we’re not-for-profit and completely independent from the insurance industry. We don’t take their money. Our mission is to act in your best interests, not ours.

The post The trouble with insurance comparison sites appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Who owns GIO?
• Which types of insurance does GIO offer?
• How satisfied are GIO customers?
• Does GIO offer discounts?
• Does GIO let you claim online or in-app?

Phone: 13 10 10

Website:

Who owns GIO?

GIO is part of Suncorp, which was owned by the Queensland government until 1997, and in 2000 the government sold its last shares in the company through a public offer. Next to GIO and Suncorp-branded policies, brands in Australia underwritten by Suncorp include:

• AAMI
• Bingle
• Apia
• Shannons.�� ��

Is Suncorp Australian-owned? Yes

Is Suncorp nonprofit? No

Is Suncorp listed on the stock exchange (ASX)? Yes

��Where does GIO operate?

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Victoria
  
• Western Australia

Which types of insurance does GIO offer?

• Car insurance
• Home and contents insurance
• Contents insurance for renters
• Travel insurance
• Landlord insurance
• Business insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Boat insurance
• Caravan insurance
• Life insurance

How satisfied are GIO customers?

GIO rates below average for home insurance, compared with other insurers in our 2025 customer satisfaction survey, but above average for car insurance.

Customer satisfaction with home insurance

Only 55% of GIO customers in our survey rated their experience with home insurance as above average or excellent.

Customer satisfaction with car insurance

Of the people we surveyed, 75% of GIO customers rated their experience with car insurance as above average or excellent.

How does GIO rate on claims?

Home insurance claims

Of the insurers in our survey,��GIO received one of the lowest results, with half of its customers who’ve made a claim rating the claims experience as average, below average or poor.

Car insurance claims

Of the insurers in our survey, GIO��received the above average results,��with 76% of customers who made a claim rating the company as above average or excellent.

Does GIO offer discounts?

GIO discounts include:

• 10% off your first year if you buy car insurance online
• 15% off combined home and contents insurance.

Does GIO let you claim online or in-app?

You can start and track home, car and other insurance claims online, and for some insurance types you can make a claim via email or phone.

GIO also has an app you can use to make and track claims, update personal details or renew policies.

The post Compare GIO insurance appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Who owns RACV?
• Which types of insurance does RACV offer?
• How satisfied are RACV insurance customers?
• Does RACV offer insurance discounts?
• Does RACV let you claim online or in-app?

Phone: 13 72 28

Website:��

Who owns RACV?

RACV is a mutual company, meaning it is owned by its members and distributes insurance for IAG under the RACV brand. These insurance products are manufactured by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia (IMA), which is owned 70% by IAG and 30% by RACV.

Is RACV Australian-owned? Yes

Is RACV not-for-profit? Yes

Is RACV listed on the stock exchange (ASX)? No

��Where does RACV operate?

• Victoria

Which types of insurance does RACV offer?

• Car insurance
• Home and contents insurance
• Contents insurance for renters
• Travel insurance
• Business insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Boat insurance
• Caravan insurance

How satisfied are RACV insurance customers?

Compared with the other insurers, RACV received above average results for home insurance and below average results for car insurance in our customer satisfaction survey.

Customer satisfaction with home insurance

Of the RACV customers we surveyed, 72% rated their experience with home insurance as above average or excellent.

Customer satisfaction with car insurance

Of the RACV customers we surveyed, 64% rated their experience with car insurance as above average or excellent.

How does RACV rate on claims?

Home insurance claims

Compared with the other insurers in our survey,��RACV received an above average result,��with 67% of customers who had a claim rating the company as above average or excellent.

24/7 helpline:��Yes

Car insurance claims

Of the insurers in our survey, RACV recieved a below average result with 66% of customers who made a claim rating the process as above average or excellent. This is a drop from their results in our 2023 survey when��RACV had the second best result, with 90% rating the company’s claims process as above average or excellent.

24/7 helpline:��Yes

Does RACV offer insurance discounts?

Available RACV discounts include:

• 10% multi-policy discount when you take out more than one eligible RACV policy, such as home and car insurance
• loyalty discount for the time you’ve been a member (5% for 5–9 years, 10% for 10–24 years, and higher discounts thereafter).��

Does RACV let you claim online or in-app?

RACV allows you to make claims online for car, home, motorcycle, and caravan/trailer insurance. You can also see the status of your claim and pay your excess online.

RACV has the Arevo app for trip planning and fuel savings. It also has an app for RACV members to make claims, manage their policy and access member benefits.

The post Compare RACV insurance appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Who owns RAA?
• Which types of insurance does RAA offer?
• How satisfied are RAA insurance customers?
• Does RAA offer insurance discounts?
• Does RAA let you claim online or in-app?

Phone:��1300 884 567

Website:��

Who owns RAA?

RAA is a mutual company, meaning it is owned by its members. Originally founded to provide advocacy for South Australia’s motorists, it started its insurance business in 1923. In 2024, Allianz purchased RAA’s general insurance business.��

Allianz Australia Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the worldwide Allianz Group. The global insurer has more than 120 million customers internationally, which includes 3 million Australians.��

Is Allianz Australian-owned?��No

Is Allianz not-for-profit?��No

Is Allianz listed on the stock exchange (ASX)? No

��Where does RAA operate?

• South Australia (including Broken Hill)

Which types of insurance does RAA offer?

• Car insurance
• Home and contents insurance
• Contents insurance for renters
• Travel insurance
• Landlord insurance
• Caravan insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Boat insurance
• Trailer insurance
• Mobility scooter insurance

How satisfied are RAA insurance customers?

In our customer satisfaction survey, RAA was rated the best for car insurance and second best for home insurance.

Customer satisfaction with home insurance

Of the RAA customers we surveyed, 86%��rated their experience with home insurance as above average or excellent.

Customer satisfaction with car insurance

Of the RAA customers we surveyed, 91% rated their experience with car insurance as above average or excellent.

How does RAA rate on claims?

Home insurance claims

RAA received one of the highest results��in our survey��with 89% of its customers who had made a claim rating the claims experience as above average, or excellent.

RAA also recieved good results from its car insurance customers, with 84% of those who had claimed rating them as abover average or excellent. Although there were only a small number of these customers, so the results for car insurance claims should taken as an indication only.

Does RAA offer insurance discounts?

RAA offers various discounts for insurance, including:��

• 10% multi policy discount on each policy when you hold three or more insurance policies with RAA in the same name�� (excluding travel Insurance)
• 10% discount on a combined home & contents policy
• Seniors Card holders also get a 10% discount on their car insurance policy, a 15% discount on their home and/or contents insurance, and 15% discount on their landlord and short stay insurance policy
• discounts are also available for long-term members.

Does RAA let you claim online or in-app?

You can start home, contents, car and some other insurance claims online. However, car claims involving three or more vehicles, motorcycle insurance, landlord insurance and some other claims need to be lodged over the phone.

RAA has an app which includes roadside assistance and fuel savings but not insurance.

24/7 claims helpline: Yes

The post Compare RAA insurance appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Who owns Aldi?
• ��Where does Aldi insurance operate?
• Which types of insurance does Aldi insurance offer?
• How satisfied are Aldi insurance customers?
• Does Aldi insurance offer discounts?
• Does Aldi insurance let you claim online or in-app?

Phone:��1300 407 021

Website:��

Who owns Aldi?

Aldi is a family-owned business which was divided into two entities, Aldi South and Aldi North, in 1961. Aldi South operates in Australia.

Aldi only started its Australian general insurance business in May 2024. Aldi insurance is underwritten by RACQ. RACQ is a mutual company, meaning it is owned by its members. Originally founded to provide advocacy for Queensland’s motorists, it started its insurance business in 1971.

Is RACQ Australian-owned? Yes (Aldi is owned by the Albrecht family in Germany)

Is RACQ not-for-profit? Yes (Aldi is for-profit)

Is RACQ listed on the stock exchange (ASX)? No. (Aldi is a family-owned business, not listed on the stock exchange)

��Where does Aldi insurance operate?

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia.

Which types of insurance does Aldi insurance offer?

• Car insurance
• Home and contents insurance
• Contents insurance for renters
• Landlord insurance.

How satisfied are Aldi insurance customers?

As Aldi insurance just launched in Australia in June 2024 we haven’t yet got any consumer satisfaction information on it. However, Aldi insurance’s underwriter,�� RACQ was rated the best for home insurance and third best for car insurance.

Customer satisfaction with home insurance

Of the RACQ customers we surveyed, 83% rated their experience with home insurance as above average or excellent. Half of RACQ customers rated the insurer as excellent, a third rated it above average, and the rest (17%) rated it average – not one respondent rated RACQ as below average or poor.

Customer satisfaction with car insurance

Of the RACQ customers we surveyed, 80% rated their experience with car insurance as above average or excellent.

How does RACQ rate on claims?

Home insurance claims

We did not have enough results (30 or more) in our survey to rate��RACQ on home insurance claims.

24/7 helpline:��No (7am to 7pm)

Car insurance claims

Of the insurers in our survey,��RACQ had the best result, with 94% of customers who made a claim rating the company as above average or excellent.

24/7 helpline:��No (7am to 7pm)

Does Aldi insurance offer discounts?

Aldi insurance offers an up to 8% discount if you agree to install sensor devices at your home and keep them operational.

Does Aldi insurance let you claim online or in-app?

You can start claims online. However, claim updates aren’t available online.

The post Compare Aldi insurance appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Who owns RAC?
• Which types of insurance does RAC offer?
• How satisfied are RAC insurance customers?
• Does RAC offer insurance discounts?
• Does RAC let you claim online or in-app?

Phone:��13 17 03

Website:��

Who owns RAC?

RAC is a mutual company and owned by its members. It was originally founded to provide advocacy for Western Australia’s motorists and to create road maps and signage to make roads safer. It started its insurance business in 1947.

Is RAC Australian-owned? Yes

Is RAC nonprofit? Yes

Is RAC listed on the stock exchange (ASX)? No

��Where does RAC operate?

• Western Australia

Which types of insurance does RAC offer?

• Car insurance
• Home and contents insurance
• Contents insurance for renters
• Travel insurance
• Pet insurance
• Life insurance
• Small business insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Caravan & trailer insurance
• Boat insurance

How satisfied are RAC insurance customers?

In our customer satisfaction survey, RAC was rated the in the top four insurers for both car insurance and home insurance.

Customer satisfaction with home insurance

Of the RAC customers we surveyed, 78% rated their experience with home insurance as above average or excellent.

Customer satisfaction with car insurance

Of the RAC customers we surveyed, 77% rated their experience with car insurance as above average or excellent.

How does RAC rate on claims?

Home insurance claims

RAC ranked above the average for home insurance claims, with 71% of home insurance customers who had made a claim rating their claims experience as above average or excellent.

Car insurance claims

Of the insurers in our survey,��RAC achieved an above average result,��with 80% of customers who made a claim rating the company as above average or excellent.

Does RAC offer insurance discounts?

RAC offers various discounts for insurance, including:��

• 25% on car insurance if you have a low emissions car
• 15% if you combine your home and contents insurance
• Up 25% on contents insurance if you have an RAC monitored alarm
• Discounts are also available for long-term members.

Does RAC let you claim online or in-app?

You can start home, contents, car and some other insurance claims online. However, landlord, life and basic contents insurance claims can only be started over the phone.��

RAC has an app which includes Roadside Assistance and fuel savings but not insurance.

24/7 helpline: No (Monday to Friday 7am to 8.30 pm, weekends and public holidays 8.30am to 5pm).

The post Compare RAC insurance appeared first on ����Vlog.