Welcome to the Insurance Online News podcast with your host, Paige Estritori, where we deliver the latest and most significant news from the world of insurance in Australia. Our dedicated team works tirelessly to bring you the freshest updates, focusing on the stories that matter the most to both Australian businesses and individual consumers over the past week.
Through meticulous research, we transform these developments into original content that not only keeps you informed but also offers deep insights into the insurance landscape as it stands today. Our podcast distills these crucial updates into a format that's both succinct and captivating. For professionals within the insurance realm or personal consumers keen on keeping up with insurance trends, look no further. Paige Estritori brings you all the essential information daily, making our podcast the ultimate destination for trustworthy and impactful insurance news.
This Week:
This week on Insurance Online News, Paige Estritori covers an ACCC action over alleged misleading insurance debt notices, an AFCA ruling that a verbal tenancy can trigger landlord cover, rising post‑disaster repair scams ahead of storm season, and new bushfire research showing property‑level features drive outcomes. Listeners are urged to keep good records, verify repairers, review sums insured, and compare policies with broker support. Visit insuranceonline.com.au for fast, free quotes.
Hello and welcome to Insurance Online News with Paige Estritori, its Thursday, 17 September 2026.
First today, a major insurers debt collector is under fire after aggressive tactics against a customer. The consumer watchdog, the ACCC — thats the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission — has launched action alleging hundreds of thousands of misleading debt notices. If you receive a demand you dont agree with, contact your insurer or broker, keep everything in writing, and remember you can escalate disputes to AFCA, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. Choosing cover with strong claims support can save time and stress.
Meanwhile, AFCA has ruled that a landlords verbal periodic tenancy counted as a rental agreement for tenant‑protection cover, even though the policy wording required it in writing. But the theft part of that claim failed because the owner couldnt prove what was taken or when. For landlords, the signal is clear: document tenancies and inspections, keep photos and receipts, and check optional protections. Compare landlord policies side by side so youre not caught out at claim time.
Next up, ahead of storm season, insurers are warning about “disaster chasers” — operators who door‑knock after hail, fire or floods, push for cash, and claim to be working with your insurer. Reports have risen sharply since 2023. A real insurer wont demand upfront payment or send a tradie without notice. Call your insurer or broker, use approved repairers, and review your home and business sums insured before summer.
Finally, new analysis of the January Victorian bushfires shows property‑level features — like cleared vegetation and defensible space — made a big difference to which homes survived, even when homes were the same distance from the fire front. Risk, premiums and claims outcomes can hinge on details at your address. Its a good moment to check cover limits, consider mitigation, and refresh quotes that reflect your specific property or site.
Thats it for this week. For fast, free personal and business insurance quotes and access to independent brokers nationwide, head to insuranceonline.com.au. Im Paige Estritori — thanks for listening.
The information on this website is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Consider seeking personal advice from a licensed adviser before acting on any information.
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Knowledgebase
Whole Life Insurance: A type of life insurance that provides coverage for the insured's entire lifetime, with a savings component that builds cash value.
